Stuttgart-Untertürkheim

Where it sits in the Kessel

Untertürkheim lies southeast of the center in the Neckar valley, on the far side of the river from downtown. Daimler built his engine factory here in 1904 and the plant still defines the flat riverside ground, while terraced vineyards climb the slope behind it toward the hilltop village of Rotenberg.

That contrast is the district in one sentence: a Mercedes assembly plant at the bottom, wine terraces and a neoclassical royal mausoleum at the top.

Getting downtown

The S-Bahn from the Hauptbahnhof takes roughly ten minutes to Untertürkheim, and the Mercedes-Benz Museum sits a short signposted walk from the station. Light rail also connects the district to the center. By car, downtown is ten to fifteen minutes along the Neckar outside rush hour.

What is within walking distance

The Mercedes-Benz Museum with its spiraling double-helix interior by UNStudio is the anchor. Above the district, on the Württemberg hill over Rotenberg, stands the Grabkapelle, the burial chapel King Wilhelm I built for his wife Katharina, with one of the widest views over the Neckar valley and the vineyards. Getting up there is a climb or a bus ride, not a stroll.

In fall, the seasonal Besenwirtschaften, temporary taverns that Württemberg winegrowers are allowed to open in their own premises for a few weeks a year, appear on the slopes and serve their own wine with hearty food.

Who this district suits

Visitors whose trip is built around the Mercedes-Benz Museum, and travelers who want vineyard walks straight from the front door. Hotel supply is thin here compared with Mitte, so plan ahead.

As with Zuffenhausen, treat it as a themed base rather than an all-purpose one: the nightlife and museum density of the center are a train ride away.