Stuttgart Germany
Stuttgart sits in a steep basin in Baden-Wuerttemberg, surrounded by wooded hills and working vineyards that run right down to the edge of the built-up area. It is the home of both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, and the engineering economy around them shapes the city: it is prosperous, technical, and less picturesque than its neighbours, having been heavily rebuilt after 1945.
For a research audience the draw is the University of Stuttgart, strong in engineering and visual computing, and a set of industrial museums that are genuinely excellent rather than merely corporate. The terrain is worth knowing about before you book: the city climbs steeply out of the centre in most directions, so a hotel that looks close on a map may be a considerable hill.
- Mercedes-Benz Museum - A spiral building tracing the whole history of the motor car, and one of the best designed museums in Germany.
- Porsche Museum - Smaller, sharper and at the other end of the city in Zuffenhausen.
- Staatsgalerie - Strong collection of modern art in a James Stirling postmodern building that is a landmark in its own right.
- Wilhelma - A combined zoo and botanical garden in a Moorish palace complex.
- The vineyard steps - Public stairways climb straight through working vineyards out of the city centre, with views back over the basin.
Stuttgart Airport (STR) is about 13 km south of the centre and connected by S-Bahn lines S2 and S3 to the Hauptbahnhof in roughly 27 minutes. Frankfurt (FRA) is about 90 minutes away by ICE train and is the better option for long-haul arrivals.
The S-Bahn and the Stadtbahn light rail cover the city well, which matters more here than in flatter cities because of the gradients. The central shopping axis along Koenigstrasse is pedestrianised and walkable, but almost anything outside the valley floor involves a climb, and the Stadtbahn is genuinely the easier option.
May to September is the best window at around 18 to 26C, and the vineyard walks above the city are at their best in late summer. Late November brings one of Germany’s largest Christmas markets. Winters are cold and often grey in the basin.
Map
1 upcoming conference in Stuttgart
Base yourself in the valley floor around the Hauptbahnhof and Koenigstrasse. That puts you on the S-Bahn for the airport, within walking distance of the centre, and spares you the hills. Hotels further out are often better value but usually involve a climb or a Stadtbahn ride, which is worth factoring in for early conference starts.
Our picks in Stuttgart
A curated selection of hotels chosen for location, value, and fit for conference travellers.
ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart
21 Heilbronner Strasse, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
Contemporary four-star north of the centre near the Killesberg, about 1.4 km out. A good mid-range full-service option, though note that Stuttgart...
Der Zauberlehrling
38 Rosenstrasse, 70182 Stuttgart, Germany
Small design hotel in the Bohnenviertel with individually themed rooms, only about 220 m from the centre and the closest of our...
Maritim Hotel Stuttgart
34 Seidenstrasse, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Large four-star with an indoor pool and extensive conference facilities, about 1.3 km from the centre in Stuttgart-West. Suits attendees who want...
Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof
32 Kriegsbergstrasse, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Budget design chain a short walk from the Hauptbahnhof, about 1 km from the centre and on the airport S-Bahn. The obvious...
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