Wilhlema in Stuttgart | Photo by Yven Dienst ()
Perhaps you’re heading to Stuttgart to see a musical? Or look at timeless vehicles at the Mercedes-Benz Museum? Aside from doing the bucket-list-worthy items, take some time to discover some gems in the mountainous state of Baden-Württemberg.
Holzmaden
This tiny village near Stuttgart is a hotspot for fossils. Don’t miss Urwelt-Museum Hauff, a museum with extremely remarkable examples of ichthyosaur, plesiosaurus and the largest exhibit of a crinoid-colony (sea-lilies). The quality really is astonishing.
If you like to find some fossils yourself, rent tools at the visitor stone pit, and start looking at what is just beneath the surface. It’s great fun for adults and children alike!
Wilhelma in Stuttgart | Photo by Robert Königshausen
Stuttgart, Wilhelma
On the premises of a historic castle from 1855, is Europe’s largest combined zoological and botanical garden, using many of the original buildings. Find Moorish Revival Style buildings in an English landscape style garden, Europe’s biggest magnolia grove or some sequoia trees. There are great exhibits of animals from all over the world, so everybody will find their favorite. If you come during Christmas, you’ll find “Christmas Garden“ with several colorful illuminations in the gardens.
Maulbronn | Photo by Robert Königshausen
Maulbronn
Almost unchanged for the last 700 years, this monastery is unique. It’s more of a little village, with old workshops, bakery and a pharmacy on the premises. Inside the church, you can find painted ceilings and the cross-coat, with marvelous views. As this is better than any film-set could ever be, it was elected as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery is between Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, approximately an hour drive from both cities.
