Living in Stuttgart – The Ultimate Guide
Welcome to Stuttgart, famous for being home to Mercedes and Porsche, some of the biggest car manufactorers wordwide.
But Stuttgart is so much more than just cars.
The capital of Baden Württemberg is also the cultural and intellectual centre in the South-West of Germany.
And – being very objective – Stuttgart is home to the best football team called VfB Stuttgart.
Stuttgart Neighbourhoods
Stuttgart is sourrounded by hills which is a blessing and a curse at the same time.
Commuters will agree that it is a nightmare to drive to the city from outside Stuttgart.
Massive traffic jams will cost you many hours a week when driving to work. But on the other side the hills offer great views over the city.
The most famous neighbourhood in Stuttgart is definitely Bad Canstatt. Reason one is that Bad Canstatt is home to VfB Stuttgart, the most famous football club in Stuttgart.
And even better every year in September Bad Canstatt is home to the second biggest beer fest after the Oktoberfest.
Quality of life in Stuttgart
Stuttgart offers fantastic job opportunities as Stuttgart is home to several world famous companies like Mercedes, Porsche, Bosch or Bauknecht.
But not only can you work hard in Stuttgart you can also party hard or relax in one of the many parks. If you need some fresh air just take your car and drive outside the city.
Lakes, hills, whatever you are into you name it – it is just a short drive away.
Best Neighbourhoods in Stuttgart
The city of Stutgart is divided in 5 inner neighborhoods, and 18 outer Neighborhoods.
If you are new in Stuttgart and are looking for a nice apartment or house to rent, there are plenty of Neighborhoods in Stuttgart from where to choose:
From the busy commercial districts located downtown, with its abundance of commercial and entertainment venues, to the quieter suburbs along the slopes of the outer hills that surround the city.
Stuttgart is known as the place where the automobile was invented, and it is the headquarters of the famous Porsche and Mercedes-Benz automobile manufacturing companies.
This relatively small city of less than 600.000 inhabitants, is an industrial powerhouse and it is the base of the automobile and mechanical industries in southwest Germany.
Unlike most major industrial cities, Stuttgart is far from being dirty and unsafe and is actually -and unusually for a German city- spread among a series of hills, valleys and even among vineyards.
To give you an overview of the best neighborhoods in Stuttgart, here is a list of all of them.
We will then further dive into the ones that are the most interesting ones if you are planning on living in Stuttgart in the future:
- Stuttgart-Mitte
- Stuttgart-Nord
- Stuttgart-Ost
- Stuttgart-Süd
- Stuttgart-West
- Bad Cannstatt
- Degerloch
- Möhringen
- Plieningen
- Stammheim
- Untertürkheim
- Vaihingen
- Zuffenhausen
- Feuerbach
- Birkach
- Botnang
- Hedelfingen
- Mühlhausen
- Münster
- Obertürkheim
- Sillenbuch
- Wangen
- Weilimdorf
Stuttgart-Mitte
Stuttgart Mitte neighborhood is the heart of the city and it is full with commercial shops and office buildings.
Stuttgart Mitte is crossed by the Königstrasse Avenue, which is a popular shopping destination in Stuttgart.
But Stuttgart Mitte is more than just a place to work. It is the city’s cultural hub, with landmarks like the Friedrichsbau Theater, that became famous for its popular vaudeville shows during the roaring 1920s.
Also art galleries like the Staatsgalerie, museums and even the Palaces that were the residences of the old Württemberg Dukes, are all located in the Innenstadt.
There is always a place to stop and eat any time you need a rest from window shopping.
There are many excellent restaurants that offer the best cuisine both international and German cuisine.
The best Swabian dish you can get is a plate of homemade Spätzle. And never ever call them Swabian pasta, it is an insult 🙂
The Mitte district also has several parks for those who wish to exercise or enjoy a quiet evening relaxing and watching nature.
For those lovers of music and party, the Mitte is the site to find some of the best clubs in the city and is also the place for some of the city’s most popular events, like the Henkersfest and the Weindorf food festival.
Stuttgart-West
Stuttgart-West is located, as the name suggests, just to the west of Stuttgart-Mitte.
It is a densely populated area packed with theaters, shops, cafes and parks.
If you want to find a place close to both working places and entertainment opportunities, then Stuttgart-West is just the place for you.
Just keep in mind, if you have a car, that the streets are always busy and it’s always difficult to find a place to park.
But it also has an excellent public transportation system with bus and subway stations, which allows you to travel to any other part of the city quickly and comfortably.
Stuttgart-West is close to downtown of the city and is always easy to find good restaurants to eat without having to go very far.
It is a wonderful place for those who like to spend an afternoon outside visiting stores, meeting friends at cafés or drinking in the many wine taverns of the neighborhood.
Bad Cannstatt
This neighborhood, located just outside the central districts of the city, has some of the most interesting sights in Stuttgart and is a tourist magnet.
Visitors and locals frequently visit its famous mineral rich natural spa.
The MineralBad springs are second biggest natural mineral springs in Europe, and visitors from all over Germany go to it to improve their health and to get rid of stress.
Bad Cannstatt also has a lively cultural life, and its most distinguished museums, the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums, are dedicated to the history of the automobile industry in the city.
But not everything in Stuttgart carries an engine. Bad Cannstatt is also a gathering point for beer drinking culture in the city, with the Cannstatter Wasen and Cannstatter Volksfest being two of the largest beer festivals in the city.
Only minutes away from the center of the city, Bad Cannstatt is a good option for those wishing to live close to downtown Stuttgart but wish for a cheaper housing option still within the limits of Stuttgard’s vibrant urban culture.
Oh and best of all if you live in Bad Cannstatt it is only a few minutes away from the Mercedes Benz Arena, home to the best football club in Germany called VfB Stuttgart!
Degerloch
But not everybody wants to party, maybe you are looking for a place far from the tourist destinations but with good services, and plenty of space for the kids to play.
If you are looking for a quiet suburban neighborhood, Degerloch is just the place to look in.
egerloch has a family friendly environment and as a residential area it provides a whole different experience than in downtown Stuttgart.
Degerloch’s houses are generally more spacious than the flats you would find in the center of the city.
Cycling is a popular way of transport in Degerloch, thanks to the low traffic in the streets, it is an easy and free way to move in the neighborhood.
Trams also provide a cheap way of transport and the train station nearby keeps the residents a short ride from the city’s center.
Now that you have an idea of the general layout of Stuttgart why don’t you spoil yourself and check out the top 10 things to eat in Stuttgart.