Stuttgart, Germany is a traveler favorite. This splendid city is less than an hour from the Black Forest, is surrounded by castles and palaces open to the public and offers tourists plenty of things to see and do during their visit.

If you’re not afraid of heights and would like to see a panoramic view of the area, a trip to the Fernsehturm is a great thing to have on your agenda. The Fernsehturm is a TV tower (the world’s first built out of concrete) which is open to the public. The upper observation deck  DJ Stuttgart is 504 feet off the ground and offers visitors a spectacular view of the city, the Forest, the vineyards and on clear days the Swiss Alps.

For the lover of flora and fauna, a visit to Wilhelma is in order. Wilhelma was originally built as a royal palace in the 19th century, but is now a zoological and botanical garden. You might want to set a whole day aside for this trip as there are over 8,000 animals from more than 1,000 different species and well over 5,000 varieties of exotic plants to see. From elephants to cacti to all four species of apes, Wilhelma has something for everyone to enjoy.

Car buffs come from all over the world to visit the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums. Both places are full of facts and information on the history of these beloved automobiles. The exhibits are exciting and chronicle the history of each maker from the beginning to present time.

And of course, for those who just love to walk around, shopping and doing their sightseeing by foot, the Schlossplatz is the largest square in Stuttgart, located in the city center. Here one will find the New Castle (built in 1746), Christmas Markets (only during season), the Art Gallery, and venues for concerts and ice skating.

Road Weary and Homesick in Stuttgart, Germany

Our “ultimate European road trip” terminated in Stuttgart, Germany where we dropped off our once brand-new Macan S, named Max, at the Porsche Factory for its shipment home.

After being on-the-road for almost thirty days and driving 2,150 miles through Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland there comes the time when you realize… enough is enough… it’s time to go home!

And on this vacation, we brought back quite an unusual souvenir!

The Last Drive Segment and the Factory Drop Off

The drive from Konstanz to Stuttgart was smooth and everything went as planned. But as we drove into the parking area in front of the Zuffenhausen complex the stark reality hit us… this was the official end of the trip and we will be going home tomorrow.

We were greeted by the same Porsche Delivery Consultant that we initially met a month ago but this time we gave him the keys and he gave us a folder of paperwork.
Saying goodbye to Max was strange after all the time we spent together and especially not knowing exactly when we would be reunited.

As we walked through the building we glanced into the Delivery Hall and observed a collection of new Porsches all lined up, awaiting their owners and reflected on how excited we had been the night before we picked up our new vehicle.

Last Night in Stuttgart

Our journey began and ended at the Althoff Hotel am Schlossgarten which is an excellent hotel with a warm and welcoming staff. Upon checking in, they upgraded us to a magnificent suite with two balconies. The views were outstanding and added a fitting end to our visit.

You Know it’s Time to Go Home When…

In spite of a lot of pre-trip planning at home there was still a great deal of “local” logistics to work out every day… which gets old after a while.

Simple things become taxing… Sightseeing and side trip decisions versus staying put and taking in the local vibe at a small café. Even the question of what to eat and where becomes challenging.

As we neared the end of the trip, packing became a stuffing event… just roll it up and keep the clothes for the last few days separate and neat.

Craving a Steak and Baked Potato

We actually had a weird craving for basic, plain-old American food… like a steak and baked potato of all things.

Finding a steakhouse proved to be a bit of a challenge as  DJ Stuttgart  there were not a lot of choices, but we found one with decent reviews and it was in easy walking distance.

The street scene was very different from a month ago when we appreciated warm summer-like weather with hordes of festive people enjoying the Stuttgart Wine Village Festival with over 150 wine arbors and food vendors.

Now we are experiencing a cool, early Fall evening with a light throng of locals in the vast pedestrian plazas. This new perspective had us slightly lost so we asked directions from what turned out to be a patient, friendly woman.