Stuttgart

Palace Square (Schlossplatz) is Stuttgart’s central gathering spot, framed by the New Palace and the Königsbau. At its centre stands the Jubilee Column, topped by the goddess Concordia, commemorating King Wilhelm I’s 25th year of rule. Once a military parade ground, the square was opened to the public in the 19th century and now hosts open-air concerts, festivals, and parts of the Christmas market.

Hard to miss and easy to like, the Stuttgart City Library is a massive white cube just a short walk from the main station. Step inside and you're in a vast, white space that feels more like a sci-fi film set than a library. Books line open balconies around a light-filled atrium, everything quiet, clean, and geometric. Head to the rooftop for a surprisingly good city view, or grab a coffee downstairs and just take it all in.

Schloss Solitude sits on a quiet ridge just outside Stuttgart, built in the 1760s as Duke Carl Eugen’s rather extravagant idea of a hunting lodge. It’s Rococo inside and out—decorative, symmetrical, and full of detail. You can join a guided tour or just come for the surroundings: forest paths, a long avenue that leads back to the city, and a view that opens wide on a clear day.

Höhenpark Killesberg is Stuttgart’s go-to green space when you want a break from the city buzz. It’s got a bit of everything: a 40-metre spiral tower with city views, a miniature train that loops through the park, and a petting zoo with goats, donkeys, and llamas. During the summer months, the outdoor pool and wave machine are a hit, and there’s plenty of space to picnic or wander through flower gardens.

Completed in 1956, the Stuttgart TV Tower was the world’s first television tower built with reinforced concrete and remains a model for others globally. Standing at 216.61 metres, it offers stunning views from its observation decks and is home to a rotating restaurant and café.

Located next to Porsche's headquarters in Zuffenhausen, the museum showcases around 80 vehicles and 200 smaller exhibits, all displayed within a striking 5,600-square-metre space. The building itself is an architectural highlight—a futuristic structure designed by Viennese firm Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, appearing to hover above the ground on just three supports. Inside, the exhibits are arranged chronologically, offering a comprehensive look at Porsche's evolution from its early days to the present. The museum also features a glass-walled workshop where visitors can observe vehicle restorations in progress.

Housed in Stuttgart's Old Castle, the Landesmuseum Württemberg is the state's largest cultural history museum, with its origins tracing back to the 16th-century Kunstkammer of the Württemberg dukes. Officially founded in 1862 by King Wilhelm I, the museum's collections span over a million objects, covering archaeology, art, and cultural history from the Stone Age to the present day. Highlights include prehistoric artefacts, Roman relics, medieval art, the crown jewels of Württemberg, and one of the world's oldest preserved card games. The museum also features the 'Junges Schloss', a children's museum designed to make history accessible to younger visitors.

The Kunstmuseum Stuttgart is hard to miss—by day, it’s a sleek glass cube reflecting the city; by night, its illuminated limestone core glows from within. The museum holds around 5,000 square metres of exhibition space, much of it tucked beneath the square in repurposed tunnels. It’s home to the world’s largest collection of works by Otto Dix, including his famous triptych Großstadt. The collection also includes pieces by Adolf Hölzel, Willi Baumeister, and other key figures in modern and contemporary German art.

SI-Centrum is where you go in Stuttgart if you're after a full night out in one place. It’s got two large theatres that put on big-name musicals, a cinema, a casino, and a spa with themed saunas and pools. There are also plenty of places to eat and drink. It's a bit outside the city centre, but easy enough to reach by U-Bahn (Salzäcker stop).

The Stuttgart State Gallery (Staatsgalerie Stuttgart) is one of Germany’s leading art museums, showcasing works from the 14th century to the present. Its collection includes approximately 5,500 paintings and sculptures, 250,000 works on paper, and up to 250,000 archival documents from artists' estates. The museum comprises three main buildings: the original 1843 structure, the postmodern extension designed by James Stirling in 1984, and a 2002 addition by architects Wilfrid and Katharina Steib. Stirling’s extension, known as the Neue Staatsgalerie, is celebrated for its innovative design that integrates a public walkway through the museum, blending classical and modern elements. The Staatsgalerie's extensive collection features masterpieces by artists such as Oskar Schlemmer, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miró.

Stuttgart has the second-largest mineral water reserves in Europe, just after Budapest. In Bad Cannstatt, 19 springs produce around 44 million litres of mineral water daily. Locals have been using these waters for centuries, and today, three public mineral spas keep the tradition alive: DAS LEUZE, Mineralbad Berg, and SoleBad Cannstatt. DAS LEUZE is the most modern of the three, with indoor and outdoor pools fed by natural mineral springs, a large sauna area, and a dedicated children’s section. It’s located right by the Neckar River and easily accessible via public transport.