Stuttgart in a Day: Palaces, Squares and the View from the TV Tower

This tour shows you the places that define Stuttgart in just one day, and it's a great fit for a first visit. You start at the Marktplatz with the City Hall and walk a few minutes to Schillerplatz, where the Collegiate Church, the Fruchtkasten and the Old Castle come together. Inside the Old Castle, the Landesmuseum Württemberg gives you an overview of the region's history.

After lunch in a Swabian setting, the route continues to Schlossplatz with the Jubilee Column, the New Castle and the Königsbau. Crossing the edge of the Schlossgarten, you reach the Staatsgalerie, whose collection stretches from Old Masters to the modern era and whose new wing is itself a piece of architectural history. In the late afternoon, the light rail takes you up to the TV Tower, where the platform looks out over the valley basin, the vineyards and, on clear days, all the way to the Swabian Alb.

Back in the city center, you have dinner at a brewery restaurant near the Marktplatz before a cocktail at a nearby bar wraps up the day. The downtown stops are close together and easy to reach on foot; you only need public transit for the TV Tower. The tour suits anyone who wants to get a solid impression of the city in a short time, with a good balance of sights, culture and breaks.