Stuttgart Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour 24 Hour Ticket

Schlossplatz and the New Palace

Schlossplatz is the grand central square of Stuttgart and the first highlight of this Stuttgart city tour. On its east side stands the New Palace, a baroque residence of the kings of Württemberg built between 1746 and 1807, now used by state ministries. Facing it is the colonnaded Königsbau, and in the middle of the lawns rises the Jubilee Column, crowned by a statue of Concordia, with fountains and flower beds all around.

Next to the square lie the Old Palace, with its Renaissance arcaded courtyard and the State Museum of Württemberg, and the start of Königstraße, one of the longest shopping streets in Germany. Hop off here to stroll the palace gardens and the shops, then rejoin the bus. Schlossplatz is also the setting for Stuttgart's markets and festivals, so it is lively in every season.

Mercedes-Benz Museum

The Mercedes-Benz Museum in the Bad Cannstatt district is one of the most popular sights in Stuttgart and a must for anyone who loves cars. Opened in 2006, its futuristic silver building is shaped like a double helix: you ride a lift to the top floor and walk down spiral ramps through more than a century of automotive history, from the first motor carriages of the 1880s to racing cars and concept vehicles.

Allow at least two to three hours for the Mercedes-Benz Museum, and check its opening hours before you go, as it is usually closed on Mondays. Museum tickets are bought separately on site. Taking the hop-on hop-off bus is one of the easiest ways to get to the Mercedes-Benz Museum from the city centre, since it sits beside the stadium in the Neckar valley, away from the main sights.

Pig Museum and Bad Cannstatt

Close to the Neckar River, the Pig Museum is one of Stuttgart's most unusual attractions. It is housed in the former administrative building of the old municipal slaughterhouse, and its themed rooms are filled with pigs of every kind: toys, figurines, paintings, piggy banks, advertising and pieces of cultural history from around the world. It is quirky, colourful and fun for children.

The bus reaches it through Bad Cannstatt, the oldest district of Stuttgart and once a spa town famous for its mineral springs, which still flow today. The Cannstatter Wasen fairground and the Neckar riverbanks are nearby. Admission to the Pig Museum is paid on site. Hop off for an hour if you are curious, or stay on board and enjoy the views of the river valley.

Killesberg Park and the Weissenhof Estate

Killesberg Park was created on the site of an old quarry for a garden show in 1939 and is one of the most beautiful parks in Stuttgart. It has wide lawns, flower terraces, ponds, a small animal farm for children and the Killesberg Tower, a slender cable-stayed lookout that offers views over the city and the wooded green hills around it. On sunny days families come here for picnics and play areas.

A short distance away is the Weissenhof Estate, a housing exhibition built in 1927 by leading architects of the modern movement. Two of its white cubic houses are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of them holds the Weissenhof Museum, which explains how the estate changed modern architecture. Allow one to two hours to combine park and estate before taking the next bus.

Linden Museum

The Linden Museum is Stuttgart's State Museum of Ethnology and one of the most important museums of world cultures in Europe. Its collections cover Africa, the Americas, East and South Asia, Oceania and the Islamic world, with masks, textiles, ceramics, weapons, manuscripts and everyday objects, displayed in an elegant building from 1911 near the city centre.

The museum is a calm, indoor stop that suits rainy days and visitors who want to see the wider world through art and craft. Admission is paid on site and exhibitions change through the year, so check what is showing on your date. From here the Blue Route continues back towards the centre, closing the loop near the starting point on Schillerstraße.