This was actually an ad feature, but still:
Stuttgart, Germany?
Actually, yes. Of all the German cities I’ve visited — and that’s a lot — I was unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by Stuttgart, Here’s why.
It’s quite pretty, being set in the midst of a series of ridges and hills — like Johannesburg — and it makes no bones about the fact that it is all about business — again, like Johannesburg.
But it’s also a nice place to visit: the food is varied and not expensive (at least, not when I was there. Tip: if you can find a place that caters to the after-school crowds, the deals are sensational: think 1-euro gyros and -pizza slices).
I remember asking the guy behind the counter in the above pic why they didn’t serve lamb gyros — highly unusual for a Turkish joint — and his response was: “German lamb is terrible.” (Schrecklich!)
Also, walking in the city itself is great fun, as there are several pedestrian-only streets and of course, there are the bars.
Close by, there are all sorts of interesting places, e.g. the Mercedes and Porsche factories and museums, for those who are that way inclined.
And unlike many Euro cities, renting a car is an excellent idea in Stuttgart for the simple reason that the Swabian countryside — Black Forest, y’all — is spectacular. (If you have the money — I didn’t — rent a Porsche Boxster.)
I wouldn’t go there in winter or even early spring, though: it’s pretty bleak. This was late April/early May, when I was there:
But the best part of going to Stuttgart is that even in summer it’s not a tourist-y city like Paris or even Munich.
I’d go back there tomorrow if I could.
Afterthought: like many German cities, Stuttgart was bombed all to hell during the slight disturbances of the early 1940s. But just a short trip up the autobahn from Stuttgart is Tübingen — which wasn’t — and it’s worth a couple of days all by itself.
The street food alone was voted “Best in Germany” by the kids — and they went to all the places I went to.
