Travel guide Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

1. Feuersee

Feuersee is a lake situated on the Sindelbach stream in the district of Vaihingen. Next to the lake is an imposing church called Johanneskirche.

2. Hauptbahnhof

Hauptbahnhof is the city's main railway station. It is the city's most important transportation hub. The Stuttgarter Hauptbahnhof (abbreviated Hbf, translated Stuttgart main station) is the daily arrival point for 300,000 (!) passengers. There are direct trains to Zürich, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg.

3. Königstrasse

The highest concentration of Stuttgart's landmarks is to be found in the central area of the city starting from Hauptbahnhof (Main Station), on the pedestrian street Koenigsstrasse (King Street). At the end of the station is the Tourist Information Center. In Stuttgart ask for Koenigsstrasse. This is a street with shopping centers on the left and right where you can go shopping in name-brand stores at prices to match, but you can also find restaurants and terraces where you can grab a bite to eat on the go or in passing, have a wine or a beer. In the middle of the street there's a spherical fountain illuminated at night in three colors, where a duck also splashes. Further on, you pass the Catholic Skt. Eberhard dome. The street itself is a rich offer to go for a walk, a movie or a theater. On the street you meet a lot of street hawkers, non-professional ad-hoc artists earning a living, people of all nationalities, but also beggars. The police patrol discreetly, but go very firmly into action at any alert; I saw such a situation a few years ago.

4. Schloßplatz

Koenigsstrasse leads us to Schlossplatz (Palace Square). Here you will find the Statue of Christoph Wuerttemberg, the Jubileaumssaeule (Jubilee Column), the Neues Schloss (New Palace), the Altes Schloss (Old Palace) and the Stiftskirche (Stiftskirche Church). It is the most easily accessible and most visited perimeter by tourists.

Both Hauptbahnhof and Schloosplatz are accessible by public transportation.

5. Königsbau Passagen

To the right of the Palace Square there are several shopping arcades which are accessed via the Königsbau Passagen. Here you can find everything you can find in shopping malls.

6. Neues Schloß

Neues Schloss (The New Palace) was the residence of Duke Carl Eugen von Wuerttemberg - it is built in French rococo and early classicism style started in 1746, completed over 60 years and renovated in 1957 with modern interiors, today it hosts public institutions. The palace gardens with a lake in the middle are appreciated and visited.

7. Altes Schloß

Most of the Altes Schloß Palace (Old Palace) dates back to the 15th century, its style being Renaissance. The Altes Schloss was rebuilt after the Second World War. Today it houses a superb museum. It is the museum of the state of Baden Württemberg. Requiring over an hour and a half to visit, the palace has two entrances to its inner courtyard, one from Planie Street, near the transportation station, and the other from Schillerplatz (pedestrian area).

8. Stiftskirche

Stiftskirche Church dates back to the 12th century, changed to Gothic style in the 15th century, and since 1534 it has been a Protestant church. After World War II the Stiftsckirche was rebuilt.

Stiftskirche is the oldest and largest church in the state capital of Baden Wuerttemberg, in Stuttgart. Its spiritual and cultural importance are closely linked to the history of the state and the House of Wuerttemberg. It was the court church, the citizens' church, and today it is the spiritual center of the city. The church is famous for its organ or rather for all the orgies it has had throughout its history.

The first organ in the Stiftskirche dates back to 1381. In 1534 Konrad Oettinger held the first evangelical reformed sermon here. In the 17th century the church acquired more organs and covered 15 registers. In the 19th century, King Friedrich I gave the Stiftskirche an instrument of great value: a 64-register organ, built by the famous organ builder F. Walcker, which in time reached 80 registers. During World War II the church burned down and the famous organ was destroyed. When the church was rebuilt, it was planned to convert it into a church with a sermon hall, and the Walcker firm built an 86-register organ for the church for 160,000 DM. The medieval columns and many Gothic and art works could not be restored. Therefore the church no longer has a unified building style. Around the year 2000 the organ was considered obsolete and the specialized Muehleisen workshops installed the new organ in the Stiftskirche over the next 4 years. It has 81 registers and 5366 flutes with 4 manuals and pedal. Costs amounted to €1.7 million, of which €1 million was covered by donations.