Stuttgart sounds like a great place to take a vacation. But, are there many attractive things to do in Stuttgart? Well, let’s find out. Stuttgart, the Baden-Württemberg state’s largest city, lies on a fertile valley, Stuttgart Cauldron, on the Neckar River. And with a population of just over 2.8 million people, the city is also Germany’s 6th largest in terms of population.
But what does the city has to offer? Firstly, while a tour of the Christmas markets offers an incredible feeling, this isn’t the only thing that Stuttgart has to offer.
If you are visiting or planning to visit this Southwest city in Germany, you’ll certainly be awed by the numerous attractions you’ll find here.
But before you make your final arrangements, we’ve decided to give you a quick glance at what the city is all about.
Experience all the best that the city of Stuttgart has to offer with this amazing 60-minute highlights tour. Your expert guide will take you to all the must-see places in the city center, sharing fascinating stories and historical facts along the way. You'll get to explore the most beautiful spots in the city, learning about its past, present, and future.
If you're a fan of VfB Stuttgart, then this 1.5-hour arena tour is a must! Go behind the scenes of the Mercedes-Benz Arena and learn everything there is to know about the construction and history of the stadium. Stand on the sidelines of the pitch and get a sense of what it's like to be a VfB player. And don't forget to check out the panoramic views from the executive rooftop terrace. Discover the fan meeting point A-Block and become the ultimate fan.
See the best of Stuttgart with a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour! You'll be able to explore the city at your own pace, hopping on and off the bus as often as you like. The double-decker buses are comfortable and offer great views of the city. You can also enjoy an audio guide in 10 different languages. Choose from the blue, green or wine tour, or get a combination ticket to see both routes.
Where to Stay in Stuttgart, Germany
There are many great places to stay in Stuttgart’s city center, from luxury hotels to family-friendly accommodations. Some of the best accommodation includes:
- Hotel am Schloss: This hotel is located in a historic palace and offers wonderful views of the cityscape. It features a fitness center, sauna, and steam room.
- City Hotel: This 3-star hotel offers reasonable accommodations and amenities, including a fitness center
- Grand Hotel Hegelsberg: This hotel is situated in a beautiful baroque palace and offers guests a number of unique amenities, such as wine tastings and tours of the palace’s art collection.
- Hotel Ludwigsburg: This luxurious hotel is in a baroque palace that was once used by the dukes of Württemberg. It offers a spa, wine cellar tours, and more than 1,000 works of art.
We’ve compiled some of the most fun and best things to do in Stuttgart, Germany, to help make your visit even more fulfilling.
Things to Do in Stuttgart, Germany & Places to Visit
1. Visiting the Mercedes Benz Museum
Address: Mercedesstraße 100, 70372 Stuttgart, Germany
That’s right! The famous Mercedes automobiles are made in Germany, and we have a whole museum dedicated to this brand.
For car enthusiasts, the Mercedes-Benz Museum should certainly be your first stop. In fact, it’s usually like a pilgrimage for car lovers.
Here, you get a chance to experience over 130 years of German automotive history. Right from the building itself, this remarkable piece of engineering is a sight to behold.
On the inside, each floor is dedicated to honoring one of the magnificent Mercedes cars built by the company. And even for non-car enthusiasts, the impeccable car arrangement offers a stunning view.
If you want to learn how the company came into being, the mechanics of this German car, and its evolution, the museum is the place.
Here you’ll also get to learn and see how Mercedes-Daimler-Benz, the brand’s founder, has been instrumental in shaping not only the automobile world but also Germany as a country.
For a first-hand experience with every Porsche model ever made, a tour of this museum is a must when visiting Stuttgart. Displaying over 80 rare Porsche models, it’s quite clear why over 900,000 people visit the place each year.
2. A Visit to the Porsche Museum
Address: Porscheplatz 1, 70435 Stuttgart, Germany
Here, you get to see some of the unique Porsches ever made, including the 356, 550, and 911 series. And if you think that cars are just a display, you can never be so wrong. More than 90% of these historic autos are in perfect shape and still operational. In fact, they regularly take to the roads, a mobile museum.
A day tour of the Porsche Museum is undeniably one of the best things to do in Stuttgart filled with excellent car history.
A Porsche Museum tour includes video and audio guides, which makes the experience even more fulfilling. And the kids aren’t left behind; there are special attractions tailored for them, as well.
The best thing about this tour is that it’s also the beginning of the factory tours. Yes! Crown your day with a tour of where these ‘German machines’ are manufactured and assembled.
See Related: What is the Size of Germany?
3. Festivals
Do you love partying? People in Stuttgart do it even better. Twice every year, the city’s festival grounds are fired up, with the Ferris wheel (riesenrad) and beer tents up and running.
But which festivals are these? During every fall and spring, the Cannstatter Volksfest, also known as the Stuttgart Beer Festival, and the Stuttgart’s Spring Festival (Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest), take place respectively.
The Stuttgart Beer Festival is the second-largest beer festival in Germany. These festivals are part of the city’s culture and heritage, with the Cannstatter Volksfest being celebrated since 1818. On the other hand, the Spring Festival began over a century later, around 80 years ago.
If attending one of the biggest festivals in the world is your dream, the Spring Festival fits the description. And although it started much later than the Fall Festival, it attracts larger crowds, with over 1.5 million people attending it every year.
So what do you expect during these festivals?
- The best beer from prominent regional brews
- Lots of mouth-enticing German meals
- Traditional German costumes
- Unfathomable fun
4. A Guided Wine Walk & Wine Tasting Tour
The Stuttgart region boasts some of the best vineyards and wine brews in Germany. This tour gives you a chance to explore some of the most exquisite wine-growing regions in Germany.
You’ll walk through these beautiful vineyards, flourishing on the hills, and get a taste of some authentic Stuttgart wines. The experience here is unmatched, as you marvel at the scenic topography and other Stuttgart tourist attractions.
And with your experienced tour guide, you learn even more about Stuttgart’s viticulture and wine enjoyment as you visit some of the most prominent wine spots in the city.
More features of this tour:
- Two stops for exquisite wine tasting
- Visit the most beautiful vineyards
- Walk along some historical paths
Meeting points for the tour vary depending on the package booked.
5. The 24-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour
Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour allows you to explore most of the Stuttgart attractions at your own pace. With your 1-day hop-on-hop-off bus ticket in hand, you can enjoy comfortable rides across the city, alighting whenever you spot an interesting site and hopping back on another bus later.
The tour includes audio guides as you traverse the city, giving you a better understanding of the different sites. The guides are available in various languages, including German, English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, etc. And the double-decker buses offer just the perfect view as well as a great way to enjoy the fresh air.
Through this tour, you get to visit as many sites as the day can allow. Also, you have an option between the green, and blue route, and even a combination of the two.
The green tour has eight bus stops, while the blue one has nine stops. This means that you can hop off or on at any of these stops.
See Related: The Black Forest of Germany
6. Visit Wilhelma Zoological-Botanical Gardens
Address: Wilhelma 13, 70376 Stuttgart, Germany
For nature lovers, a visit to the Wilhelma Zoo & Botanical Gardens adds to the long list of the best things to do in Stuttgart. The relaxing feeling that this place offers is just amazing.
Right from the expansive scenic gardens, elaborate greenhouses, and quaint 19th-century architecture, the site is simply breathtaking. The number of animals here and the variation in species only add to the zoo’s beauty.
You’ll get to see different amazing animals, including the African elephant, tropical birds, acrobatic gibbons, horses, giraffes, zebras, etc.
The zoo, which ranks second in Germany after the Berlin Zoological Garden, is home to over 11,500 animals and 1,200 species. It also houses around 6000 plants from various climates.
So, whether your list of what to see in Stuttgart is full or not, a few hours in this beautiful place sound inevitable.
7. Staatsgalerie Stuttgart Tour
Address: Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 30-32, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Even from the exterior, just a glance at this Stuttgart’s State Gallery clearly shows its uniqueness. And from the time you set foot at the entrance, you’ll clearly know that this isn’t just another dull museum.
With the new building opening its doors in 1984, this architectural masterpiece by James Stirling was a big boost to the museum. It transformed the museum into one of the most visited museums in Germany. The museum is most famous for its expansive assortment of stunning paintings from the 20th century.
However, it also houses many other incredible artworks from various German, Dutch, and Italian art masters dating back to the 14th century. Here, you’ll find works of art gurus like Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Max Beckmann, and many others making it one of the best art museums in Germany.
In other words, even if you don’t have much time to explore multiple Stuttgart attractions, the museum can still make your visit quite memorable.
See Related: Best Mountains in Germany
8. Killesberg Park
Address: Stresemannstraße, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
Dating back to the 1939 horticultural show, Killesberg Park is the true definition of an oasis within a rocky city.
With over half a square kilometer of gardens, stunning fountains, and sculptures, this famous park offers more beauty than your eyes can grasp. And of all the things to see in Stuttgart for a tourist, this is on the top list.
Since its inception, the park has been holding gardening shows and events, attracting quite large crowds. The park is home to Tal der Rosen, meaning the Valley of Roses, which is quite a wonder, especially in summer. There are also over 200 dahlia varieties in the same park, making the scene even more attractive.
The park has more attractive features, including:
- A 40 meters tall tower that offers an all-round view of the park
- Amazing play areas for kids
- A swimming pool
- A narrow-gauge railway
- Kid’s theater
Also, there is a wide variety of foods and drinks for you and the kids if you are traveling as a family.
9. Solitude Palace
Address: Solitude 1, 70197 Stuttgart, Germany
Built between 1764 and 1769, this quaint, Rococo palace and retreat center was commissioned by the Duke of Württemberg, Charles Eugene. It lies on an expansive ridge between three towns, Gerlingen, Stuttgart, and Leonberg.
In comparison, the Solitude place is the equivalent of Berlin’s Sanssouci – a peaceful, serene escape from city life. From the top of the ridge, the view is spectacular. You can see miles and miles of beautiful landscape from this point.
As the duke closely monitored almost the entire building’s construction, you can be sure of exemplary beauty for your eyes. There’s also an expansive garden around the palace, once used for the entertainment of guests.
Walking through the well-laid paths allows you to enjoy the city’s view from a distance. All these and more make the palace an excellent place to visit during your stay in Stuttgart.
10. Schweinemuseum (Pig Museum)
Address: Schlachthofstraße 2A, 70188 Stuttgart, Germany
The Pig Museum in Stuttgart is a unique and interesting museum that focuses on the depiction of pigs in art. The museum features more than 50,000 pieces of art, including sculptures, paintings, and other types of artwork. The museum is divided into 29 themed rooms, each of which showcases a different aspect of pig culture and is the largest pig museum in Europe.
The museum is a great place to visit for anyone who is interested in art, pigs, or both. The exhibits are humorous and creative, and the collection of artwork is vast and diverse.
If you are looking for a unique tourist attraction and one of the most unusual things to do, visit the Pig Museum in Stuttgart.
11. Climb to Eugensplatz
Address: Eugenstraße, 70182 Stuttgart, Germany
The climb up Eugenstaffel is no easy feat, but the views from the top are definitely worth it. The steps begin alongside the National Gallery of Modern Art and continue through the lovely park, with panoramic views of Eugensplatz.
If you want to save time and effort, take bus #42 to Alexanderstrasse. Below is a large path through a hillside of greenery and into the heart of a curved fountain that flows through the park. The park is a great place to unwind and relax, with chilled cafés and beer gardens as well as several ideal locations to observe the world go by.
The statues of Galatea date to the 1890 Greek myth. The park is a favorite place to be visited in the summer due to its cold breezes and its views over the city, along with the ice-cream store Pinguin just outside the building.
12. The Weissenhof Estate
Address: 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
The Weissenhof Estate is one of the most influential housing developments in Stuttgart, and it is located near the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1927, it became the setting of Werkbund’s exhibition space.
The Werkbund was a prominent international architecture group that reclaimed the flowing design forms from the art movement by adopting functional geometric building designs with little ornaments.
These semi-detached dwellings were also constructed by using new building techniques using steel frames and prefabricated materials. Make sure you stop in the Weissenhof Museum within Le Corbusier’s home.
The estate is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is certainly worth a visit to learn about the natural history of Germany.
13. Schlossplatz
Address: Schloßpl.70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Schlossplatz is a popular square in the heart of Stuttgart that is surrounded by beautiful historical buildings. The square is a great place to relax and enjoy the views, and it is also home to several popular festivals and events. It’s just a short walk from the main train station, so you won’t miss it.
In November, the square hosts an annual children’s Christmas market that features miniature villages, Christmas rides, and ice skating. Schlossplatz is also a great place to visit in the summer when the gardens are open for sunbathing and the fountains are turned on.
Also on Schlossplatz is Altes Schloss (in German), the Old Castle (in English). A castle has been on this site since the 10th century with multiple renovations, periods of destruction, and rebuilds from historical events such as World War II.
See Related: Best Christmas Markets in Europe to Visit
14. State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart
Address: Rosenstein 1-3, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
If you’re traveling with kids, the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart is a must-see. It’s a great place to learn about the natural world, with tons of interactive exhibits.
Kids will love seeing taxidermied animals from all over the world, and there’s also a planetarium for stargazing.
15. Explore Birkenkopf (Rubble Hill)
Address: Birkenkopf 70197 Stuttgart, Germany
Birkenkopf is a hill located in the city of Stuttgart-West. It offers excellent views over the city and is a great spot for historical information. The climb to the top is just a few steps uphill, making it easy to reach by bicycle or public transit.
Rubble Hill, which is made up mostly of war debris and rubble, appears to be visible in the ruins of buildings. The top provides an outstanding perspective of the city.
16. Drive the Black Forest High Road
The Black Forest High Road is a 71-kilometer-long route that was named after it was climbed along the ridge in Baden-Baden. The road reaches an elevation of more than 3,000 meters and has beautiful views of the black forest and the surrounding valleys. This route is located in the city center of Baden-Baden and can be reached in about an hour’s drive.
There are many highlights along the way that invite stopping, such as Glacier Lac Mummelsee. At this location, you can follow a trail around the lake or borrow pedalos to explore further.
This is a great way to see the legendary Black Forest, including the many beautiful half-timbered houses, vast forests, and potentially wildlife if you keep your eyes peeled.
Things to Do in Stuttgart at Night
As a thriving cultural center, Stuttgart’s nightlife is everything else but dull. If you want to experience amazing nightlife in Stuttgart, the list of things you can do is endless. From visiting some exclusive bars and clubs, live band venues, a great opera house, and theaters, you are spoiled for a wide variety of choices.
Here’s what to do in downtown Stuttgart, Germany at night:
17. Schocken Events
Stuttgart is undoubtedly a lively city full of festivals, celebrations, and long night parties. Schocken Events consist of a three-level club with three bars. The place usually hosts live concerts or popular DJs, giving you a chance to enjoy incredible music from numerous genres.
Even better, entry during the weekends is free, and the usual dress code is casual. Opening hours are from 1 pm to late night during weekdays (Tuesday to Friday), 12 pm till dawn on Saturday and 7 pm to 11 pm on Sundays.
18. Schwarz Weiß Bar
Address: Wilhelmstraße 8A, 70182 Stuttgart, Germany
If you want somewhere serene, this stylish cocktail bar offers just that as you enjoy cool jazz music. After a long tiring day up and down the city, you can sip your classic or creative drink as you relax in this quiet and relaxing place.
The place is usually open from Sunday to Thursday between 7 pm and 3 am, and Friday to Saturday from 7 pm to dawn. When you don’t need a crazy night, this is a good spot to be.
19. Strotmanns Magic Lounge, Stuttgart
Address: Naststraße 31, 70376 Stuttgart, Germany
Your list of things to do in Stuttgart is still not complete without visiting the Strotmanns Magic Lounge. With a rating of 4.7 stars out of 5, this is one of the best places to visit in Stuttgart at night.
They have amazing shows and performances throughout the week, and you just need to book a night with them. The magical shows are just amazing, and you’ll come out still wondering what really went on. As for comedy, nothing can end your day better.
So, if you are looking for some good stuff to do in Stuttgart, including the Strotmanns Magic Lounge to your travel itinerary is a perfect idea.
20. Enjoy Live Music at BIXX Jazzclub
Address: Gustav-Siegle-Haus, Leonhardspl. 28, 70182 Stuttgart, Germany
Over the past several years, this club has found a place among the leading live music centers in downtown Stuttgart. With its spacious modern design, this beautiful club offers the best feeling as you listen to your favorite jazz melodies.
The kind of jazz music played here entirely depends on the night, offering quite a wide selection. It is an incredible place to enjoy your evening meal, take your cocktail or a glass of wine, and listen to some calming music.
FAQ
Is Stuttgart worth visiting?
Yes, you should visit Stuttgart because it has a lot to offer tourists. Some of the main attractions include its beautiful architecture, rich history, and vibrant culture. Additionally, it’s a great city for car enthusiasts as there are several museums and events dedicated to automobiles.
What is there to do in Stuttgart in the winter?
Stuttgart is a wonderful place for all seasons, but as the temperatures start dropping, you might find some attractions are better than others such as the iconic German Christmas market located right in the city center. Here are several other ideas to make winter more enjoyable in Stuttgart, Germany.
1) Mercedes-Benz Museum: This four-story museum on the company’s history and latest models gives visitors a glimpse into how Mercedes has influenced the automobile industry since 1901 and shows off 40 cars while telling 50 ‘stories’.
2) Schlosspark: One of the most popular places in Stuttgart with locals who come year-round to stroll past beautiful lakes and trees lit up at night, watch children play, or feed animals at noon every day (weather permitting). The Blaue Lagune Ice Skating rink is a must-visit during the winter.
3) Staatsgalerie Stuttgart: A world-famous art museum with an impressive collection of 15,000 paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the present.
4) Porsche Museum: If you’re a fan of this high-end car company, this museum is a must. It has more than 80 cars on display as well as motorsports and engineering exhibits.
What is there to do in Stuttgart for toddlers?
There are many fun things to do with toddlers in Stuttgart, including going to the zoo, Schlosspark, the Old Castle, Pig Museum, the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Porsche Museum, and the Collegiate Church.