Stuttgart was founded in the 10th-century, the capital of southwest Germany’s Baden-Württemberg State, and it is presently the 6th largest city in Germany most famous for its automotive industry - both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. Nevertheless, the big city has a small-town atmosphere and is filled with green spaces scattered around its center; popular parks such as the Schlossgarten, Rosensteinpark, Killesbergpark, and Wilhelma can be found here. Furthermore, Stuttgarters are amazingly friendly people who love to practice other languages (especially English) and will try to help you to enjoy your stay in the city. Very well served by all transportation, the lively city has a lot of attractions to enjoy and, in this article, we’ll look at 10 top-ranked things to do in Stuttgart to get the most out of your stay there.
Map location
1. Palace Square (Schlossplatz)
Schlossplatz is the largest square in Stuttgart and was used as a military parade ground, and not open for general public use for a long time. The vibrant heart of the city, heavily damaged during the Allied Bombing in World War II, was restored from 1958-1964 with a modernized interior that houses the Ministries of Culture and the Treasury of the Government of Baden-Württemberg. Nowadays, Stuttgart’s Palace Square receives a lot of open-air concerts and events and it is a place both to celebrate and relax, a place to linger, within easy walking distance of many of the city’s attractions.
Schlossplatz Stuttgart (Palace Square)
Address: Schloßpl., 70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Schlossplatz Stuttgart
2. State Gallery of Stuttgart
The Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (State Gallery) is surely the most important art museum in the city and one of Europe’s leading museums. Opened in 1843, the classicist building (the Old State Gallery) displays works (drawings, water paintings, collages, printed graphics, illustrated books, posters and photographs) from the 14th to the 19th-century. On the other hand, the New State Gallery is dedicated to the art of the 20th-century.
Closed on Mondays but open to visit from 10 am to 8 pm the other working days, you’ll enjoy exploring this huge art collection, featuring world famous artists such as Max Beckmann, Salvador Dalí, George Grosz, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, and Wassily Kandinsky, and admiring the numerous masterpieces showcased by the monument.
State Gallery of Stuttgart
Address: Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 30-32, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
You might be interested in these Airbnbs!
3. Sepulchral Chapel (Grabkapelle)
The Sepulchral Chapel also called Württemberg Mausoleum (Grabkapelle auf dem Württemberg) is a memorial building, erected by King Wilhelm I in memory of his beloved wife Katharina (Catherine Pavlovna of Russia), who died at a young age. More than a simple reminder to love and Baden-Württemberg’s most romantic spot, this monument also offers spectacular views over Stuttgart. Moreover, the monument is still nowadays one of the most impressive examples of neoclassical architecture in the Stuttgart region and for all of these reasons, this is one of the places “you have to visit” while moving around.
Grabkapelle
Address: Württembergstraße 340, 70327 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Grabkapelle
4. Schillerplatz
Named in honor of the German poet, philosopher, historian, and dramatist Friedrich Schiller, the Schillerplatz is a square in the old city center of Stuttgart and stands nearby the main square, Schlossplatz. The area belonged to the royal court and was used by the Dukes for ceremonial purposes and later, has been taken over by the townspeople for their everyday activities. There you’ll enjoy at different time of the year; the flower market, the Stuttgart Wine Village and the Christmas Market.
Schillerplatz
Address: Am Fruchtkasten 3, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Schillerplatz
5. Weißenburgpaek
The Weissenburg park (Weißenburgpaek) has always been a popular location based on a hill in the southeast of Stuttgart. From a 19th-century tea-house, the present park is an amelioration directed by the city around 1960, a 5 hectares (12 acre) green area with new paths, terraces and a viewing platform to gaze at the city skyline. The former building, the so-called teahouse and the Marmorsaal are still in an excellent condition and feature events such as weddings, birthdays and other celebrations. The place is a unique spot if you’re looking for leisure activities, walks, cycling or outdoor parties.
Weißenburgpaek
Address: Bopserwaldstraße 3, 70184 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Weißenburgpaek
6. Königstraße
Looking for local shopping? With its 1.2 kilometer (0.7 mi) length, Königstraße (King’s Street) is Stuttgart’s main business street and the third most frequented shopping street in Germany. Opposite to the main railway station, the boulevard host a vast number of specialist shops, department stores, cafés, restaurants and relaxation areas. This is the place to go for a walk and to enjoy the finest shopping of Germany.
Königstraße
Address: Königstraße, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Königstraße
7. Johanniterkirche
The Protestant Church of St John (Johanneskirche) in Stuttgart was built in the Gothic Revival style from 1864 to 1876 from a 12th-century deconsecrated church. Set around the Feuersee (Fire Lake), the church was nearly destroyed in the Second World War, but the main church building was reconstructed; some parts of the church were intentionally left incomplete to serve as a sort of war memorial and nowadays the building hosts an impressive collection of eminent art treasures open for visit.
Johanniterkirche
Address: Johanniterkirche Schwäbisch-Hall, Im Weiler 1, 74523 Schwäbisch Hall, Germany
8. Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross
The Stiftskirche (Collegiate Church) is a church in the city’s center of Stuttgart, the main church of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg (Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg). Still very active nowadays despite its big history, this beautiful church is filled with art, stained-glass windows, ancient bells & a pipe organ and you might be lucky enough to enjoy the evening prayer, organ music and the choir for a mesmerizing experience.
Stiftskirche
Address: Stiftstraße 12, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Stiftskirche
9. Porsche Museum
The impressive Porsche Museum is an automobile museum in the heart of the company’s home city of Zuffenhausen nearby Stuttgart, and presents the automotive history and “Fascination Porsche” in an incomparable style ever since 2009. Around 80 vehicles are here to dive into the fascinating history of Porsche. Receiving its visitors from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm you’ll be amazed by this huge and unique collection.
Porsche Museum
Address: Porscheplatz 1, 70435 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Porsche Museum
10. Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden
Wilhelma is a zoological-botanical garden in Stuttgart in the north of the city on the grounds of a historic castle. Wilhelma Zoo is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Baden-Württemberg and proudly has the 2nd biggest collection after the Berlin Zoological Garden. Operating since 1846 The Zoo and Botanical Garden features a Moorish Revival style, echoing Alhambra, bringing an atmospheric mix to the place. In its area of about 30 hectares (74 acres), 11,500 animals from around the world composed of roughly 1,200 species and 6,000 plants are featured.
Wilhelma
Address: Wilhelmapl. 13, 70376 Stuttgart, Germany
Website: Wilhelma
Discover the city's secrets and attractions of Stuttgart!
Stuttgart, the 6th largest city in Germany, has much more to give than its famous Porsche and Mercedes-Benz museums and with these 10 top-ranked things to do, you’ll have a great, busy trip!
History
Get Trip101 in your inbox
Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data
Create an account to