Lovely small friendly and affordable 4* hotel, away from the centre but only 15-20 minutes walk to Schlossplatz and Königstrasse or 10-15 by bus. It feels like a real oasis in the city, there is a pool and 'wellness area' (sauna and steam room), balconies to some rooms and a delicious breakfast featuring home baked breads and cakes and local schwäbisch cheeses.

Seestraße 114-116, 70174 Stuttgart
www.hotelazenberg.de

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Individual service, fine dining, a pleasant living ambience created by fine wooden surroundings, warm colors and original fabrics.

Cosy rooms with an overwhelming panorama view over the valley.

Beautiful mountain spa with treatment areas, pool and different saunas.

Alpine and cross-country skiing, hiking, mountain biking, wine-tasting, shopping in and around the loveliest high valleys in the very heart of the Black Forest National Park, located within the region of Feldberg, Schauinsland and Belchen.

Ideal for round-trips as in the border triangle close to Freiburg im Breisgau (25km), the sunny capital of the Black Forest and to the French and Swiss borders.

www.mangler.de/e/
Wellnesshotel Mangler
Ennerbachstraße 28
D-79674 Todtnauberg - Germany
Tel: +(49)-(0)-7671-9693-0
Fax: +(49)-(0)-7671-8693
wellnesshotel@mangler.de

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

I recently spent a week working in Stuttgart, and although I enjoyed the city, I was much more impressed with a neighbouring town called Esslingen, about 20 minutes away. A medieval jewel which used to be the regional capitol long before Stuttgart’s growth, Esslingen has a cosy, small town feel, with plenty to offer.

Relatively untouched from WW2, the first thing that strikes the visitor after anodyne Stuttgart is the magnificent architecture: Fantastic lanes and courtyards which take you back 500 years, all beautifully maintained. I found Stuttgart relatively quiet at night, but Esslingen has plenty of restaurants, bistros and bars - in a compact area - where even if you don't know any German, the locals will certainly make you feel welcome. It is very safe at night. The local red wines are not to everyone’s taste, but the regional sparkling whites - Sekt - are alone worth the detour.

It's no shoppers’ paradise, but has enough interesting little stores and cafés to make an afternoon worthwhile. There's beautiful countryside a stone’s throw from the town and the hillside woodland provides welcome relief in unspoilt nature.

The centrepiece is the church of St Dionysus, which provides postcard-perfect photo ops and has remarkable stained glass - see it in the morning for the best effect - and the restored altar. Roman and pre-Roman ruins are on display around the church. The tourist information office opposite can provide all you need. Ask about open-air concerts, usually free, which often take place in the surrounding areas. Certainly a worthwhile day trip.

Esslingen am Neckar is 10km from Stuttgart Airport and is easily accessible from Stuttgart;
Stuttgart Metropolitan Transport Network: www.vvs.de (German language site);
www.esslingen.de

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This is the main shopping street in Stuttgart, and a great place to get your bearings. Buskers and locals jostle for space along the pedestrianised stretch, and it's easily accessible from many U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations. When the crowds get too much try exploring any of the little side streets.

Koenigsstrasse runs from the main train station to Marienstrasse.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This is a nice and lively brewery pub. The beer is served in tiny glasses, but not to worry: empty ones are contantly replaced, until you cover your glass with your beermat to signal you've had enough.

They also serve nice local food.
During daytime they do guided tours of the brewery itself, but you'd need to arrange that beforehand (and you need at least 15 people).

Calwer Straße 31, just across from the shopping mall 'Calwer Passage,' in a pedestrian area in the city centre;
tel: 0711-2224944-12;
www.calwereck.de;
S-Bahn: Stadtmitte, then take the Rotebühlplatz/Calwer Straße exit

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

The stuttgart television tower was the first tower of its kind in the world and has recently been completely refitted. It is the unofficial symbol of the city, as you can see it from almost anywhere. For details and a webcam see the website, which is in German and English. The view from the top is great.

Jahnstraße 120 (U-Bahn station: Waldau);
tel: 0711 23 2597
www.fernsehturm-stuttgart.de

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Stuttgart is second only to Budapest for the number of mineral baths in the city. Teenagers go to Leuze, while those wanting to relax visit MineralBad Cannstatt, which has an extensive sauna area upstairs. Many baths have specialised treatment pools, (eg. for high blood pressure). When it gets hot, Stuttgarters head for the nearest open air pool. Perhaps the best is Freibad Rosental in Vaihingen, with a large freeform stainless steel pool landscape, springboards, and a children's pool. There are play areas, sunbathing, grills, food stands and plenty of opportunities for people watching.

Leuze: Am Leuzebad 2-6;
tel: 0711 216 4210

MineralBad Cannstatt: Sulzerrainstraße 2;
tel: 0711 216 9241

Freibad Rosental: Rosentalstraße 21 Stuttgart-Vaihingen;
tel: 0711 216 4837

General information: www.stuttgart.de/baeder (in German)

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This stylish, airport-themed cafe/bar near the Hauptbahnhof is located in a former Lufthansa city terminal, and is one of Stuttgart's best lounge bars. Coffee, lunches, cocktails, wine, spirits and boutique beers are served. DJs play several nights a week, mainly jazz, lounge, and soul. Take a seat at the long bar and observe passers-by, or make yourself comfortable in one of the lounge areas.

Lautenschlagerstr. 14;
www.bravo-charlie.de

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Come here for the best döner kebab (€3,50) in the city. Freshly baked pita bread, grilled lamb, yoghurt, grilled vegetables and salad. Takeaway or eat, standing up, on site. The "Alaturka teller", a mixed plate of salads, meat, vegetables and börek for €7,90, is easily enough for two people.

Olgastr. 100, Stuttgart Süd.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Wilhelma is a botanical gardens and zoo, apparently the result of King Wilhelm I’s attempts to emulate the Alhambra in southern Germany in the mid-ninteenth century. Alongside the striking Moorish architecture, an impressive range of wild animals reside in some disturbingly poky glass boxes.

Neckartalstrasse, 70342 Stuttgart - Bad Cannstatt
tel: 711 5402 0;
www.wilhelma.de

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

For clubbing in Stuttgart, try Rocker 33. It's located in an old administrative building complex, with different DJs in different parts of the building, and an open-air bar in the inner courtyard.

Heilbronnerstrasse 7;
www.rocker33.com

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This is the place to go out at night in Stuttgart, or to chill out in the day. The street is lined with lots of nice bars and cafes. In particular, try Suite 212. It's sleek interior still attracts a good crowd. It serves brilliant drinks in an equally brilliant atmosphere. Ask Nils at the bar to mix you one of his caipirinhas.

Suite 212: Theodor Heuss Strasse 15
tel: 645 68 98

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

There will be a huge screen set up in the Schlossplatz (main square) which is where most German fans will congregate, but there are many alternatives. Go to a bar, cafe or beer garden to watch World Cup games.

The best atmosphere is generally to be had in Italian bars and cafes, which will obviously be bursting at the seams when Italy plays but otherwise a lot quieter.

At Mezzogiorno, a restaurant on the grounds of the city university, you can watch games on a big screen from the comfort of a leafy beer garden. The pizzas are recommended. You'll also be near to the Theodor-Heuss str, which is where Stuttgart's Germans, Italians, Brazilians, and Spaniards will parade when (if) their team wins.

Mezzogiorno: Kriegsbergstraße 55;
tel: 0711 295089
S-Bahn: Stadtmitte

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Within the wine-growing region of Württemberg, Stuttgart city has considerable areas of vineyards above the Neckar River, which are incidentally also lovely for walking. Rainer Schnaitmann and Weingut Gert Aldinger, both of Fellbach, a town near Stuttgart, are two vineyards that win prizes nationally, while Kessler, of Esslingen, is Germany's oldest Sekt (sparkling wine) producer.

Around 6-10 € spent in any supermarket will get you a good local wine from Remstal, Fellbach or Untertürkheim. Weinhaus Stetter serves a large range of local wines with appropriate food at reasonable prices, in genuine "Swabian" surroundings.

Try Bernd Kreis' wine store if you want advice - they speak English – and if you need to drown your sorrows post-World Cup, don't miss the autumn wine festivals: Weindorf, in Stuttgart 30.08.2006- 10.09.2006, and Fellbacher Herbst, in Fellbach, 6.10.2006- 9.10.2006.

Also look out for the Weindorf World Cup, from 09.06.2006 'til 09.07.2006, when there will be a wine and food festival held in the Schillerplatz, just off the Schlossplatz (main square)

Weinhaus Stetter: Rosenstr. 32 (U-Bahn Charlottenplatz);
www.weinhaus-stetter.de (in German)

Weinhandlung Bernd Kreis: Münzstrasse 10 (U-Bahn Charlottenplatz);
www.wein-kreis.de (in German)

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

The Alte Kanzlei – translation “Old Chancellery“ - is a bright and bustling restaurant housed in a handsome renaissance building on the edge of the city’s main square, the Schlossplatz. Main courses cost 10-20 euros and, handily, an English language menu can be provided. An excellent Maultaschen (local ravioli-type delicacy) can be had for about 9 euros.

Schillerplatz 5, Stuttgart;
tel: 0711 29 4457

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

One of the best places to try real Swabian food. Speciality is kidneys with spätzle (swabian noodles), but you can also get a good Rostbraten mit Bratkartoffeln (steak with sauce, onions and roast potatoes). They serve local wine and beer, and the prices are moderate. When the weather is fine there is mostly room outside on the terrace, otherwise it pays to reserve a table. Open for lunch and dinner.

Immenhofer Straße 33, Stuttgart Süd;
tel: 0711 602704

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

The Alte Kanzlei – translation “Old Chancellery“ - is a bright and bustling restaurant housed in a handsome Renaissance building on the edge of the city’s main square, the Schlossplatz. Main courses cost 10-20 euros and, handily, an English language menu can be provided. An excellent Maultaschen (local ravioli-type delicacy) can be had for about 9 euros.

Schillerplatz 5, Stuttgart;
tel: 0711 294457

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

If you are going to see the Bauhaus exhibition in the V&A, here's your chance to see the real thing: built in 1927, every architect of the time, from Le Corbusier to Mies van der Rohe, built a house in this model estate.

Pure and undiluted modernism, nothing for the faint hearted Poundsbury-lovers, called a national eye-sore and an 'Arab village' by the Nazis, who wanted to demolish it. It survived, but because they are still inhabited, you can only walk around the houses. Still, a must-see for anyone interested in modern(ist) architecture!

www.weissenhofsiedlung.de - excellent website, contains map, history, details etc.

Opening times: Tue-Sat 10-2, Sun 10-3

Bus no. 43 to 'Killesberg Messe,' get out at stop 'Kunstakademie'
U7 (underground) to final stop 'Killesberg Messe'

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

A reasonably-priced and nice lunch complete with a good view of the city can be found on the top-floor restaurant of the Kunstmuseum, a giant glass box that houses the city's art collection.

Kleiner Schlossplatz 1;
tel: +49 (711) / 216 21 88;
www.kunstmuseum-stuttgart.de/en/index2.php

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends