For culture and connoisseurs alike: Stuttgart

With its Volksfest and gourmet restaurants, its car museums and Wilhelma Gardens, a vibrant nightlife and fantastic exhibitions, Stuttgart is full of exciting contrasts. Nestled in one of the largest wine-producing regions in Germany, this regional capital is an inspiring destination thanks to its superb location, lovely squares, magnificent castles and buildings in a huge variety of architectural styles.

Stuttgart's very own Versailles and 15,000 artworks in a single museum

The perfect place to meet in the centre of the city is Schlossplatz square: in virtually no other city does a palace dominate the centre to such an extent as the Neues Schloss in Stuttgart. The Duke of Württemberg commissioned the construction of Germany's last great baroque residential palace here at the end of the 18th century, and he had nothing less than a second Versailles in mind. A Versailles for modern art is located on Schlossplatz square: Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, an art museum housing 15,000 classical modern and contemporary works. This spectacular building has a stunningly elegant simplicity, and at night, the brightly lit glass exterior reveals the building's structural stone core.

From the Stone Age to Baselitz, from classical concerts to musicals

Stuttgart's Altes Schloss (Old Palace) houses the Württemberg State Museum, which charts the history of the region from the Stone Age to the present day, including sections on the Celts, Romans and Alemanni, and the Middles Ages, Baroque and modern era. Stuttgart's State Gallery has a somewhat narrower chronological focus, with an exceptional collection of traditional German, Italian and Dutch art together with key paintings and sculptures by the classical modernists and contemporary artists. On display are important groups of works from the various stylistic movements (Fauvism, the Brücke and Blauer Reiter groups and Cubism) as well as eye-catching collections by individual artists such as Picasso, Beckmann, Schlemmer, Beuys, Kiefer and Baselitz.

Stuttgart also has an excellent performing arts scene. Its State Theatre is the largest multi-functional theatre in the world, with a world-famous ballet house and state opera and spectacularly staged theatrical productions. A wide variety of musical tastes are catered for by the city's major orchestras, its many jazz clubs and the SI-Centrum - Stuttgart's double musical bill.

Strolls and festival fun, shopping and fine dining

Stuttgart's restaurants and cafés provide a whole range of gastronomic treats, from spätzle noodles to pinot noir, from corner pubs to award-winning, internationally renowned restaurants. The city's Königstrasse offers more than a kilometre of shopping fun with any number of fashion boutiques, specialist shops, department stores, cafés, restaurants and quiet zones. In Stuttgart's Bohnenviertel, bric-à-brac and antique shops sit amongst charming eateries of all sizes, whilst Calwer Strasse is home to elegant boutiques and a host of restaurants with outdoor terraces. And in the evenings, Theodor-Heuss-Strasse und the square surrounding the 'Lucky Hans' fountain are particularly recommended, with bars to suit any taste.

Visitors to any of Stuttgart's many festivals will experience for themselves the joie de vivre and hospitality of its residents. At the end of September, neighbouring Bad Canstatt hosts the largest festival in the Swabian region and the second-largest beer festival worldwide – the Cannstatter Wasen. With more than 300 fairground rides and large beer and wine tents, a great time is guaranteed for all! It's also worth making time for another wild time of sorts: Stuttgart's most popular place to relax is the Wilhelma Gardens, one of Europe's loveliest zoological and botanical gardens, whose 8,000 or so animals also make it one of the most species-rich zoos in the world.