Germanys Beautiful 6th City of Stuttgart

Stuttgart was founded in the 10th century, its name is a modern version of the original Stutengarten or translated to mares garden. However, it wasn't until 1488 that Stuttgart became the official capital and residence of Count Eberhard.

The next century, in which Stuttgart was in the hands of Austria for a short time, was characterized by political and scientific unrest.

Throughout history, the City of Stuttgart was often tested, especially during the 30 Years War.

Presently it is the 6th largest city in Germany. It is most famous for its automotive industry which has located here the Mercedes Benz Museum.

The people of Stuttgart are amazingly friendly people who will forgive you if German is not your first or second or even any language. If you do speak German well, beware of their dialect. The German that is spoken here is much different than any other form of German.

They love to practice other languages especially English. Stuttgart is a big city with a small town atmosphere.

Located in the beautiful Neckar Valley and surrounded by beautiful hills, vineyards and forests Stuttgart is the state capital of Baden Wurttemberg.

One of Germanys richest regions, it is home to both Mercedes Benz and Porsche. An industrially important city Stuttgart was heavily bombed during World War Two however many historical buildings were restored or rebuilt in their original style.

Although not as famous as other German cities Stuttgart is well worth a visit especially during one of the many local markets and festivals.

These include Germanys largest wine festival held in early September, the charming Weihnachtsmarkt or Christmas Market and of course the Cannstatter Volksfest, the second largest Beer Festival in Germany held during the last week of September and first week of October.

Visiting these local festivals will give you the opportunity to try out many delicious specialities from surrounding villages, sample the locally brewed beers as well as tasting wines from nearby vineyards which provide the beautiful backdrop to this charming southern German city.

Alternatively the mineral spas located in Bad Cannstatt are second only to Budapest in the whole of Europe and well worth a visit.

The magnificent castles and palaces, historic towns and splendid vine yards in the Stuttgart region entice visitors to enjoy wonderful walks, cycle tours and boat trips on the River Neckar and the many idyllic lakes.

Lastly Stuttgarts location makes it an ideal base for exploring the surrounding areas of the Swabian Alps and the Black Forest as well as further afield Switzerland, France and Italy all of which are only a few hours away and easily reached by the well connected rail network.