Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg
Stuttgart is the state capital of Baden-Württemberg with around 580.000 residents. It is located in the southern part of Germany on the river Neckar. Warm summers and mild winters characterize the climate. Due to the geographical situation and the mild climate, the Stuttgart region has produced excellent wines since the times of the Romans. The city is also well known for its industry and hometown of two of the most prominent German car manufacturers (Daimler and Porsche). Also a number of other big companies (e.g. Bosch) and many high-tech firms have settled down in the Stuttgart region in the last decades. There are all elements of public transport available, including an international airport.
Culture and Living
Stuttgart offers a large variety of cultural highlights. There is a great number of theatres, an opera house, art galleries, cinemas and of course a countless number of pubs and restaurants in and outside the city. In the summertime you can watch open air drama, cinema or concert performances in the entire Stuttgart region. For a rainy day there are museums or the planetarium. Friends of exotic animals and plants can visit the "Wilhelma", a large zoo-cum-botanical garden.
Places of common interest
In and around Stuttgart you will find a great number of places of common interest. Stuttgart was the capital of the dukes and kings of Württemberg. In the city you can see the old and new palaces, for example. Ludwigsburg used to be a residence town and has a baroque palace and gardens. Some of the most famous German poets and writers like Friedrich von Schiller or Hermann Hesse were born in small towns close to Stuttgart. On the way from Stuttgart to the Hesse town of Calw you will come through a small town called Weil der Stadt which was the birthplace of the great astronomer Johannes Kepler. Exploring Stuttgart and its surroundings in your free time will be very interesting and gives you a lot to do.