Not to miss

Stuttgarter Weinwanderweg

The Stuttgarter Weinwanderweg is the name given to two walking trails that head through vineyards so lush and pastoral that you'll hardly believe that some of the world's most advanced motorcar factories are just over the hill.

One begins 3km due north of the Hauptbahnhof at the Pragsattel light rail station (on the U5 or U6 line) and goes northeast to the Max-Eyth-See. The other is a circuit that takes you from the Obertürkheim train station (on the S1), 6km east of the Hauptbahnhof, via Uhlbach (served by buses 62 and 65 from Obertürkheim) to Untertürkheim (also on the S1) and, if you like, back to Obertürkheim.

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Housed in a fantastic futuristic structure that seems destined to become a landmark, the new Mercedes-Benz Museum, opened in 2006, gets rave reviews from locals and visitors alike. A visit begins on the top level and takes you past 180 gleaming vehicles, including various 'firsts' on display in the Legend Rooms.

The museum is on the right bank of the Neckar about 4km northeast of the city centre; to get there without wheels take the S1 S-Bahn line to Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion (around 3.20).

Staatsgalerie

The world-renowned Staatsgalerie boasts a collection of 14th- to 20th-century art which includes works by masters such as Fra Angelico, Tiepolo, Rembrandt, Rubens, Manet, Monet, Renoir and Cézanne. It occupies two adjacent (and connected) buildings: the neoclassical Alte Staatsgalerie (1843); and the Neue Staatsgalerie (1984), whose pink tubes and green window frames where designed by James Stirling.