Stuttgart lies in the lush Neckar Valley, bounded by vineyards and the Black Forest. Its multiple parks make it one of Europe's greenest cities, but it is also one of Germany's biggest industrial centres. The Daimler-Benz factory began manufacturing here in 1926 and, a few years later, Ferdinand Porsche set up shop. Today, there are approximately 150,000 companies located in the Stuttgart region, including Bosch, IBM and Hewlett-Packard. Their presence has helped give Stuttgart residents the highest per-capita income of any city in Germany.

The city is not all work and no play, however. The area is also renowned for its mineral springs, which, with a daily output of more than 22m litres of water, are the most productive in western Europe. Eleven of the 19 springs have been officially declared health springs and are used to feed swimming pools, spa houses and drinking fountains.

bigdunc adds ...

Stuttgart, the capital of the south-western German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, is beautifully situated in the valley of the river Neckar, with surrounding hillside vineyards visible from the city centre. It has a strong industrial heritage and the regional stereotype is of an inventive and canny people. The inhabitants of Stuttgart are also disarmingly friendly.

The city centre is easily navigable, lively and sophisticated, with plenty of shops, art galleries, museums and concert venues. It is architecturally eclectic, with the imposing 14th century Altes Schloss almost rubbing shoulders with James Stirling’s more modern masterpiece, the Staatsgalerie, capriciously styled and completed in 1984.

The cuisine tends to be hearty and reasonably priced. The traditional Weinstuben offer cosy surroundings in which to enjoy regional specialties, which include pasta dishes such as Maultaschen (ravioli) and Spatzle (noodles), many beef and veal dishes and the locally produced Riesling and Trollinger wines.