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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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