What to do around Stuttgart?
 

I'm visiting a friend in November only for a week (last minute decision). He will be busy with school so I'm not counting on him to come up with a list of places to go or visit. So I was wondering what other countries are close by that we can drive to. I would at least like to visit one other country. Oh yeah, how cold is it in Germany the last week of November?

The Christmas Market in Stuttgart will be in full swing, and it is one of the best in Bavaria. Dress warmly and enjoy!

Strasbourg is close and is very enjoyable. Other Alsace attractions are Colmar, Keyserberg, Ribeauville, and Riquewihr.

Baden-Baden, just to the west of Stuttgart, is a ritzy spa with a posh casino.

Enjoy your stay.

Jinx Hoover

Stuttgart is not in Bavaria!

Baden-Baden is one of our favorite places, so I will second that suggestion and it is easy to reach from Stuttgart by train. But a couple of clarifications...BB is an elegant resort town with several spas, not just one. There are two main spas, the Roman/Irish traditional spa and the Caracalla modern spa. Plus many hotes have their own spas.
There is also great shopping, charming cafes (the most popular is Cafe Beeg, on the little pedestrian street near Caracalla), nice restaurants, and some very pretty parks. It's a great day trip, you can simply wander and relax.
Re the casino, the main part is posh with a dress code, but there is a lower level that is very ordinary, costs 1 euro to enter and has video poker machines, slots, etc. No dress code for that part.
Strasbourg is another good suggestion.
The last week of November is likely to be chilly and damp. Bring a nice warm coat (or buy one in Germany), gloves, scarf. If you have comfortable, low heeled waterproof boots that look good under your trousers, bring those.

Forgot, you could also go to Basel, Switzerland, for a day trip. Has a very attractive old town, excellent shopping, a collection of good museums, and is home to, IMHO, the best chocolate in Switzerland, made by Schiesser on the Marktplatz.

Thank you all for your responses.

Hi
I just wanted yo add the Mercedes-Benz museum in stuttgart.

Going in the other direction are Heidleburg, Wurzburg and Nurenburg. Get a map and then go to www.bahn.de and see how long it takes to get to various places. When you see the price of gas over there you will realize that getting there by train is much cheaper. You might want to consider a German Rail Pass.

1) PORSCHE MUSEUM

http://www.porsche.com/english/dialog/faq/inside/museum.

2) STAAT GALERIE STUTTGART

http://www.staatsgalerie.de/

3) MUSEUM AM LÖWENTOR - NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

http://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/cgi-bin/index.php3

Spielbank Stuttgart ( Casino )

Highlights 2005
All year round

from March 2005
except Mondays
Musical - Elisabeth
Apollo Theatre in the SI-Event-Centre


daily
except Mondays Musical - Mamma Mia!
Palladium Theatre in the SI-Event-Centre


All year round Vaudeville show in the Friedrichsbau


All year round Events celebrating “Schiller Year”
200th anniversary of the death of the poet Friedrich von Schiller


Still in program

until 24 Jul 2005 Schiller in Stuttgart
Württemberg State Museum
Altes Schloss (Old Palace)


until 30 Jul 2005 GeistesSpuren - Friedrich Schiller
in the Württemberg State Library


until 31 Jul 2005 "The collection in the own house"
Art Museum Stuttgart
Schlossplatz


June

16 Jun - 10 Jul 2005 Theatre of the World
Festival of the International Theatre Institute and Stuttgart State Theatre


18 Jun - 16 Oct 2005 Picasso: Bathers - Myths at the seaside
Exhibition in the Stuttgart State Gallery


July

02 - 18 Jul 2005 Summer Academy Concerts
Schloss Solitude Academy


07 - 17 Jul 2005 Hamburg Fish Market
Karlsplatz, city centre
08 - 09 Jul 2005 S-City swings
Schlossplatz


08 - 09 Jul 2005 Int. festival Viva Afrobrasil 2005
Römerkastell Stuttgart


13 - 17 Jul 2005 2nd film festival "Bollywood and Beyond"
Metropol cinema and Filmhaus


14 - 17 Jul 2005 LBBWjazzopen Stuttgart
12th international jazz festival
Liederhalle
16 Jul 2005 Festival of Lights
Killesberg park
16 - 24 Jul 2005 MercedesCup - Tennis
Tennix complex of Weissenhof Tennis Club, Killesberg


18 - 31 Jul 2005 Theatre of the World
Exhibition in the Art Museum Stuttgart


22 - 31 Jul 2005 Christopher Street Day
Various venues


23 - 24 Jul 2005 S-City Fit & Fun + 3rd Kids and Youth Festival
Schlossplatz


23 - 24 Jul 2005 Solitude Summer - Open-air concert at Schloss Solitude &#x201CPeer Gynt”
Dramatic music at Schloss Solitude, inner courtyard


August

04 - 07 Aug 2005 Stuttgart Summer Festival
City centre


16 - 20 Aug 2005 German Open Championships - Dancing
Liederhalle Cultural and Congress Centre


27 Aug - 11 Sep 2005 2005 European Music Festival Stuttgart
Various venues


31 Aug - 11 Sep 2005 Stuttgart Wine Village
Schillerplatz and Marktplatz


September

03 Sep - 27 Nov 2005 Otto Dix Hommage à Martha
Exhibition in the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart
Schlossplatz


10 Sep 2005 - 08 Jan 2006 Max Bill. A retrospective
Exhibition in the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart
Schlossplatz


14 Sep - 26 Oct 2005 World Language Soccer
Photo exhibition
Rathaus Stuttgart
18 Sep 2005 Autumn Flea Market
City centre


24 Sep - 09 Oct 2005 160th Stuttgart Beer Festival
Cannstatter Wasen


24 Sep - 12 Nov 2005 POP50 - Pop music in the Stuttgart region | 1955 - 2005


29 Sep - 02 Oct 2005 Protestant Church Building Conference Stuttgart
Making faith visible


October

01 - 09 Oct 2005 29th Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Int. Ladies' Tennis Tournament
Filderstadt


01 Oct 2005 - 08 Jan 2006 Imperium Romanum
Roman provinces on the rivers Neckar, Rhine and Danube
Exibition in the Art Building


13 Oct 2005 - Dec 2005 Focus - 2005 Baden-Württemberg International Design Prize
Stuttgart Design Centre in the "Haus der Wirtschaft" (House of Commerce)


15 Oct 2005 - 05 Feb 2006 The discovery of landscape
Exhibition in the Stuttgart State Gallery


21 - 23 Oct 2005 23rd International DTB Gymnastics Cup
Hanns-Martin Schleyer Hall


22 Oct 2005 Stuttgart Culture Night
Theatre, films, music and parties at over 60 locations


28 Oct 2005 - 01 Jan 2006 Taryn Simon - The Innocents
"Trust your eyes"
Exhibition in the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart
Schlossplatz


November

03 Nov 2005 - 31 Jan 2006 "Harald Wohlfahrt Palazzo"
Haute cuisine and first class entertainment
Spiegelpalast at the Pariser Platz
04 Nov 2005 Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Concert, Liederhalle Cultural and Congress Centre


05 Nov 2005 S-City Martini
Schlossplatz and Schillerplatz


07 Nov - 21 Nov 2005 Jewish culture weeks 2005
Various venues


11 - 12 Nov 2005 ADAC Super-Cross
Indoor motocross
Hanns-Martin Schleyer Hall


16 Nov - 20 Nov 2005 21st "German Masters" - International Horse Show
Hanns-Martin Schleyer Hall


17 Nov - 11 Dec 2005 55th Stuttgart book weeks
House of commerce


19 Nov 2005 - 26 Feb 2006 Utility and Beauty
Exhibition in the Stuttgart State Gallery


21 - 22 Nov 2005 Camerata Salzburg / Anne-Sophie Mutter
Concert, Liederhalle Cultural and Congress Centre


24 Nov 2005 Opening of the Stuttgart Christmas Market
City centre


25 Nov - 23 Dec 2005 Stuttgart Christmas Market
City centre


Sorry - pilfered from a web site!

Apparently my cut and paste needs a little attention, only meant to put events for November on! Sorry about that!

One of my favorite castles, BURG HOHENZOLLERN, is located on the hill above Hechingen just an hour south of Stuttgart (south of the university town of Tubingen). It is a fairytale styled hilltop castle complex with a 3 storied circuitous horsedrawn cart entry through its dungeon level. It belonged to the last kaiser of Germany (Hohenzoller dynasty).

If you drive further down, you'll reach the colorful town of ROTWEIL (origin of Rotweiler dog name). SCHAFFHAUSEN is a nice small border city in Switzerland where Einstein used to live. I second BTilke's suggestion for BASEL oldtown as well before you head back north via Colmar/Alsace area or Freiburg.

I find Stuttgart very comfortable because of its greenery and multitudes of parks. You can wonder around the old center(tourism & shopping) on your own if your friend is busy. I've been there twice for conferences and enjoyed both times because it's a relaxing city.

As already recommended, Baden Baden is a comfortable & elegant resort town to visit. The Caracalla indoor/outdoor baths are rather fun to experience. It is, however, full of senior citizens who can afford the upscale hotels at least the two times I was there.

Although Baden-Baden is unlikely to ever become a clubbers town, it's far from just senior citizens anymore. A lot of that is due to the influx of well-heeled Russian visitors (and well behaved, too, no rowdy groups) who have brought a lot of cash to the town and given it a thorough facelift over the last couple of years.
Two weeks ago, the mix of guests at the hotel we stayed at (the Dorint/Sofitel) ranged from early 20s to 70s. Same range for the people using the Caracalla spa. Lots of young couples there as well as retirees.
The crowd at the Amadeus restaurant on Leopoldplatz was mostly late 20s to early 40s, while it was late 30s to 70s at the Kurhaus.
There are also more young people taking advantage of the rock climbing and hangliding activities in the hills around BB. When we took the Merkur bahn up to the top of one mountain, there were about 6 guys setting up to go handgliding--they were definitely not pensioners!

I'd go south for a day trip to Switzerland. Visit Stein am Rhine and the Rhine Falls, and continue on to Boden See (Lake Constance).

Another great day trip is Rothenburg ob de Tauber, for the oldest existing walled-city. It's also great if you want to shop for Xmas decorations/ornaments.

Munich is not far away by train (2 hrs), and would be good for a daytrip. On the way there is Ulm, where Enstein was born, and which supposedly has the tallest church spire in the world.

If you're into shopping, go to Metzingen, where virtually all of the designer labels (Escada, Boss, etc.)have outlet stores. Hugo Boss even has its factotry there, and a HUGE store.

I'd also visit Tuebingen, which is a really pretty hilly university town. Esslingen, a suburb of Stuttgart, also has many many half-timbered houses, and a castle ruin above town.

I second chtiet's recommendation of Tubingen - a swell town with a major university that's a short train ride from Stuttgart - very enjoyable smaller town in a nice natural setting.

You might also consider a trip to Schwabisch Hall (90 minutes by train). A charming city that's not flooded by tourists and is surrounded by rolling hills. You'll think you just walked into a post card.