Stuttgart was the last city of our 2016 Winter Trip. Both Berna and I had been to Stuttgart before. But it was the first time we were coming together. We were very excited. Our solo photos would now be replaced by photos together. And Berna was wearing a ring! 💍🙏
German cities don't have the tourist appeal of other European cities; they're more industrial cities, but of course they have their lovely sides too. Museums, lovely squares..
Travel Guide: I'm leaving the link for that too.
PALACE SQUARE - SCHLOSSPLATZ
When you say Stuttgart, you definitely get a picture of this square with the palace behind it. Almost every city has a square like this and a palace. But Stuttgart is one of the cities that brings both together. The palace is used as the Württemberg State Museum, and the square, hosting festivals, is the city's centre... Although famous brands for shopping are gathered on the street stretching from the train station to here, this square, where you can sit comfortably on the grass in summer and use it for walks in winter, is to us definitely a real place to rest.
Looking at the history of the city's largest square, Schlossplatz was used for military purposes for a long time. It was opened to the public in the early 20th century, and in the square, today the city's busiest spot, there's the Concordia Statue, erected in memory of the 60th birthday of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, and the Angel Fountain..
KÖNIGSTRASSE
As soon as you leave the train station and pass through the underpass, this lovely street right in front of you is Königstraße. Shopping lovers and coffee addicts, a wonderful street awaits you in Stuttgart!
You can take a nice walk along the street and shop at any store you like. Even though the TL has lost value against the euro, there are still products in Germany at much better prices than in Turkey. Our favourite brands like DM, Douglas and Jack Wolfskin are on the street. After shopping, with a package of lovely German chocolates, you can treat yourself to a feast of flavour at Schlossplatz. You can also find different German beers here at the nearby cafés/restaurants.
MERCEDES-BENZ MUSEUM
Car lovers, this way! While Stuttgart is an industrial giant of a city, it also hosts the headquarters and museum buildings of car brands we know. Companies like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bosch and SAP are in this city. But Mercedes has built such a museum that it comes first among places worth going to see!
Mercedes-Benz, with 132 years of automotive history as of 2018, takes you on a journey into the future along with its fascinating automotive past at the museum.
After entering the museum, you go up by lift to a height of 34 metres, and on the way down you set off on a journey through history from 1886 to the present. You can even see car designs pioneered by Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz.
The museum, made up of nine floors and covering an area of 16,500 square metres, offers 160 vehicles and more than 1500 exhibits, divided into Legend and collection rooms. In the Legend rooms, documents, themes and important milestones from the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand are divided into subsections. In the collection rooms, the richness and variety of vehicles made by the brand are displayed in a thematic presentation.
Note: You can visit the museum on all days except Monday between 09.00 - 18.00. Adult tickets are sold for 10€ and discounted tickets for 5€.
Getting there: Those using public transport can take the S1 suburban line from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (Main Station), get off at Stuttgart Neckarpark station, and reach the museum after a walk of about 15 minutes.
WILHELMA ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN - WILHELMA ZOO GARDEN
Since it was winter we didn't go, but this zoo, which I visited in 2012, impressed me a lot. I haven't been to a zoo for a long time, but I was very glad I'd come to such a beautiful and well-kept city zoo.
Note: At Wilhelma you can visit both the zoo and the botanical garden. In this respect we can say it's the most famous garden not just in Stuttgart but in all of Germany, and inside there are mini lakes and activity areas too.
Families with children especially flock to this garden in the summer months. The park is very big; you can spend most of the day here. This garden, which welcomes between 2-3 million visitors a year, is open 365 days a year. The park opens at 08.15 in the morning, and closing time varies with the seasons. But entry closes at 16.00. As for entry fees, adults 11€, ages 18-28 7€, ages 6-17 5.50€.
Getting there: You can easily reach Wilhelma both by public transport and by car. Those going by private car will easily reach the zoo by following the white elephant symbol on the signs.
Those using public transport can take the U14 tram from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (Main Station), get off at the Wilhelma stop 12 stops later, and reach this huge garden after walking 600 metres.
STUTTGART TELEVISION TOWER - FERNSEHTURM
For those who want to see Stuttgart's lovely greenery and huge forests, the view is not to be missed. It's one of the places worth going to see especially at sunset.
The tower's most important feature is that it holds the title of the world's first reinforced concrete telecommunications tower. Construction began in 1954 and the building was completed within 2 years, opening in 1956. The 3 rotating xenon lamps on the building turn the tower into a visual attraction, especially in the evenings.
Note: You can visit the tower Monday-Thursday between 10.00 - 23.00, and Friday-Sunday between 09.00 - 23.00. If you like, you can eat at the restaurant and sip something with this wonderful view.
Adult tickets are sold for 7€, and discounted tickets and child tickets for ages 6-15 for 4€.
Getting there: Those using public transport can take the U15 tram from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof/Arnulf-Klett-Platz, get off at the Ruhbank stop 11 stops later, and after walking 650 metres you can visit this huge tower.
Stuttgart Travel Guide: I'm leaving the link for that too.
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