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Stuttgart
* Located in Baden-Württemberg, south western Germany
* Opulent home to Mercedes, Porsche, Zeiss & Hugo Boss
* Population 600,000 people
* Highest per capita income of any city in Germany
* City of fabulous parks, possibly Europe's greenest urban area
* Gateway to the Black Forest and the Rhine: Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Freiburg & Tübingen
* Over 1 million tourists visit the city every year
World Cup 2006 Matches in Stuttgart
Opera House, Stuttgart.
Opera House©Stuttgart Tourism
Tues June 13 France v Switzerland
Fri June 16 Netherlands v Ivory Coast
Mon June 19 Spain v Tunisia
Thurs June 22 Croatia v Australia
Sun June 25 Round of 16
Sat July 8 3rd place Play-off
Stuttgart is an interesting blend of old and new. The Romans built a citadel around 90 AD in the lush valley of what is now present-day Stuttgart. The name “Stuttgart” comes from a stud farm owned by the Duke of Swabia in the 14th-century. And on the city’s coat of arms today is the image of, yes, a horse. The mid-19th Century witnessed the beginning of Stuttgart's rise to its position as one of the largest urban centers in Germany. Today the capital of Baden-Württemberg is one of Europe’s major industrial bases, with among others the headquarters of DaimlerChrysler, Porsche and Zeiss.
The city though is among the least concreted urban areas in Europe. More than two thirds of the city is parks, gardens, or woodlands. This can be seen clearly from the a 217-meter tall tv-tower built in the hills of of Degerloch. Stuttgart is also renowned for its ballet and orchestra.
The Staatsgalerie (State Gallery) houses one of Germany’s best art collections. It includes work by the German Expressionists (Beckmann, Barlach) in addition to Bauhaus and Blaue Reiter group artisits (Klee, Feininger). See also the post-1945 avant-garde works from both sides of the Atlantic.
lso noteworthy is architect James Stirling’s Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg (Museum of the History of Baden-Wurttemberg). This building joins many splendid works by Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and Le Courbusier located in the city.
The city's prosperous history can be seen in the 16th Century Altes Schloss (Old Palace) and the later Neues Schloss (New Palace).
60% of the city was flattened by World War 2 bombing, and not one of its historic landmarks escaped damage of some kind.
Gottfried Daimler unveiled the world's first gasoline-driven car here in 1886, and the city boasts both the Daimler-Benz Museum and Porsche Museum, well worth a visit for automobile fans.
For those who are interested in designer clothes, Hugo Boss and Ulli Knecht call Stuttgart home. Opposite the station, the Knett Passage and Calwer Passage have upscale boutiques. There is also a flea market on Saturday mornings in the Karlsplatz.
Getting to Stuttgart
Air
From Stuttgart’s Echterdingen Airport (tel. 0711 9483388) trains into the city leave every 20 minutes from below the arrival area of Terminal 1 and cost €3. Travel time is 27 minutes for the 14km journey. A taxi will cost around €30.
Train
Munich is a 2-3 hour trip and trains run frequently. Frankfurt takes a bit less than two hours. The station is located just north of the historic area.
Information: tel. 01805 996633.
Bus-Tram-Subway Within Stuttgart
Stuttgart has buses, streetcars, and a subway system. A 3-day travel pass can be obtained for about €14, depending on the number of travel zones. It is valid on all forms of public transportation and is available only to temporary residents staying in a local hotel or guesthouse. The day pass (Tageskarte) costs around € 5.
A climate-neutral World Cup
Click here for the 2006 Fifa World Cup venues
Click here for general information
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