8 Best Sights in Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley, Germany

This former residence of the counts and dukes of Württemberg was originally built as a moated castle around 1320. Wings were added in the mid-15th century, creating a Renaissance palace. The palace now houses the Landesmuseum Württemberg (Württemberg State Museum), with exhibits tracing the area's development from the Stone Age to modern times and a floor of jaw-dropping family jewels of the fabulously rich and powerful Württemberg royals. There's also a separate floor dedicated to a children's museum.

The stunning futuristic architecture of this museum is an enticement to enter, but the equally stunning historic and futuristic vehicles inside are the main attraction. Visitors are whisked to the top floor to start this historical timeline tour of motorized mobility in the 1880s, with the first vehicles by Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. Other museum levels focus on a particular decade or category of vehicle, such as trucks and buses, race cars, concept cars, and future technology, including autonomous driving. Historic photos and other artifacts line the walls of the circular walkway that links the levels.  There's a huge gift shop with all kinds of Mercedes-Benz–branded items and a new-car showroom you can muse over appealing models that are sold in Europe but not in North America. If all that technology makes you hungry, enjoy a full meal at Bertha's Restaurant, named for Bertha Benz, which serves farm-fresh local fare, or a quick bite in the Bistro or Deli.

In the center of the Porsche factory complex in the northern suburb of Zuffenhausen, the architecturally dramatic building expands outward and upward from its base, like a sports stadium. Inside is a vast collection of legendary and historic Porsche cars including racing cars, nearly 1,000 racing trophies and design and engineering awards, and several vehicles designed by Ferdinand Porsche that eventually became the VW Beetle. It is astounding how some 1930s models still look contemporary today. The museum includes a coffee shop and the Boxenstopp bistro, ideal for families, open during regular museum hours. There is also the sophisticated Christophorus restaurant, regarded as the best American-style steak house in Stuttgart, open Tuesday through Saturday until midnight. The gift shop sells some Porsche-branded logo clothing, but mostly miniature collectibles. Stand under the special "cones" on the upper level to hear the different engine sounds of various Porsche models, and try out the interactive "touch wall" timeline to explore nine decades of automotive history. Factory tours are available with advance arrangements.

This not-to-be-missed museum displays one of the finest art collections in Germany. The old part of the complex, dating from 1843, has paintings from the Middle Ages through the 19th century, including works by Cranach, Holbein, Hals, Memling, Rubens, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Courbet, and Manet. Connected to the original building is the Neue Staatsgalerie (New State Gallery), designed by British architect James Stirling in 1984 as a melding of classical and modern, sometimes jarring, elements (such as chartreuse window mullions). Considered one of the most successful postmodern buildings, it houses works by such 20th-century artists as Braque, Chagall, de Chirico, Dalí, Kandinsky, Klee, Mondrian, and Picasso. Visit both sections on the same ticket.

This sleek structure encased in a glass facade is a work of art in its own right. The museum contains artwork of the 19th- and 20th centuries and the world's largest Otto Dix collection, including the Grossstadt (Metropolis) triptych, which captures the essence of 1920s Germany. The bistro-café on the rooftop terrace affords great views; the lobby houses another café and the museum shop.

This huge city park borders the Schlossplatz and extends northeast across Schillerstrasse all the way to Bad Cannstatt on the Neckar River. The park is graced by an exhibition hall, planetarium, lakes, sculptures, and the hot-spring mineral baths Leuze and Berg.

A huge area enclosed by royal palaces and planted gardens, the square has elegant arcades branching off to other stately plazas. The magnificent baroque Neues Schloss (New Palace), now occupied by Baden-Württemberg state government offices, dominates the square. Schlossplatz is the extension of the Königstrasse pedestrian shopping street, dotted with outdoor cafés in season. It borders the Schlossgarten (Palace Garden), which extends across Schillerstrasse all the way to Bad Canstatt on the Neckar River (where the annual Canstatter Volksvest, or Oktoberfest, is held). The adjoining parks also include an exhibition hall, planetarium, and the mineral hot springs that attracted the Romans.

Billed as the world's only pig museum, it is housed in a former slaughterhouse, with displays on more than you ever wanted to know about breeding and porcine anatomy. Exhibits of piggy banks and other pig-themed memorabilia are fun to peruse. There's also a restaurant and an outdoor beer garden, and a play area for the kids where everything is pig-themed, from the seesaws to the garbage containers.