STUTTGART
Be fl oored by contemporary art, futuristic architecture and life
in the fast lane in southern Germany’s capital of coolLIKE A LOCAL
Tim Bengel’s arty hangoutsPLATTFORM11
Each year, this collective
of local artists organises
an exhibition of works
including photography,
installations and
paintings. The events
feature music and
performance art, and
are among the highlights
of the cultural calendar.
plattform-11.comSTUDIO BERKHEIM
This is the best place
to discover the rising
stars of contemporary
art. View art from the
likes of painter, sculptor
and performance
artist Jonathan Meese,
artist Conny Maier
and cartoonist and
illustrator Joan Cornellà.
studioberkheim.comSTADTBIBLIOTHEK
STUTTGART
With its glass skylight,
geometric forms and
tiered layout, the Eun
Young Yi-designed
city library is a must-
see for architecture-
lovers. Entrance is free
and it’s a great place
to relax. stuttgart.de/
stadtbibliothekA social media
sensation, Tim is
an artist whose
work takes in
everything from
intricate gold-leaf
sand paintings to
fl oral cemetery art.
@timbengel
timbengel.comStuttgart can rival the likes of Berlin and Munich with its
distinctly urban beat, progressive art and architecture,
phenomenal galleries and rapidly evolving food-and-
drink scene. Inner-city adventures aside, it’s also the
perfect base for getting out into the countryside, with
trails threading into vineyards, and the Black Forest
practically on the doorstep.
Big-name attractions here include the futuristic
MERCEDES BENZ and PORSCHE MUSEUMS (both fi rms are
headquartered in the city). But fi rst, join the locals for
a cortado or chai latte at retro-hip MISCH MISCH near
Marienplatz. From humble coff ee van origins, the cafe
has carved out a reputation for freshly roasted coff ee and
delicious homemade cakes. facebook.com/mischmisch.de
A er a caff eine fi x, there’s no better place to get
acquainted with Stuttgart than at its beating heart:
SCHLOSSPLATZ. The square is fringed by gardens and
backdropped by the baroque NEUES SCHLOSS, the
city’s answer to Versailles. In one corner of the square,
you’ll spot a huge glass cube housing the impressive
KUNSTMUSEUM STUTTGART, whose prized collection
includes work by Otto Dix and Dieter Roth. Head to the
slickly minimalist CUBE RESTAURANT on the top fl oor
for expertly mixed highballs, Pacifi c Rim cooking and
wraparound windows aff ording stellar city views.
neues-schloss-stuttgart.de kunstmuseum-stuttgart.de
cube-restaurant.de
Across the square is the STADTPALAIS, housed in
a former 19th-century palace. As well as recounting
Stuttgart’s history, the museum displays exhibitions on
themes like graffi ti art and urban photography — and the
free entry is a bonus. stadtpalais-stuttgart.de
Just off Schlossplatz is SCHLOSSGARTEN, former
palace gardens are liberally sprinkled with fountains,
ponds and sculptures and overlooked by the grand
STAATSTHEATER STUTTGART theatre. When the sun’s
out, locals make their way to the shade and benches atthe 2,000-seat BIERGARTEN IM SCHLOSSGARTEN for a
refreshing kristallweizen beer. staatstheater-stuttgart.de
biergarten-schlossgarten.de
Walk through the gardens and you’ll emerge at the
STAATSGALERIE STUTTGART, bearing the trademark
curvaceous lines of British architect James Stirling.
Devote a couple of hours to the collection, which leaps
from Picasso’s cubist creations to Lichtenstein’s pop
art. Don’t miss recent addition Banksy’s Love is in the
Bin (formerly Girl with Balloon, before its infamous
shredding at auction in October 2018). For yet another
creative fi x, don’t miss the street art and graffi ti at
URBAN ART GALLERY, tucked away on Rotebühlstrasse.
staatsgalerie.de urbanartgallery.eu
A quick U-Bahn (light rail) trundle north of the
centre brings you to the WEISSENHOF ESTATE, designed
by the Swiss-French modern architecture pioneer
Le Corbusier and built as housing units under the
direction of Bauhaus titan Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
One of the houses is now a museum and presents an
innovative series of models, plans and prototypes.
weissenhofmuseum.de
While you’re in this neck of the woods, squeeze in
a stroll in the charming KILLESBERGPARK, bordered
by landscaped gardens and pockets of woodland
and topped off with the 137 -tall KILLESBERG TOWER,
which off ers views across the city to the hills beyond.
The Stuttgarter love to while away their free time
in the city’s excellent array of bars. The KRAFTPAULE
microbrewery has a post-industrial look, chilled
atmosphere and interesting beers on tap, while PALAST
DER REPUBLIK serves drinks in a former public toilet.
And, from April to September, there’s the SKY BEACH
STUTTGART pop up: a happening roof bar atop Galeria
Kau£ of department store, with sand, deckchairs, cabana
beds, cocktails and DJs. kra paule.de facebook.com/
palaststuttgart skybeach.de KERRY WALKERINSIDE GUIDE
IMAGES: ©GREGOR LENGLER; AWL IMAGES; ©DAIMLER AG30 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER30 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel