landmark
Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden
Stuttgart's combined zoological-botanical garden in a historic Moorish palace complex with over 11,000 animals.
3 km · about 5 min drive
Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany · Europe
Stuttgart works well as a base: 10 minutes from Riedenberg, 13km from Ludwigsburg Residential Palace.
Stuttgart is a city located in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. With a population of 612,663, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Stuttgart sits in Germany, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Berlin time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Stuttgart to your route.
Stuttgart (; German: [ˈʃtʊtɡaʁt] ; Swabian: Schduagert [ˈʃd̥ua̯ɡ̊ɛʕd̥]; Alemannic: Stuttgart; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the Stuttgarter Kessel (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hourRead more
from the Swabian Jura and the Black Forest. Stuttgart has a population of 613,111 as of 2023, making it the sixth largest city in Germany, while over 2.8 million people live in the city's administrative region and nearly 5.5 million people live in its metropolitan area, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Germany. The city's metropolitan area is consistently ranked among the top 5 European metropolitan areas by GDP. Mercer listed Stuttgart as 21st on its 2015 list of cities by quality of living; innovation agency 2thinknow ranked the city 22nd globally out of 441 cities in its Innovation Cities Index; and the Globalization and World Cities Research Network ranked the city as a Beta-status global city in their 2020 survey. Stuttgart was one of the host cities for the official tournaments of the 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.
Stuttgart is unusual in the scheme of German cities. It is spread across a variety of hills (some of them covered in vineyards), valleys (especially around the Neckar river and the Stuttgart basin) and parks. The city is known as the "cradle of the automobile". As such, it is home to famous automobile museums like the Mercedes-Benz Museum and Porsche Museum, as well as numerous auto-enthusiast magazines, which contributes to Stuttgart's status as Germany's "Autohauptstadt" ("car capital city"/"capital of cars"). The city's tourism slogan is "Stuttgart offers more". Under current plans to improve transport links to the international infrastructure (as part of the Stuttgart 21 project), Stuttgart unveiled a new city logo and slogan in March 2008, describing itself as "Das neue Herz Europas" ("The new Heart of Europe"). For business, it describes itself as "Where business meets the future". In July 2010, the city unveiled a new logo, designed to entice more businesspeople to stay in the city and enjoy breaks in the area.
Since the seventh millennium BC, the Stuttgart area has been an important agricultural area and has been host to a number of cultures seeking to utilize the rich soil of the Neckar valley. The Roman Empire conquered the area in AD 83 and built a massive castrum near Bad Cannstatt, making it the most important regional centre for several centuries. Stuttgart's roots were truly laid in the tenth century with its founding by Liudolf, Duke of Swabia, as a stud farm for his warhorses. Initially overshadowed by nearby Bad Cannstatt, the town grew steadily and was granted a charter in 1320. The fortunes of Stuttgart turned with those of the House of Württemberg, and they made it the capital of their county, duchy, and kingdom from the 15th century to 1918. Stuttgart prospered despite setbacks in the Thirty Years' War and devastating air raids by the Allies on the city and its automobile production during World War II. However, by 1952, the city had bounced back and became the major cultural, economic, industrial, financial, tourism and publishing centre it is today.
Stuttgart is known for its strong high-tech industry, especially in the automotive sector. It has the highest general standard of prosperity of any German city. In addition to many medium-sized companies, several major corporations are headquartered in Stuttgart, including Porsche, Bosch, Exyte, and Mercedes-Benz Group. Stuttgart is an important financial center; the Stuttgart Stock Exchange is the second largest in Germany (after Frankfurt), and the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) is Germany's largest Landesbank. Stuttgart is also a major transport junction; it is among the most congested conurbations of Europe, and its airport is the sixth-busiest in Germany (2019). Stuttgart is a city with a high number of immigrants; according to Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness Travel Guide to Germany, "In the city of Stuttgart, every third inhabitant is a foreigner." 40% of Stuttgart's residents, and 64% of the population below the age of five, are of immigrant background. In the rest of Germany, 28.7% of people are of immigrant background, with a relatively higher percentage living in cities and the former western Germany (such as Stuttgart).
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Stuttgart offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Stuttgart is located in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, Europe. The coordinates are 48.7823 latitude, 9.1770 longitude.
Stuttgart has a population of approximately 612,663 people, making it a city in Germany.
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Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for Germany8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Stuttgart's combined zoological-botanical garden in a historic Moorish palace complex with over 11,000 animals.
3 km · about 5 min drive
museum
A stunning double-helix building chronicling 130 years of automotive history from the invention of the car to the present.
4 km · about 10 min drive
cafe
A spectacular automotive experience centre in a former airport with classic car dealers, workshops, restaurants, and a boutique hotel.
5 km · about 10 min drive
museum
A striking modernist building showcasing over 80 vehicles tracing Porsche's legendary sports car and racing heritage.
6 km · about 10 min drive
landmark
Workshop and showroom where vintage Mercedes-Benz cars are meticulously restored and sold as certified classics.
8 km · about 15 min drive
historic highway
A 11.4km road circuit through the forest west of Stuttgart that drew 300,000 spectators to Grand Prix races in the 1960s. The public roads still run the old lap past Schloss Solitude, and the course is entirely drivable today.
10 km · about 20 min drive
castle
One of Europe's largest baroque palaces dazzles with 452 rooms and vast 'Blooming Baroque' gardens north of Stuttgart.
13 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Charming Swabian-themed park near Stuttgart combining traditional German culture with exciting rides and a wildlife park.
29 km · about 35 min drive
April to October
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