I looked forward to this trip for weeks. Stuttgart was on the menu because I hadn’t visited that part of Germany yet, and because I could meet up with a friend who now lives there. I also tremendously enjoy travelling by train, on this occasion the train offered a beautiful view on large patches of yellow rapeseed flower fields.
Stuttgart is the main city of the Bundesstaat (comparable to a province or county)Baden Württemberg. It’s situated in the South-West part of Germany
I arrived on the last Friday of April and noticed something peculiar…
Several girls and boys were wearing traditional costumes. The girls wore Dirndls and the boys were dressed in Lederhosen.
My friend explained that the youngsters were dressed this way for the Frühlingsfest or spring festivities. The Stuttgarters installed a Maypole at the Marienplatz. Food, drinks and concerts were abundant. Apparently the youths also celebrated at other places in the city.
Bread & Butter
The first thing I ate upon arrival was a bretzel. This lovely bread product is sold in various foodstands, bakeries and supermarkets around town. I had mine sliced in half, spread with butter. Yes I had a second one…can’t wait to do that again.
At my friend’s place we had a cute breakfast with organic products: pancakes with fresh fruit and wonderful spreads. Many organic brands are also available in my country, but the full range of their products aren’t. Which is one of the reasons I love to travel.
And now, what I always try: coffee and cake! What amazes me every time I’ve visited Germany (wether it was Berlin, Köln or Stuttgart,…) are the pies. They are quite large compared to Belgian or French pies and sometimes look as if they were made for Alice in Wonderland. (I am very enthusiastic aren’t I). Even better is that a large piece of pie is inexpensive in a regular tearoom. So is a cup of coffee.
What I enjoy foodwise in Germany is that you can eat well organically, the range of available products and dishes is wide. But if you want to eat non-organically or good more traditional dishes then that is also possible. You choose
Chocolate
Let’s not forget about the chocolate. How can one if the most impressive object in the Stuttgart main railway station is a tower of huge Ritter Sport chocolate replicas (no it’s not real chocolate inside because that would melt). Instead I bought a mini chocolate tower of the square chocolate bars. Yes, I ate 1/3 of the tower on the trip back home. The Ritter Sport advertising posters mention that their chocolate is practical (praktisch). I sure do feel less guilty about eating them because hey, they’re practical.
That’s not all, folks
Other than sampling good food you can also visit the television tower, it is 150m high and offers a stunning view on the city.
Stuttgart is also home to the Porsche and Mercedes Benz musea. I visited the former (as a Porsche 911 enthusiast) and tremendously enjoyed that experience.
If you like shopping then there’s a long shopping street near the railway station – on the Königstrasse – with classic main street stores. If you’re into smaller, independent shops with a twist then visit the fluxus gallery at Calwer Passage (U-bahn Rotebühlplatz).
More Germany? Read my post about Aachen
Safframé 