I will be traveling with my husband to Stuttgart Sept. 23. We will go to the beer festival; however, my husband will be working Monday -Wednesday. Any suggestions on things to do or must see ideas while I am in Germany? I love spas, chocolate, and beautiful scenery. Keep in mind, I will be traveling solo on my day trips and will need to be back in time for dinner with my husbands coworkers. Thank you!

Blaubeuren with its spring and surrounded by hills with walking trails.

if you have deep pockets, Baden Baden might be fun.

Baden-Baden is lovely in the Fall and would be a nice respite from the Fest. However, you would want to plan ahead and book spa time etc. BTW I love the Stuttgart Fest - much more manageable than Munich. You could also head south a bit to Ulm to visit the cathedral. Freiberg, also to the South is a nice trip into the Black Forest. Another fun adventure is to head due West across the border into France to visit Strasbourg but that may get you home too late for dinner. The neighboring town of Boeblingen has a nice old section you could walk around.... and there is also the Mercedes factory... perhaps some shopping? Speaking of shopping, in Sindelfingen there is Breuningerland, one of the few "malls" that you will find in central Europe - fun shopping under a single roof. Also, a short drive to Ludwigsburg to visit the palace could be fun if you like visiting castles etc. One, thing, You are in the heart of "Schwabia" a region known for legenedary cleanliness....kitchen floors that you can eat off of are expected - LOL

Tubingen, just a short distance to the south of Stuttgart. Doesn't quite fit your request, but the old town had very little WW2 damage and very walkable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubingen

Ulm- all I know about it is that it has a cathedral, and a tongue-twister:

in Ulm und um Ulm, und um Ulm herum.

I also vote for Ulm (although Tubingen looks great too).

Ulm (old Ulm) is gorgeous, great cathedral, and very pretty walking around the old fishing quarter with the leaning half timbered houses, and canals. We did a walking tour while there and it was so interesting.

We stayed in Tubingen for several days two years ago (our son was studying at the university), and I agree it would be a nice (and easy) day trip. It's quite charming and very scenic along the Nekar River. We also drove to Strasbourg while we were there, and it was beautiful, even on a rainy day, though I agree Strasbourg may be a bit of a long day from Stuttgart.

I lived in Stuttgart for 2.5 years...there's much to see and do in the area. I am assuming, however, that you will not have a car, which makes it a little more difficult to get out and see the landscape.

Tuebingen and Ulm are both good options for day trips. Tuebingen is a small college town with a lovely historic center and a very scenic stretch of traditional German houses along the Neckar River. It would be ideal for a day of shopping and strolling. I can recommend the Weinstube Forelle near the Rathaus for a nice German lunch.

Ulm is a much larger city; the Muenster is definitely worth a visit, especially if you are not afraid of heights! The nearby canal district is very pretty and there is a nice restaurant that just happens to be called Zur Forelle on Fischergasse, not far from the Muenster. (Forelle is trout in German but both of these restaurants offer much more than fish!)

Another suggestion that should be easily accessible by train and is closer to Stuttgart would be Ludwigsburg. You could tour the Residenzschloss, which is southwest Germany's mini version of Versailles, and wander the lovely gardens. There is at least one English tour per day and it is very informative.

Strasbourg is definitely a bit of a haul for a solo day trip.

If you WILL have a car, please let us know, as I can make further suggestions.

We will be returning to Tuebingen in a couple of weeks. We enjoyed it very much the first time. Also plan to have dinner at the Weinstube Forelle which is right around the corner from our hotel. Great food!

I second the advice for having dinner at the Weinstube Forelle in Tuebingen - it was one of our best dinners in Germany. wonderful food and a lovely atmosphere.

If the weather is nice, I second Ludwigsburg.

We spent a marvelous day there a few weeks ago, mainly enjoying the grounds and some of the schloss. We look forward to returning to finish seeing inside...too much to see and do!