48 hours in Stuttgart
This week we’ve got a guest post from Marcia Bauer of Pocket Village. She’s a native of Stuttgart and knows all about what to check out and where to eat and drink in this friendly southern German city – JM
Stuttgart is well known for Mercedes and Porsche but it’s also the small but wonderful capital of Swabia. Lying in a beautiful southern region of Germany, it’s the home of pretzels, good wine, festivals and fast cars. For some people, it’s everything they need. 
Things to See and Do
Architecture
It’s wonderful to walk through Stuttgart’s streets and to enjoy the beautiful landscape. Because of its location, you can do most within walking distance and in a short time you can visit expansive squares, gorgeous castles and buildings of different architecture styles.
Above you can see the wonderful Castle Place (Schlossplatz) in the heart of Stuttgart. In the back of the castle you find the Castle Garden, the Opera, and the world famous ballet. If you are interested in culture, make sure you check out inside in these awesome buildings. Otherwise, it’s a great space during a sunny day to eat an ice cream or just hang out and people watch.
Wilhelma Zoo
There are a lot beautiful zoos worldwide, but I love the Wilhelma because it’s also known as the “Alhambra of the Neckar” (a river of Stuttgart). The atmosphere of the animals and plants in front of such fantastic architecture in the Moorish style in the center of Stuttgart is extraordinary.
You can gaze upon more than 10,000 animals, exotic plants, and garden art exhibits as well as many beautiful hiding places to relax. It is not just a zoo but a botanical garden and a historical park of the 19th century. The park is the size of 40 football pitches and while you’re there, you can relax and view the beautiful landscaping.
Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums
I can’t really tell you which museum is better, as they’re both fantastic highlights of architecture. If you have enough time I would recommend to visit both, otherwise you have to choose which kind of cars you prefer. I promise you though, both museums are very interesting just for the engineering value, even if you aren’t a huge car lover.
If you are looking for other museums also, Stuttgart has you covered. For example the House of History, “Staatsgalerie”, and the Dinosaur museum are very interesting and popular.
