Black Forest and Stuttgart
 

Need some help with destinations...
We will be staying at Saarbrucken and would like to visit Stuttgart and the Black Forest. Will Stuttgart require a full day?
What's the best places to visit Black Forest - can this be en route to Stuttgart or will require another day?

Going by car or train?

some great scenic rail routes in Black forest from Karlsrhue, Stuttgart and Freibourg

i could tell you about them if going by rail

As for Stuttgart - depends on why you are going there

for the city it's an average large German town with the usual pleasant pedestrian shopping zone, etc. but not the dreamiest old-looking town

But has a lauded Modern Art Museum and a unique collection of Bauhaus architecture - the Weissen colony ?not sure of name) a 20s modern housing development on a hill overlooking the town center

also a nice park along the river and in the suburbs the Mercedes-Benz factory, tour and museum.

If not into modern art, Bauhaus or Mercedes-Benz thing then a few hours IMO will suffice.

But would be very hard to combine Black Forest and Stuttgart in a day from Saarbrucken IMO

hi t&G,

why not do an overnight trip - you could train to Stuttgart, stay there overnight, then rent a car and tour the [northern] black forest before heading back to Saarbruecken.

otherwise, i agree with Pal that it would be very difficult to combine the two in one day.

However, you don't need to go to the Black Forest for mountains. Between Saarbruecken and the Rhein are the Pfalz mountains which are very picturesque - i suggest heading for Annweiler, then south to Triefels [castle in the woods] floowed by lunch in a nearby gaststaette, followed by tea in Bad Bergzabern. or vice versa.

alterntively, you could head northwest from S'bruecken, and explore the Mosel.

both could be done in a day, though would be better in two.

regards, ann

Hi tomandjerry,
I just returned from living in Stuttgart for 2.5 years. It's not a major tourist destination but is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city. If you are expecting a large historic downtown, you will be disappointed, as most of "old" Stuttgart was destroyed in WWII. But if you like to shop, eat, stroll, and people-watch, downtown Stuttgart is a pleasure and certainly worthy of an afternoon.

Most people who visit Stuttgart seem to have the Mercedes Museum as one of their target destinations. If you plan to visit the museum, then yes, you will need a full day, as it is located a ways out from downtown. The museum is quite large and requires at least 2-3 hours, if not more (depending on what sort of car fanatic you are). It can be reached by public transit from downtown. You could easily spend the morning downtown, have a nice lunch, and the afternoon at the museum, or vice versa.

Downtown Stuttgart is centered around the Koenigstrasse (main shopping street) and Schlossplatz. The main sight-seeing stops include the Neues and Altes Schloesser (new and old palaces), Schillerplatz, Stiftskirche, Bohnenviertel (oldest neighborhood/shopping district), and Calwerstrasse and Calwerpassage (swankier shopping areas off of the Koenigstrasse). If you are a foodie, the Markthalle near Schillerplatz is also a real treat.

You can't do the Black Forest AND Stuttgart in a day. The Black Forest is a huge area - is there someplace in particular you want to see or do? The Schwarzwald Hochstrasse is a nice scenic route that will take you through some quaint towns and you will get good vistas of the terrain. Personally, though, I never fell in love with the Black Forest. I much prefer the Neckar Valley and Schwaebische Albe as side trips from Stuttgart. If you want more ideas, I am happy to share.

Thanks guys...
We will be driving all the time.
The reason for Stuttgart trip is the Mercedes Benz museum, my better half is crazy about automobiles! :)
I would like to visit some thing scenic - (castles/villages) around the Saarbrucken area. We do have another day to do that. Villages in the Black Forest was just something I saw on the map!

hi there,
for castles on YOur way: perhpas doing the tour through the valley of the river Neckar. Starting in Heidelberg, have a stopp at Neckarsulm (for the motorbike museum) and in Ludwigsburg (one of the most impressive baroque castles around).
have fun
Gar

We are back. It was a great trip.
We managed to do Heidelberg and the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart due to time constraints.

Couple of things that I found out during this trip -
There are direct buses from Saarbrucken to Luxembourg operated by CFL. It just took just over an hour to get there.
Paris to Saarbrucken - Journey was short and comfortable on the ICE. We traveled on a weekday, and train was rather empty, but we probably saved some money by reserving tickets from the US.
:) that's my trip report!

Oh - one other unexpected experience!

Europcar refused to rent a car on US license. Said that they would need an International License and that was their policy. Luckily a Hertz close by was able to rent a car for a similar price.