Two of my girlfriends and I hadn't seen each other together in quite some time. As we live in different cities we were looking for a place for us to get together. As I had never been to Stuttgart before, I suggested it and they were happy with this option. We agreed on late April and organised our transportation. Stuttgart is the capital city of the state of Baden-Würtemberg, located in the southwest of Germany. It is famous for cars such as Mercedes Benz and Porsche which both originate here as well as Siemens and Bosch to name only a few. Stuttgart has over 600,000 inhabitants and is Germany's sixth-largest city. The city lies in a fertile bowl-shaped valley about 270 m above sea level on the banks of the Neckar river. Locals refer to the basin as the "Stuttgarter Kessel" as during the summer months it has a hot and humid climate that is warmer than the surrounding countryside.
Stuttgart
More from the Baden-Württemberg Region
Where to stay in Stuttgart
a:Arnulf-Klett-Platz
r:Baden-Württemberg
In Stuttgart, we stayed at the (link: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=10074&awinaffid=727981&clickref=Graf+Zeppelin&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripadvisor.com%2FHotel_Review-g187291-d202428-Reviews-Steigenberger_Graf_Zeppelin-Stuttgart_Baden_Wurttemberg.html text: Steigenberger Hotel Graf Zeppelin) where our former General Manager is in charge now. The girls had already arrived and I met them in our fabulous modern suite which was perfect for the three of us with big windows, free wifi, a walk-in wardrobe and lots of space. The hotel is located directly opposite the main train station and in the heart of the city. The main sights as well as a great shopping area are all within walking distance of the hotel. The hotel has the Michelin Star restaurant "Olivo" which was fully booked during our stay. For our first evening, we started the evening with some great Gin & Tonics in the hotel bar where the waitress was so super friendly that we came back again after dinner. Dinner for us was served at the hotels Zeppelino restaurant which was delicious. Breakfast is served on the hotels first-floor restaurant with a view of the historic train station. We chose some made to order egg dishes and loved the opulent breakfast buffet which catered for everybody's wishes. A great hotel in a fantastic location in Stuttgart with very attentive and friendly service!
Eating in Stuttgart
a:Stuttgart
r:Baden-Württemberg
**Lunch** For lunch, we stopped at a restaurant called (link: http://www.deli-stuttgart.de/ text: "Deli") located not too far from the main shopping street in a cute side road with many restaurants and small shops. "Deli" has a very warm atmosphere combined with modern design and offered a big variety of dishes including some local favourites like "Maultaschen" which are a must eat when visiting. A cool, nice place which was full for the whole time we were and frequented by people of all ages. Thumbs up! **Dinner** For dinner, on Saturday night we chose a very traditional restaurant serving typical local dishes, called (link: http://www.weinstube-schellenturm.de/ text: Weinstube Schellenturm). It is located in a small tower that was originally built in 1564 as part of the city wall. Nowadays it is a wine bar and restaurant, serving regional dishes with local wines and beers, offering a cozy and warm atmosphere combined with tasty food. In summer they also have a beer garden on their front doorstep. Great experience!
Things to do and see in Stuttgart
a:Stuttgart
r:Baden-Württemberg
Whenever we get together we end up shopping together. Although we didn't particularly plan to, we spend the first couple of hours after breakfast discovering Stuttgart's main shopping street the "Königstraße". Walking around, listening to the people around us and their very special dialect and exploring the shops of course. Trying on new things, getting your girlfriend's opinion, debating if you really need another dress in your closet, priceless! Once we all spent some money we continued walking and discovered the beautiful castle in the heart of the city with all the blooming spring flowers which brightened up the rather grey and gloomy day. In addition to the pedestrian area on Königstraße, there is another great shopping area in the city center in form of a brand new shopping mall. It is called "Milaneo" and located north of the main train station. In case it is raining, it is a nice shopping option too. Stuttgart is located in a valley, so we wanted to find a viewpoint from where we could see the whole city. We chose "Uhlandshöhe" where we had fabulous views of the city and the area. Once you see a city from above it is easier to get your bearings, at least it is like that for me. After taking some photos we walked back toward our hotel via a pretty well-to-do neighbourhood with some lovely old houses. After passing the residential area we walked past the theatre, planetarium and castle which are all very pretty to look at. Then there is also the Mercedes Benz and Porsche Museum, the Staatsgallery which is an Art museum, Schloss Solitude and many more. We would have needed another day to also explore at least some of these definitely worthwhile sights. On this occasion, we did not make it but I guess there is always next time...
