Stuttgart, district by district.
Stuttgart is built inside the Kessel, the steep bowl-shaped valley that holds the city center, with the rest of the city spread across the slopes and the plateaus above it. Which district you pick decides how much walking, how many stairways and how much light rail your trip involves. Below: 14 districts, what each one is actually good for, and where to sleep in them.
Three things to know before you pick
- The Kessel is real. The center sits on the floor of a valley basin and the slopes around it are steep. Districts like Süd and Nord climb hard, and a good part of that climbing happens on Stäffele, the public outdoor stairways that run up the hillside and vineyard slopes all over the city.
- Distances are short. Almost every district in this guide is within fifteen minutes of the main station by S-Bahn commuter rail or light rail. Staying outside the center costs you very little time and usually saves you noise.
- The car museums are not downtown. The Porsche Museum is in Zuffenhausen in the north, the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim in the southeast. Both are easy train rides from the center, so you do not need to sleep next to them unless you want to.
Districts to stay in
The eight districts with the clearest case for visitors, each one written up with its position in the valley, how long it takes to reach downtown and what sits in walking range.
Good for: a quick match
Mitte (City Center)
First-time visitors who want to walk to almost everything and skip the transit learning curve.
West
Visitors who want a lived-in residential quarter, quiet nights and a ten-minute walk to the shopping street.
Süd (South)
Travelers on a second or third visit who want neighborhood cafés and a beer garden instead of a hotel lobby.
Nord (North)
Architecture travelers and repeat visitors who want park air and long views a short ride above the center.
Bad Cannstatt
Families and spa-minded travelers who want the zoo, the mineral baths and a real town square within walking distance.
Degerloch
Drivers and light sleepers who want hilltop air, easy parking and a straight light-rail run into the center.
Zuffenhausen
Car pilgrims who want the Porsche Museum on their doorstep and do not mind commuting in for dinner.
Untertürkheim
Mercedes pilgrims and wine walkers who want the museum and the Württemberg vineyards on the same side of the river.
The rest of the map
Districts that are worth a trip out but rarely worth a hotel booking.
Inner-city and outer districts
Stuttgart's administration splits its districts into inner-city districts on the valley floor and outer districts on the slopes and plateaus. It is a useful shorthand for how urban a neighborhood will feel.
Inner-city districts
Outer city districts
Discover Stuttgart on foot
Guided tours through the districts and the historic center.
Affiliate note: if you book through this widget we earn a commission. The price stays the same for you.