Two-Day Trek: Stuttgart, Germany
From cars to Christmas, this city goes full throttle in emphasizing its strengths.
Considered the home of fine German automobile production and the location of one of the country’s most historic Christmas markets, Stuttgart is also a visually modern city because of its destruction during World War II.
FRIDAY
A mid-afternoon flight had us landing in Stuttgart in the early evening, and after taking the S2 line of the S-Bahn from the airport into the city, we walked from the Rotebühlplatz Stadtmitte to the Maritim Hotel (Seidenstraße 34), our elegant yet moderately dated headquarters for the weekend.
Given the time of our arrival, our priority was finding dinner, and after being shut out of our top two choices, we were fortunate to stumble upon the Brauereiwirtshaus Sanwald (Silberburgstraße 157), a local restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere that felt like we had been invited into the dining room of someone’s home. We ordered the Swabian platter, filled with spätzle, sauerkraut and sausages, and enjoyed watching the locals down their beer and chatter about their weeks beneath the 1980s-era posters from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.
SATURDAY
Seeking a fitting start to a quintessential winter day, we hopped on a train at the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and headed about 90 minutes south, with a connection in Tübingen, to the town of Hechingen. There, we hailed a cab and proceeded up the mountain to the picturesque Hohenzollern Castle, built in the mid-1800s as a residence for Prussian king Frederick William IV, for a guided English tour.
What To Know
Date of visit: Dec. 9 to Dec. 11, 2016.
Airport location: Eight miles south of the city center and easily accessible by the S-Bahn.
Walkability: 3/10. What we saw required us to rely significantly upon public transportation.
English: Passable, but don’t expect everyone to know it.
Must-See Attraction: If not in town to visit the Christmas markets, make the trek to Hohenzollern Castle, an hour south.
Traveler’s tip: Like much of Germany, nearly everything is closed on Sunday.
A stunning fortress inspired by the Gothic Revival movement that stands as an example of German Romanticism, it was, surprisingly, never the full-time home of any ruler. A combination of the political climate, the castle’s location and, appropriately, the frigid winters made living there for any significant time difficult.
After arranging for a cab to pick us up at the castle — a process that wasn’t easy — we returned to the Hechingen train station in the early afternoon and retraced our route, stopping on the way back to Stuttgart in Esslingen. A town eight miles east of Stuttgart on the S-Bahn’s S1 line, Esslingen avoided the bombings by the British during World War II that reduced much of the nearby city to ruin, leaving its half-timbered houses, and its medieval feel, intact.
We had planned to stop for a tour of the Kessler wine cellar (Georg-Christian-von-Kessler-Platz 12-16), which claims to be oldest in Germany, but it was closed that day for a private holiday party. That just meant we had more time to explore Esslingen’s Christmas market, which stretches along Berlinerstraße, Augustinerstraße and several side streets. One of the largest in the region, with more than 200 exhibitors, vendors and craftsmen embrace the local spirit with medieval dress.
Having picked up a pair of mittens and a few snacks for the dog, we hopped on the S-Bahn and returned the eight minutes to Stuttgart, where our priority, having skipped lunch, was a relatively early dinner. Not long after sunset, we walked to Stuttgart’s main Christmas market, which fills the Schloßplatz in front of both the Neues Schloss [New Palace] and the Altes Schloss [Old Palace] and spills over into the surrounding streets.
With bratwurst and glühwein abundant, it was easy to sink our teeth into something tasty — and, thankfully, warm — before we explored the market, one of the oldest of its kind in Germany with a history that traces back nearly 300 years. Among the ice rink, temporary lights and a magnificent Christmas tree are countless stands offering clothing, trinkets and antiques, and there’s incentive for craftsmen to be unique with prizes given for the most beautiful stall.
SUNDAY
Waking up in the late morning to heavy rains, much of our plans for the day were scuttled, including the chance to hike through the forests of the Karlshöhe, a mountain that offers beautiful views of the valley from its summit. Instead, we started with a quick hop over to the Johanneskirche, a Protestant church that sits on a lake and was nearly entirely destroyed during the World War II bombing.
From there, looking for an indoor activity, we passed on the visually stunning Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Porsche Museum south of the city, primarily because of price, and instead caught the S1 line of the S-Bahn from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof to Obertürkheim, then took the No. 62 bus up the hill to the Weinbaumuseum Stuttgart (Uhlbacher Platz 4). The museum, quaint yet informational, explains how the fertile valleys combined to make Baden-Württemberg the only state in Germany that specializes in wine production.
We couldn’t resist returning to the Christmas market upon our return to the city center, wanting not only a chance to see it during the day but also, of course, something to grab for lunch. Having taken one more lap to make sure we didn’t miss anything — and to pick up a few extra trinkets to take back home as gifts — we then went back to the hotel to grab our stuff before catching our mid-afternoon flight.
Verdict: Having prioritized the Christmas markets during a weekend December visit, we didn’t have enough time to explore the city’s automotive history or appreciate its artistic flavor. The summer months may bring a different experience, but regardless of the season, there’s plenty to do to fill a weekend.
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Disclaimers: All products, services and experiences were paid for and arranged by the author and the vendors named herein had no editorial oversight of this piece. All photographs were taken by and remain the property of the author; contact for republication rights.
