What to do on a business trip tag-along to Stuttgart, Germany

Stuttgart may be best known as the home to the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums, but this German capital city is also about stately architecture, soaring vineyards, and one of the best town squares for whiling away a Saturday afternoon. If you’re heading to Stuttgart on business or tagging along as I did recently, you will have many options for what to do.

The Hop-on / Hop-off tour and entrance fees for museums mentioned in this post were generously provided to me by Stuttgart Tourism

Stay in a Neighbourhood

It’s great to be in the centre when visiting a city, but when there’s an efficient public transit system, it’s worth staying in a nearby neighbourhood. On our recent trip, we stayed in an Airbnb in Degerloch, which felt a bit like a small town of its own. It had a charming high street lined with shops and restaurants, and we discovered a scenic, forested running trail on its outskirts.

For about $120 CAD/night, we stayed in a beautiful suite with a heated bathroom floor that made my toes very happy. I was working remotely most of our week-long stay, which is always better a home-like setting.

Staying in an Airbnb also allows us to keep up with laundry and to cook some of our meals. I love the cultural experience of shopping for local groceries.

If it’s autumn go to Cannstatter Volksfest

We arrived in Stuttgart at the tail end of City’s massive fall festival (okay, it’s really a beer festival). Attending Canstatter Volksfest was a highlight of our trip. Get the full review of the experience in my previous post.

Hop-on / Hop-off to Get an Overview of Stuttgart

This trip was the first time I had experienced a double-decker bus tour. I’ve always opted for a walking or cycling tour. While I prefer the interactive and more intimate experience of those types of tours, you can cover a lot of ground in good time on a bus. This tour also allows you to get on and off at several stops to see attractions that interest you. That’s good value at € 15 for 24-hours.

This Hop-on / Hop-off tour included an audio guide in a dozen languages. The English one takes the form of a grandfather and grandson exploring Stuttgart together. The script is a bit cheesy, but we did learn a good deal about Stuttgart’s history and some fun facts.

For instance, did you know that Christine Hardt patented the modern bra in Stuttgart in 1889? Also, Ritter Sport chocolate originated in Stuttgart? It was co-founder Carla Ritter who came up with the idea of a square chocolate bar that wouldn’t break easily and would fit nicely in the pocket of a sports coat. Obviously, Stuttgart women have a deep understanding of the essentials in life.

The full tour takes about 1 hour 40 minutes if you do it in one stretch and you will stop at many attractions such as the iconic Mercedes-Benz Museum and the scenic vineyards overlooking Bad Cannstatt.

We got upper-level seats with no problem on a Saturday afternoon tour by hopping on at the i-Punkt tourism information office. However, when hopping back on after checking out the vineyards, the bus had standing room only. Keep this in mind if you plan to take the tour.

Take in a Museum or Two

I didn’t have a lot of time to visit Stuttgart’s many museums, but the two I chose to see took me from cerebral to silly in the span of a few hours.

Württemberg State Museum

The Württemberg State Museum is worth visiting as much for its stately palace architecture as for its exhibits.

Here you’ll trace the history of the region from the Stone Age to present-day Stuttgart. There are several interactive exhibits. It’s a vast collection that dates back to 1862 when William I established it. The museum is located in the city’s centre making it easy to pop into as you take in the area’s other sights.

SchweineMuseum

Pigs! This museum dedicated to pigs of every kind boasts a collection of 50,000 exhibits. That is a LOT of porkers.

They come from all over the globe and illustrate the pig’s role in art, culture, and mythology.

Maybe I was punch-drunk and tired from walking all day or perhaps I am fundamentally attracted to a more low-brow variety of entertainment, but I adored this museum. AND, I learned some things about pigs.

Laze around or shop in Schlossplatz

Stuttgart’s main square is the place to watch the world go by. It seemed the entire city was hanging out at Schlossplatz the Saturday we were there.

The square’s nearby pedestrian street mall Königstrasse is a kilometre-long stretch of bustling specialty shops, department stores, and international brands. Note that the shops are closed on Sundays.

The expansive green space at the heart of the square is perfect for tossing a ball or catching some rays.

Bistros line the square and offer the perfect perch for serious people watching and for enjoying the talented buskers that appeared to come and go on the hour. From a sand sculptor to a pianist wheeling a baby grand piano, I have never seen such varied and unique street performers anywhere else.

Eat traditional food. Go Upscale.

We ate a lot in Stuttgart. It’s easy to do with yummy options ranging from traditional to upscale. A must-try is the Swabian dish maultaschen—delectable doughy pockets stuffed with minced meat, smoked meat, spinach, bread crumbs, and onions. Very satisfying after a day of seeing the sights.

Pork with spaetzle and maultaschen at Carl Brauhaus

We indulged in one fine dining experience at Restaurant Fässle, which we chose because it was close to our Airbnb’s neighbourhood of Degerloch. Wow! Not only were the food and wine pairings sublime, but the hostess actually interpreted the entire menu from German to English for us. What service!

Tuna Tartar at Restaurant Fässle

This small and warmly decorated French/International restaurant was a real treat.

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