Free things to do in Stuttgart

Free things to do in Stuttgart

1. See

   Botanical and exotic garden Hohenheim

   Hohenheimer Gärten

   Botanical and exotic garden of the University of Hohenheim one of the leading universities in agriculture. The university itself is a palace and quite picturesque.

   Free

2. See

   Burgholzturm

   Observation tower (27 m). Accessible in summer on the weekends. View of Bad Cannstatt and the Neckar Valley. Admission free.

3. See

   Gottlieb Daimler Memorial

   Gottlieb-Daimler-Gedächtnisstätte

   Stuttgart in general claims to be the birthplace of the automobile, but if you want to see the actual place where it was born, head to the Kurpark in Bad Cannstatt, where the garden house that Gottlieb Daimler converted into his workshop still stands. There he and Wilhelm Maybach worked in the latter half of the 19th century on combustion engines and motorised vehicles they have eventually so successfully developed. Today, it houses an exhibition maintained by Mercedes-Benz Classic that tells the story of the early days of the Daimler motor car company.

   Tue-Fri 14:00-17:00, Sat Sun and holidays 11:00-17:00, closed on Mondays·Admission free

4. See

   Grüner Heiner

   A small hill with a wind power station on top in an outskirt of Stuttgart.

   Free

5. See

   Heslach waterfalls

   Heslacher Wasserfälle

   Set of small waterfalls that can be followed in a trail. Not far from Birkenkopf / Rotwildpark.

   Free

6. See

   Lapidarium

   Städtisches Lapidarium

   Open air museum showcasing ancient sculptures (most of which originate from destructed buildings after WW2), terraces and fountains from Stuttgart's history.

   Wed Sat Sun 14:00-18:00·Admission free

7. Do

   Motorworld Region Stuttgart in Böblingen

   This is a location where people can store their valuable cars safely and allow the public to see them at the same time in a safe environment. Customers can rent glass boxes to keep their classic car in pristine condition. Workshops with qualified mechanics that are specialised in maintenance, repair and restoration of vintage and classic cars, car dealerships: Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Bentley, Harley-Davidson, restaurant, cigar lounge, hotel, event location, outside location, playground nearby.

   free entry to walk round, guided tour at extra costs.

8. See

   Museum Hotel Silber

   Exhibition about the German secret police during World War II.

   Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·Free

9. See

   Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz

   Neue Bibliothek, Bibliothek 21

   Stuttgart's city library moved into this spectacular new building in 2011. It took 13 years of planning, an international architectural competition (which was won by Eun Young Yi from South Korea) and €80 million to complete it. On the outside, it is a sombre, nine-storey cube with a glass-brick facade. Inside, the whitewashed surfaces and bright lighting provide an almost unreal ambiance. There is quite a lot of innovative features and facilities inside, not only related to the rather simple layout and fit-outs, but rather to the way the library itself works - for example, you can borrow not only books, but also works of art, or work with music and sound clips in the sound lab. There is also a cafe on the top floor (open 10:00-18:00), and you can get a free map and audioguide from the reception on the ground floor.

   Mon-Sat 09:00-21:00·Most facilities are free of charge, but to borrow books or media you will need to purchase at least a monthly pass for €4

10. Do Not mapped

    Volksfest

    Cannstatter Wasen

    Huge fun fair on the Cannstatter Wasen, beer tents and rollercoasters, late September-early October. (Families should go there during daytime: after 20:00 beware of drunken people.) Canstatter Wasen is the second largest fun fair in the world. Visiting it is more pleasant and less crowded than the Oktoberfest in Munich.

    Free

11. See

    Burgruine Hofen

    Ruin of castle Hofen

    Remains of a castle from the 13th century.

    Free

12. Do Not mapped

    Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest

    a fun fair like Cannstatter Wasen in April/May, but smaller.

    Free entrance

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Stuttgart (CC BY-SA 4.0).