Exploring Stuttgart, Germany: A Travel Wishlist

Germany has always been a country I’ve wanted to visit, from the culture to the history and in some cities, the night life. So when my auntie Val called up asking if we’d like to visit her in Stuttgart (back in 2006!), I jumped at the chance.

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We (my mum, sister and I) stayed at my auntie’s house just outside of Stuttgart with her then husband and our cousins. It may sound strange but we’d never met our cousins before as they grew up in America. But I’m happy to say we got on well immediately.

As this holiday was more about catching up with family, which don’t get me wrong was lovely, we didn’t see as much of Stuttgart as I would have liked to. But we did have fun building Lego, binge watching the Friday 13th movies, bowling and visiting an American high school! So win-win.

For this post however, I’d like to talk about the things I didn’t get chance to do in Stuggart, that I’d like to do in the future.

This post is inspired by Ellie’s post about Istanbul where she talked about the things she didn’t get chance to do, that she’d like to.

Konigstrasse (the shopping mile)

Stuttgart is home to Germany’s longest pedestrian shopping street where you’ll find an array of highstreet and specialist shops.

We did visit this briefly as my sister’s a shop-a-holic but only popped into a handful of stores we recognised. Such as Claire’s and H&M and C&A. So I’d love to explore more of the shops here, especially those not native to the UK (such as New Yorker) and the more independent, specialist shops.

Markthalle

Clothes shopping aside Stuttgart is full of markets and probably the most well known is Markthalle (the market hall).

Inside Markthalle you’ll find a range of fresh produce, meat, cheese, fish, and more. As well as an irresistible range of international, ready-to-eat snacks and pastries. So it’s the perfect place for a foodie or to pick up some souvenirs to take home with you.

Germany is famous for its sausages and I always enjoy a bratwurst at local German markets. So I’d like to sample the real thing.

The Old Palace (Altes Schloss)

Also refered to as ‘The Old Castle’, Altes Schloss is Stuggart’s oldest piece of architecture and home to two museums.

The Württemberg State Museum which tells the history of the state along with housing an extensive art collection. Along with the Children’s Museum which includes interactive displays and both permanent and temporary exhibitions.

I love exploring museums and galleries so this would be high on my list, and the stunning gardens wpuld be the perfect setting for a picnic.

Stuttgart Zoo – Wilhelma

Stuggart Zoo or Wilhelma is a zoological-botanical garden set on the grounds of a historic castle. With unique historic architecture and close to 1,200 animal species and 8,500 varieties of plantlife, Wilhelma is an animal and nature lovers dream.

Cable car ride to the cemetery

The Stuttgart cable car has been transporting visitors from the city to the cemetery and back for over three centuries. It’s the final resting place of many famous personalities, so this plus the beautiful teak and mahogany funiculars, make it an interesting experience for tourists wanting to learn a little history.

Stuttgart Christmas market

Germany is famous for its Christmas markets and Stuttgart is no different. Beginning on the last Thursday of November the centre of the city at Schloßplatz is home to an array of stalls.

But it’s not just the stalls you can see here. Every section of the city has something to offer from seasonal classical music at the Old Palace to miniature railways and a skating rink.

Have you been to Stuttgart? What other towns or cities in Germany do you like?