Short on time and unsure where to start? The best things to do in Stuttgart are its car museums, the Old Castle and Schlossplatz, Wilhelma zoo, and easy day trips to Esslingen and Ludwigsburg.
Stuttgart works well as one stop in a longer route, and the southwest germany travel guide shows how it fits with other destinations in the region.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Old Castle origin | Water fortress built in the 10th century |
| SWR television tower height | 217 meters |
| StuttCard price | From 25 €, valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours |
| Stalls at the Stuttgart Christmas Market | More than 300 |
| Half-timbered buildings in Esslingen’s Old Town | More than 200 |
These figures come from the Stuttgart tourist board’s highlights page and from PlanetWare’s Stuttgart guide. Prices and numbers can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
Start in the centre: Schlossplatz and the Old Castle
Begin at Schlossplatz, the palace square in the middle of the city. PlanetWare describes it as the nucleus of Stuttgart and a public transport hub, so you can reach it easily by bus or train.
Several landmarks sit within a short walk of each other:
- The Neues Schloss (New Castle), a former palace now used for government offices
- The Old Castle, part of the Württemberg State Museum
- The Staatstheater
- The Staatsgalerie art museum and the Jubilee Column
The Old Castle goes back to a water fortress built in the 10th century to protect the stud garden that gave Stuttgart its name, according to the Stuttgart tourist board. It now houses the Württemberg State Museum and the children’s museum Junges Schloss.
If you only have time for one museum in the centre, the Württemberg State Museum is a strong choice. PlanetWare says its collection holds more than one million artifacts, from Ice Age finds to timepieces and glass.
Car museums: Mercedes-Benz and Porsche
Stuttgart is the main hub of two luxury car makers, as PlanetWare points out. That makes the car museums the most popular reason to plan a visit if you like engineering and design.
The Mercedes-Benz Museum opened in 2006 and is described by the City of Stuttgart’s sights page as one of the most visited museums in the city. It shows 160 vehicles and more than 1500 exhibits, and the route starts with a lift ride back to the year 1886.
The same page lists opening hours of 09:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday. It was last dated 16.11.2020, so confirm the hours with the museum before you go.
The Porsche Museum also appears among the tourist board’s must-sees. Both museums list free admission with the StuttCard, which is covered further down.
Which other sights are worth your time?
Beyond the castles and car museums, the tourist board’s must-see list offers plenty of variety:
- Weissenhof Estate with the Weissenhofmuseum im Haus Le Corbusier, for architecture fans
- The Kunstmuseum Stuttgart (Museum of Modern Art) on Kleiner Schlossplatz
- Solitude Palace, where a standard tour is free with the StuttCard
- The Green U, a listed highlight for walkers
- The Staatsgalerie, which also appears on the best-of list
The SWR television tower is 217 meters tall and, according to the tourist board, the first tower of its kind made of reinforced concrete. Admission is free with the StuttCard.
Families and plant lovers can head to Wilhelma. The tourist board’s page, which carries a 2026 copyright line, calls it Germany’s only zoological and botanical garden, and you can read that claim on the highlights page.
Stuttgart in winter: the Christmas Market
If you visit in the month before Christmas, the Christmas Market takes over Schlossplatz, as PlanetWare notes. Its history goes back to at least 1692, and more than 300 stalls fill the square.
Expect gifts, seasonal snacks and toys, plus free choral concerts in the Old Palace courtyard. PlanetWare also mentions a ferris wheel and a skating rink on the grounds in winter.
Day trips from Stuttgart
Stuttgart is a good base for the wider region. PlanetWare calls it a great jumping-off point for touring the Black Forest and nearby medieval towns, and our black forest travel guide covers that side of the region in more detail.
Esslingen
Esslingen lies about a half-hour drive east of Stuttgart. Its Old Town has more than 200 half-timbered buildings, according to PlanetWare, which also recommends trying Maultaschen, a dumpling popular in Swabian cuisine.
Ludwigsburg Palace
The Ludwigsburg Residential Palace lies north of the centre. As of PlanetWare’s guide, the royal apartments were closed for restoration at the time of writing (source).
Because that guide is dated, check the palace’s own schedule and prices before you travel.
Going further
If you have more days to spare, the heidelberg castle visit guide covers another castle destination in Baden-Württemberg.
How can you save money with the StuttCard?
The StuttCard bundles free entry and discounts at 50+ sights, museums and restaurants. The tourist board lists it as valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours, from 25 €.
The tourist board’s highlights page shows a “StuttCard Bonus” of free admission for many places in this guide, including:
- Both car museums, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche
- Wilhelma
- The SWR television tower
- The Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, and the Staatsgalerie for its collection and special exhibitions
- The Weissenhofmuseum im Haus Le Corbusier
- The Württemberg State Museum in the Old Castle
The must-see list also marks the Sepulchral Chapel on the Württemberg as free with the card, plus a standard tour of Solitude Palace. That is a long list of possible stops, but a card only saves money if you actually use it.
A simple way to plan is to group stops by area. Put the museums around Schlossplatz and Schillerplatz on a single day, and keep the car museums, Wilhelma and the television tower for a separate outing, since each sits at its own address on the edge of the centre.
To decide whether the card pays off, work through these steps:
- Write down the attractions you really want to see.
- Look up each entry fee on the attraction’s own website.
- Compare the total with the card price for 24, 48 or 72 hours.
- Check the tourist board page for the latest list of bonus sights before you buy.
If the total is close, the card still gives you the freedom to add a spontaneous stop. If your list is short, paying at the door may be the better choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a card that covers several Stuttgart attractions?
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Yes. The StuttCard offers free entry and discounts at 50+ sights, museums and restaurants and comes in 24, 48 or 72 hour versions, from 25 €, according to the Stuttgart tourist board.
Which museums should car fans visit?
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The Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Porsche Museum. The Mercedes-Benz Museum shows 160 vehicles, according to the City of Stuttgart.
When is the Christmas Market on?
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PlanetWare says it runs in the month leading up to Christmas on Schlossplatz. Check the official dates for the year you travel.
What are easy day trips from Stuttgart?
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Esslingen is about a half-hour drive east and Ludwigsburg about a 30-minute drive north, according to PlanetWare.
