Stuttgart-Süd

Where it sits in the Kessel

Stuttgart-Süd begins where the Königstraße corridor ends and runs up the southern slope of the Kessel. The lower streets around the Heusteigviertel are flat and grid-like with intact turn-of-the-century facades; above them the ground tilts hard toward the Karlshöhe and the Weinsteige, the historic switchback road that climbs out of the basin.

This is prime Stäffele territory. Several of the city's best-known public stairways link the district's lower streets to the hilltops, and the Zahnradbahn, the rack railway locals call the Zacke, starts at Marienplatz and has climbed to Degerloch since 1884.

Getting downtown

Marienplatz to Schlossplatz is a walk of about fifteen to twenty minutes, or a few minutes by light rail. The Heusteigviertel is closer still. Practically speaking, staying here means walking home from dinner downtown rather than checking a timetable.

What is within walking distance

Marienplatz with its weekly market and its café terraces, the Tübinger Straße with independent shops, and the Karlshöhe, a hilltop beer garden with a view straight across the basin. Wine bars and small owner-run restaurants outnumber chains here.

Who this district suits

Repeat visitors, couples and anyone who prefers a neighborhood to a hotel district. Understand that the slope is real: if stairs and gradients are a problem, stay in the flat part near Marienplatz rather than uphill.