Santiago-de-Chile-Platz at a glance
- Location
- Neue Weinsteige, above the valley basin on the way to Degerloch
- Best way up
- Zacke rack railway from Marienplatz to the Haigst stop
- Alternative
- Stadtbahn light rail to Weinsteige
- Admission
- free, open around the clock
- Former name
- Auf dem Haigst
- Renamed
- 2006, for the visit of the Chilean president
What you see from up here
The whole Stuttgart Kessel opens up below you. The Kessel is the bowl-shaped valley the city center sits inside, and from this terrace you look down into it: Schlossplatz and the Königstraße (King Street) shopping axis in the middle, the main station and the Europaviertel behind them, and on clear days the ridgelines at the edge of the city beyond that.
The particular quality of this spot is the angle. Because the terrace sits partway up the Weinsteige rather than on top of a tower, you look diagonally into the city instead of straight down onto it. That is the difference between this view and the one from the TV tower, and it is why photographers keep coming back here.
The place itself is small, a planted terrace rather than a park. There are benches. There is no cafe, no kiosk and nothing to buy. It is at its best in the half hour before sunset, when the valley floor slides into shadow and the lights come on underneath you.
Where the name comes from
Until 2006 the spot was known simply as Auf dem Haigst. It was renamed for the visit of the Chilean president Michelle Bachelet to Stuttgart in October of that year, marking the sister-city relationship between Stuttgart and Santiago de Chile.
Sculptures from Chile were installed to go with the name, including a Moai figure modeled on the stone statues of Easter Island. Coming across one of those on a hillside in southern Germany is exactly as unexpected as it sounds, and it is the reason a lot of people photograph the terrace before they photograph the view.
Getting there
The best approach is the Zacke, Stuttgart's rack railway up the hillside. It starts at Marienplatz in the southern part of downtown and grinds its way up the slope; get off at the Haigst stop and walk a few minutes from there. The Zacke is part of the regular transit network rather than a tourist ride, so an ordinary VVS ticket covers it. As an alternative, the Stadtbahn light rail stops at Weinsteige.
Driving up is possible but awkward. There are only a handful of parking spaces along the Neue Weinsteige, and on a fine weekend evening the terrace is busy. Taking the Zacke is the calmer option, and it is a better story.
Frequently asked questions about Santiago-de-Chile-Platz
Where is the Santiago-de-Chile-Platz?
On the Neue Weinsteige in southern Stuttgart, above the city center on the road up to Degerloch. The nearest station is Haigst on the Zacke rack railway.
How do you get to the Santiago-de-Chile-Platz?
Best by the Zacke, Stuttgart's rack railway: from Marienplatz to the Haigst stop, then a few minutes on foot. The Stadtbahn light rail to Weinsteige also works.
What does it cost to visit?
Nothing. It is a public terrace, free and open around the clock.
Why is there an Easter Island figure up there?
The square has carried its name since 2006, following the visit of Chilean president Michelle Bachelet to Stuttgart. The sculptures, among them a Moai figure, refer to the connection with Chile.
Sources: Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart , Stuttgart-Tourist
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