Busabout Adventures

The tower (admission free; h10am-10pm Tue-Sun) at the main train station sports the three-pointed star of the Mercedes-Benz. It’s also an excellent vantage point for the sprawling city and is reached via a lift.

Stretching southwest from the Neckar River to the city centre is the Schlossgarten, an extensive strip of parkland divided into three sections, complete with ponds, swans, street entertainers and modern sculptures. At their southern end the gardens encompass the sprawling baroque Neues Schloss and the Renaissance Altes Schloss, which houses a regional museum ((279 3400; Schillerplatz 6; adult/concession €2.60/1.50; h10am-5pm Wed-Sun, 10am-1pm Tue).

Next to the Altes Schloss is the city’s oldest square, Schillerplatz and the 12th-century Stiftskirche. Adjoining the park you’ll find the Staatsgalerie ((212 4050; Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse 30; adult/concession €4.50/2.50; h10am-6pm Fri-Wed, 10am-9pm Thu) housing an excellent collection from the Middle Ages to the present. Next door there’s the Haus der Geschichte (House of History; (212 3950; Urbansplatz 2; admission €3) which covers the past 200 years of the Baden-Württemberg area in film, photography, documents and multimedia.

The motor car was first developed by Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz at the end of the 19th century. The impressive Mercedes-Benz Museum ((172 2578; Mercedesstrasse 137; admission free; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun) is in the suburb of Bad-Cannstatt; take S-Bahn No 1 to Neckar­stadion. For even faster cars, cruise over to the Porsche Museum ((911 5685; Porscheplatz 1; admission free; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun); take S-Bahn No 6 to Neuwirtshaus. Sadly, neither place offers free samples.

One-way fares on Stuttgart’s public transport network are €1.10/5.30 for short/long trips. A four-ride strip ticket costs €5.80 and a central zone day pass is €4.70

Level One Cyber Bar ((120 4665; Königstrasse 22; per 30min €3; hnoon-midnight)
Main post office (Bolzstrasse 3)
StuttCard plus (72hr €17) Allows free public transport and free entry to some museums.
Tourist office ((222 80; www.stuttgart-tourist.de; Königstrasse 1a; h9.30am-8.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-6pm Sat, 10.30am-6pm Sun) Opposite the main train station. Sells StuttCard plus card.

Stuttgart is a great place to sample Swabian specialities such as Spätzle (home-made noodles) and Maultaschen (similar to ravioli).

Markthalle (Dorotheenstrasse 4; h7am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-4pm Sat) An excellent Art Nouveau–style market that’s jam-packed with fresh fare.

Mensa (Holzgartenstrasse 11; mains €2.50) Fill up at the university eatery.

Iden ((235 989; Eberhardtsrasse 1; meals around €5.75) Vegetarians (and those who have overdosed on German sausages) should try Iden, which serves cheap, self-serve salad (€1.50), 100g of vegetarian lasagne (€1.50) and soup (€2.50).

Alte Kanzlei ((294 457; Schillerplatz 5a; mains €6-17) Excellent for a sunny lunch, with pastas, wraps and salads.

Lift Stuttgart (€1) is a comprehensive guide to the local entertainment scene including events. It is available at kiosks around the city and the tourist information office. There are several funky drinking holes around Hans-im-Glück-Platz, a compact square that’s often brimming over with party-goers. There is also a beer garden in the Mittlerer Schlossgarten, northeast of the main train station.

Tea Room (Theodor-Heuss- Strasse 4) Good cocktails and a DJ keep a hip crowd at the Tea Room until late.

Bar Code ((887 8104; Theodor-Heuss-Strasse 30) A cool modern bar with a young crowd.

Biddy Early’s ((615 9853; Marienstrasse 28) This Irish pub has live music four nights a week and karaoke every Wednesday.

Palast der Republik ((226 4887; Friedrichstrasse 27) A tiny bar that pulls a huge crowd of laid-back drinkers.