Home >
Germany >
Car Hire in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
The city of Stuttgart gets its name from a stud farm owned by one of the Dukes of Swabia, son of Emperor Otto the Great - a horse is still an integral part of the city's coat of arms. Eventually becoming the capital and residence of the counts of Wurttemberg, the city grew in size and stature, today being accepted as a cultural centre of Germany, with its world-renowned Stuttgart Ballet, State Opera and philharmonic orchestra. With 60% of the city destroyed during bombing in the Second World War, it is truly unfortunate that none of the historic landmarks survived without damage, although the city has been rebuilt with careful thought, and two-thirds of the land within the city limits has been made into parks, gardens and woodlands. Stuttgart has a close connection with the automobile trade - it is the home of both Mercedes and Porsche. The Mercedes-Benz Museum on Mercedesstrasse commemorates the invention of the motor car with around 75 historic vehicles on display, including the first motor bicycle from 1885 and the Daimler company's first Mercedes from 1902. One of the city's oldest buildings is the massive ducal palace known as Altes Schloss, built in the 13th century, renovated in the 16th, and now housing the Landesmuseum; here you will find the crown jewels, clocks, coins and musical instruments, as well as European glass through the ages.