Stuttgart, Germany basically has middle child syndrome: often overlooked or ignored for its more well known neighbors – Frankfurt to the north and Munich to the east. Stuttgart is a relatively quiet, unassuming manufacturing city with one major tourist draw: it’s Germany’s Autohauptstadt, aka the car capital. Major manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and Porsche both have a headquarters and museum in the city, making this trip a must for car enthusiasts. Another plus? Stuttgart is also a major German wine region. So, if you aren’t a beer person then it might be the place for you. We’d already planned to spend some time in Frankfurt and Munich, and figured why not make a pitstop in Stuttgart along the way!
Be sure to make it all the way to the end for a map of all our Stuttgart stops!
Attractions
We didn’t arrive until midday on day one, so we mainly just wandered around. The first thing we wanted to see was the Schlossplatz, but unfortunately there was a huge fence blocking it off (bummer) while they did some construction. The Oberer Schloßgarten was an unexpected find, and a relaxing place to have a snack and figure out a plan for the rest of the day. We also did some shopping in the Königstraße – aka King Street. It’s just over a kilometer long – about 3/4 of a mile – and apparently one of the busiest shopping streets in all of Germany! You’ll find a mix of larger big name stores, coffee shops, grocery stores, boutiques, and various food options.
Personally I know nothing about cars, but Jasper on the other hand is a big Formula 1 fan. So naturally our second day in Stuttgart was all about cars – starting with the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Tickets can be bought online for either the morning or afternoon. This place is MASSIVE, so be sure to block off a few hours of your day. There were quite a few times where we got turned around because there is so much to see! Don’t miss the side rooms on each floor next to the main ‘Legend’ space. Each one highlights a different vehicle collection – from ambulances and fire-fighting trucks, to buses and taxis.
He’s lucky I like him, because I agreed to go to two different car museums – on our wedding anniversary of all days! After a quick pretzel break, we headed to the Porsche Museum. You can only buy tickets in person, so we saved it for second since we weren’t sure how long our morning would take. Compared to the Mercedes museum, the Porsche one is significantly smaller. I think it only took us about an hour to walk through the entire thing. If I had to say which I preferred, it’d definitely be Mercedes-Benz – it was just so much more impressive!
Other things to see and do:
- Head up to the observation deck at the Fernsehturm Stuttgart (Stuttgart TV Tower) – We didn’t get a chance to go this time around, but it’s on my list for next time.
- I was DEVESTATED that the City Library at the Mailänder Platz was closed for renovations during our trip. Every picture I see online is gorgeous.
- We were a little zoo/botanical garden-ed out this year, but I’ve heard great things about the Wilhelma Zoologisch-Botanischer Garten!
Looking for more to do on your trip to Stuttgart, Germany?
Check out these exciting options:
Food and Drinks
If we weren’t looking at cars or walking 20,000+ steps, we were eating and drinking. Not that you’ll find me complaining, because one of my absolute favorite things about traveling is experiencing new places through food. To maximize the short amount of time we had in the city, we didn’t have any actual lunches while in Stuttgart. Instead we just snacked in between breakfast and dinner. Our favorites? Classic paprika Pringles (we liked them so much we ended up buying a few cans to bring home!), soft pretzels from KATZ der bäcker, and some Knoppers for Jasper’s sweet tooth.
Breakfast/Coffee
We were in the mood for a sit-down breakfast, which lead us to Poffers Café. They have a variety of sweet or savory poffertjes (think mini pancakes) and the best cappuccino I had during our trip.
When our original coffee plans fell through, we stumbled upon L’amore di caffé – an Italian espresso bar along the Königstraße. It’s definitely not your traditional Italian coffee shop. I was super surprised to find iced coffee on the menu!
Dinner and Drinks
Weinstube Zur Kiste – Swabian Wine Bar – Kanalstraße 2, 70182 Stuttgart
This was definitely one of my favorite meals of our whole Germany trip. It felt like an authentic, cozy local German spot. Because they only have a few communal tables, putting everyone pretty close together, I didn’t take any pictures while inside. It was nice to be fully in the moment!
Restaurant Délice – Fine Dining – Hauptstätter Str. 61, 70178 Stuttgart
Our 8th wedding anniversary called for our first Michelin Star multi-course meal, with a wine pairing. Was it expensive? Extremely, but totally worth it. There are only 7 tables and they’re closed Saturday – Monday. You will need a reservation.
Jigger & Spoon – Cocktail Bar – Gymnasiumstraße 33, 70174 Stuttgart
Looking to end the evening with something fun? Get buzzed into an unassuming office building and take the elevator down this speakeasy located in a former bank vault. I’m sure they are packed on the weekends, but we went on a Monday night so it was a little more laidback.
Hotel
For this part of our trip we stayed at the Hampton by Hilton Stuttgart City Centre in the Europaviertel district. I wanted to make getting to the car museums more convenient, and Jasper was happy to have a top floor room with views of the Stuttgart rail yard. Interested in more info on this hotel and the others we considered? Then check out Where to Stay in Stuttgart, Germany.
What‘s a must-see on any Stuttgart, Germany trip? Let me know in the comments!
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