Stuttgart

Stuttgart, capital of southwest Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state, is known as a manufacturing hub. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have headquarters and museums here. The city is filled with greenspaces, which wrap around its center. Popular parks include the Schlossgarten, Rosensteinpark and Killesbergpark. Wilhelma, one of the largest zoos and botanical gardens in Europe, is just northeast of Rosenstein Castle. Surrounded by one of Germany's largest wine-growing regions, Stuttgart beckons cultural junkies with its acclaimed ballet, opera and philharmonic, while auto fans get revved up over the Mercedes Benz Museum.

There's more green space than urban sprawl in the festival-friendly city, home to Europe's largest zoo and botanic garden combo, the Wilhelma Stuttgart is an important rail junction on the natural route connecting the Danube River with northern Germany and the Rhine River. It is the centre of the largest industrial zone in southwestern Germany and holds various trade fairs and congresses. The metropolitan area is the site of the world or German headquarters for a number of prominent companies, including Daimler AG and Porsche. The auto industry is at the heart of the local manufacturing sector, but the region is also home to many general and electrical engineering companies as well as firms engaged in clean energy, robotics, and fuel cell and laser technology.

Stuttgart has a port (opened 1958) and has also become an important service centre. The city is well known as a publishing centre and is the home of a number of advertising, marketing, and communication-related firms. One of the largest wine-producing communes (groups of growers who take their grapes to a central location for processing and distribution) in Germany, it has an extensive wine and fruit trade. Stuttgart also has an international airport. The surrounding wine region, one of the largest in Germany, plays a significant part in some of the locals' other passions: exquisite food and fine wine. The perfect starting point for a sightseeing tour is the Schlossplatz square: In virtually no other city does a palace dominate the centre to such an extent as it does here.

Those who have spent the day admiring the exceptional collection of modernist and contemporary art in the Art Museum Stuttgart can then enjoy a relaxing evening at the Stuttgart State Theatre, the world's largest multi-genre theatre. Visitors can browse the world-class stores on Königstrasse and Calwerstrasse at their leisure. And take the time to discover the much-loved Wilhelma Gardens. These remarkable zoological and botanical gardens are home to around 8,000 animals, making this one of the world's most biodiverse zoos.