Things to Do in Stuttgart: Best Sights, Map & 1–2 Day Itinerary
Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, sits in a valley basin ringed by vineyards and forest. It was the seat of the dukes and kings of Württemberg, whose New and Old Palaces still frame the central Schlossplatz. Above all, it is the home of the automobile: Mercedes-Benz and Porsche each tell their story in a landmark museum. Add the Wilhelma zoo and botanical garden and the world's first reinforced-concrete TV tower, and there is plenty for a weekend.
On this page you will find our picks for a first visit, one- and two-day itineraries with day trips to Ludwigsburg Palace and Hohenzollern Castle, how to get in from Stuttgart Airport (STR), and the full list of Stuttgart sights in the tripto.de catalogue. Opening hours and prices are on each attraction page – please check with the venue before you go.
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Why visit
- Two world-class car museums: keep your Mercedes-Benz Museum ticket and you get 25 per cent off at the Porsche Museum.
- Good value for families – children up to 12 enter the Mercedes-Benz Museum free, and up to 10 at Porsche.
- The Wilhelma is open every day of the year, with around 11,000 animals among Moorish-style buildings and gardens.
- On a clear day the TV Tower platform looks out to the Swabian Jura and the Black Forest, and it stays open until 10 pm.
- Baroque Ludwigsburg Palace is about a quarter of an hour away by S-Bahn.
Top 5: what to see first
Our picks for a first visit — each with a short reason why.
Old towns & squares
Schlossplatz (Palace Square)
Stuttgart
Schlossplatz in Stuttgart (Palace Square) is the city's grand central square and the best place to start exploring the capital of Baden-Württemberg. Framed by the baroque New Palace, the colonnaded Königsbau, the Old Castle and the glass c…
30–60 min Free entry1. The city's largest square, framed by the New Palace, the colonnaded Königsbau and the glass cube of the Kunstmuseum. Free, open around the clock and the natural start of any walk.
Museums
Mercedes-Benz Museum
Stuttgart
The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart is one of Germany's great car museums and a must for anyone interested in how the automobile was born. It sits in the Bad Cannstatt district beside the company's Untertürkheim plant and tells the brand…
120–240 min2. Around 160 vehicles over nine levels, from Benz's first motor car to the Silver Arrows on a banked race track. The building turns 20 in 2026. Closed on Mondays.
Museums
Porsche Museum
Stuttgart
The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart stands right next to the sports car maker's main factory in the Zuffenhausen district and tells the story of the brand through around 80 cars, from the very first Porsche to Le Mans winners. The futuristic w…
90–150 min3. About 80 cars from the 1939 Type 64 to the Le Mans-winning 917, plus a glass wall onto the restoration workshop. '75 Years of Porsche Motorsport' runs until 17 January 2027.
Zoos
Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden
Stuttgart
The Wilhelma in Stuttgart is a rare combination of zoo and botanical garden, and one of the most popular things to do in southwest Germany. Set in the Bad Cannstatt district, it houses around 11,000 animals of about 1,200 species among Moo…
240–360 min4. Zoo and botanical garden in one, with great apes, an aquarium and a famous water-lily pond in the Moorish Garden. Under-6s go free; the Damascene Hall is closed for renovation.
Viewpoints
Stuttgart TV Tower
Stuttgart
The Stuttgart TV Tower (Fernsehturm Stuttgart) is a city landmark and a milestone in engineering history: completed in 1956, it was the world's first TV tower built of reinforced concrete with an observation pod, and it became the model fo…
45–90 min5. The world's first reinforced-concrete TV tower (1956). A 36-second lift ride takes you to the open deck 150 metres up; Deutschlandticket holders get 20 per cent off.
Top sights on the map
Open the full map1-day itinerary
Morning: Schlossplatz
Walk ten minutes down Königstrasse from the main station. See the New Palace, the Jubilee Column and the Old Palace, with Schillerplatz just behind.
Places: Schlossplatz (Palace Square)
Midday: Mercedes-Benz Museum
Take the S1 to Neckarpark and allow at least two to three hours. There is a restaurant and a café inside. Closed on Mondays.
Places: Mercedes-Benz Museum
Afternoon: Wilhelma
The zoo is a short hop from Bad Cannstatt. Until 24 October 2026 it is open until 6.30 pm, but the main ticket desks close at 4 pm.
Evening: TV Tower
The U7 takes about 11 minutes from the main station to Ruhbank. Go at sunset to watch the city lights come on in the valley below.
Places: Stuttgart TV Tower
2-day itinerary
Day 1: City centre, Bad Cannstatt and the view
Schlossplatz
Stroll the square and Königstrasse, then continue into the Schlossgarten park behind the New Palace.
Places: Schlossplatz (Palace Square)
Mercedes-Benz Museum
Ride the lift to the top and spiral down along the two intertwined routes. Keep your ticket for the Porsche discount.
Places: Mercedes-Benz Museum
Wilhelma
A relaxed visit takes four to six hours; with only an afternoon, focus on the Moorish Garden, the great apes and the aquarium.
TV Tower
Up to the deck for sunset. There are no refunds for poor visibility, so check the webcam first.
Places: Stuttgart TV Tower
Day 2: Porsche and a day trip
Porsche Museum
The S6 or S60 reaches Neuwirtshaus (Porscheplatz) in about 10 minutes. It is quietest at the 9 am opening, and the early-bird ticket until 10 am costs 12 euros.
Places: Porsche Museum
Ludwigsburg Palace
Take the S4 or S5 to Ludwigsburg. The interiors can only be seen on a guided tour of about an hour (10 euros); English tours run daily.
Places: Ludwigsburg Palace
Or: Hohenzollern Castle
For a full day out, take the train to Hechingen and a bus to the castle car park. The summer season ends on 1 November 2026, and the winter season starts on 20 November.
Places: Hohenzollern Castle
Getting there
From STR airport: S-Bahn lines S2 and S3 leave from the Flughafen/Messe station beneath the terminal and reach Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof in about 27 minutes, roughly every 15 minutes during the day.
By train: Long-distance Deutsche Bahn trains arrive at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, about a ten-minute walk along Königstrasse from the Schlossplatz.
Getting around: The S1 runs to Neckarpark for the Mercedes-Benz Museum, the S6 and S60 to the Porsche Museum, Stadtbahn lines U13, U14 and U16 to the Wilhelma, and U7, U8 and U15 to the TV Tower. The Deutschlandticket (63 euros a month in 2026) is valid on all local transport but not on ICE or IC trains. The city centre is a low-emission zone; parking at the TV Tower is free. On match days at the MHPArena and during the Cannstatter Volksfest, take the S-Bahn rather than driving to Neckarpark.
When to go
Spring and summer are best for the Wilhelma: the magnolia grove blooms in spring and the water lilies in summer. In late April or early May the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film screens films outdoors on the Schlossplatz. From 25 October 2026 the Wilhelma closes at 4.30 pm and switches to its cheaper winter prices.
In Advent illuminated sculptures decorate the Schlossplatz. For long views from the TV Tower you need clear air; on hazy summer days you may see little beyond the city. Note that the Porsche Museum closes for renovation from 18 January to 1 February 2027.
FAQ
How many days do you need in Stuttgart?
One day covers the Schlossplatz, the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the TV Tower, plus part of the Wilhelma if you move quickly. Two days add the Porsche Museum and a trip to Ludwigsburg; Hohenzollern Castle needs a day of its own.
Mercedes-Benz Museum or Porsche Museum – which is better?
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is larger and covers the whole history of the car with around 160 vehicles. The Porsche Museum is more compact and focused on sports cars and racing. If you visit both, the Mercedes ticket gets you 25 per cent off at Porsche.
How do I get from Stuttgart Airport to the city centre?
Take the S2 or S3 from the Flughafen/Messe station under the terminal. The ride to the main station takes about 27 minutes.
What is there to do in Stuttgart with kids?
The Wilhelma, with its great apes, aquarium and petting zoo, is the classic choice, and under-6s go free. Children up to 12 enter the Mercedes-Benz Museum free and up to 10 the Porsche Museum. The TV Tower even has a small children's platform.
Is Hohenzollern Castle worth a day trip from Stuttgart?
Yes, if you have a full day. Take the train to Hechingen, a bus to the car park and the shuttle up to the castle. In 2026 online tickets cost 26 euros for adults, 3 euros more at the ticket office.
All attractions (7)
Museums
Mercedes-Benz Museum
Stuttgart
The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart is one of Germany's great car museums and a must for anyone interested in how the automobile was born. It sits in the Bad Cannstatt district beside the company's Untertürkheim plant and tells the brand…
120–240 min
Zoos
Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden
Stuttgart
The Wilhelma in Stuttgart is a rare combination of zoo and botanical garden, and one of the most popular things to do in southwest Germany. Set in the Bad Cannstatt district, it houses around 11,000 animals of about 1,200 species among Moo…
240–360 min
Museums
Porsche Museum
Stuttgart
The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart stands right next to the sports car maker's main factory in the Zuffenhausen district and tells the story of the brand through around 80 cars, from the very first Porsche to Le Mans winners. The futuristic w…
90–150 min
Palaces
Solitude Palace (Schloss Solitude)
Stuttgart
Duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg wanted a retreat in his hunting grounds and called it "Solitude". What he got was a Rococo pleasure palace with a dome, sweeping staircases and terraces on a ridge west of Stuttgart, with a 13 km, ruler-strai…
60–120 min
Old towns & squares
Schlossplatz (Palace Square)
Stuttgart
Schlossplatz in Stuttgart (Palace Square) is the city's grand central square and the best place to start exploring the capital of Baden-Württemberg. Framed by the baroque New Palace, the colonnaded Königsbau, the Old Castle and the glass c…
30–60 min Free entry
Museums
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Bright green window bands, pink and blue tubular handrails and striped sandstone and travertine walls that recall an ancient building: when James Stirling's Neue Staatsgalerie opened in 1984, architects argued fiercely about it. Today it i…
120–180 min
Viewpoints
Stuttgart TV Tower
Stuttgart
The Stuttgart TV Tower (Fernsehturm Stuttgart) is a city landmark and a milestone in engineering history: completed in 1956, it was the world's first TV tower built of reinforced concrete with an observation pod, and it became the model fo…
45–90 min