Stuttgart

If you come here you'll hit two fleas at one blow, because not only the flea market is great, the Karlsplatz, too, is worth a trip. In the middle of the square, which is lined by trees, you find a mighty stone lion. On Saturdays, however, the beast seems to disappear behind the immense accumulation of antiques, trinkets, useful and beautiful stuff. If you look for it you'll really find anything on this market. The quality is variable, you do have to push aside a lot of rubbish to find true gems. Yet this is part of the game, and locals have been enjoying it for 25 years now.   Two things that are absolutely part of a visit to the flea market: Dedicated haggling - something is always possible - and a small beer at the takeaway. Maybe a sausage to go with it and you've made your day.

It's always twice as fun if you do something in a foreign city that normally only locals do. Such as visiting city libraries. Try it out in Stuttgart at the Mailänder Platz.   In case of this new facility one is even prepared for sightseeing visitors. An audio guide leads through the architectonically interesting addition to the inner city of Stuttgart. Two routes can be chosen from in the guide: apart from a library route that introduces offer and usage there's also an architectural route which might be particularly interesting for city tourists. The latter will explain to you the extraordinary concept of the South Korean architect Eun Young Yi who has equipped the cuboid shaped building with an outer shell  of glass blocks and an inner one with glass. Don't miss the so-called heart, a room which is four levels high located in the middle of the building. Above the heart, you'll find a funnel-shaped gallery hall that is limited by a glass room - for a divine reading experience.

Even if they are more and more often selected as landmarks or super sights, you don't really have to go up every television tower pointed out to you. In Stuttgart, however, you should definitely make the trip, since it's the first television tower that was built in the world. The pride of every Stuttgart resident is 217 metres high and has been sitting there since 1956. For 5 euros you may take the yellow lift to go up to the panorama platform. which is located at a height of 152 metres. The ride takes merely 44 seconds.   The view over the city and the vineyards is beautiful, the restaurant less so. Apparently they relied on the surrounding view to provide a sense of beauty and style. The food, however, is surprisingly good and affordable.

Breuninger is known in Stuttgart as a fashion and lifestyle brand. Since last autumn the long-established company can be proud of additional 2,000 square metres for shoes in the flagship store on the Marktstraße. But let's take one at a time!   In 1881 Eduard Breuninger opened his first store on the Münzstraße in Stuttgart. With a little sensation: he begins with a clearance sale. Eight years later the next surprise: the employees are allowed to take off Sundays - quite unusual for that time. Also holidays are to be introduced. 70 years later the next Breuninger vision follows: the Stuttgart company is the first company in Europe who would allow cashless payments via debit card. In addition, Heinz Breuninger installs a kindergarten for his customers as well as a garage and several restaurants. In 2006 the above-mentioned flagship store opens in order to display - six years later on the lower ground - high heels, flats and sneakers - 250 brands altogether. That's lived innovation that we like!

Mrs. Opatril has probably never heard of the word subtle; and if she has, she has forgotten it immediately. She designs bags, hats, coats and shoes. Nothing more and nothing less. Yet she draws from an exclusive pool of ideas and puts at least a piece of fur, leather, gold or silver onto every single piece. Sounds frumpy? Only in the rarest of cases. Most of her fashion is striking, colourful and tailor-made for extravagant customers. Of course, PETA activists would not be amused, they would find more than one reason to protest. The raccoon fur bag is only suited for ladies who don't lose much sleep over living animals. The furs of Antelopes, foxes, calves, minks and rabbits are all available. The most interesting creation is the silver leather hat aviator-style. It's padded with coloured rabbit fur, and is not only warm but also an absolute looker.

The pleasures of the night are the main points on the agenda of the concept store Night Delight in Stuttgart. Spread over 35 square metres of minimalist architecture Ulrike Brucher offers a range of fine products: lingerie (for example by Huit, Stella McCartney, Princess Tam Tam), cosmetics (Escentric Molecules, Jimmyjane) and jewellery (Saskia Diez, Arena CPH).   She explicitly wants her customers to sample the fragrances or slip into the sheer silk pieces. In the meantime you can taste the hand-made chilli chocolate. The in-house Ecoline received the must-have seal by women's magazine Elle.   The store concept even exceeds its opening hours. In this sense, you can find the so-called Slip-O-Mat by Night Delight in selected bars in Stuttgart and Berlin that provides female nighthawks wearing the wrong undies with the essentials for a hot adventure: a fine string and a pack of teeth cleaning tablets.

Don't feel like too many knick-knacks? Welcome to the Pension Riehle. Here you live in one of the 32 rooms that can safely describe as functional but comfortable. A bed, a table, a chair, wooden floor, skylights, airy curtains. The inn is perfect for guests who appreciate a cosy and down-to-earth environment and don't need any extravagances to have a nice holiday. The location is great for culture lovers, since it's only a brush stroke away from the Stuttgart State Gallery. This can be very handy, because if you want to really do justice to the collections of paintings, sculptures, and graphic design, you'll have to visit the museum several times. Attention: Not all rooms have an en-suite bathroom. Doubles start at about 48 euros a night.

A city tour with a four-legged companion? Why not. In the Hotel Seybold pets are warmly welcomed. This is said and done easily, since the villa from the turn of the century is located in the countryside, at the edge of Stuttgart. You can enjoy the city from a wonderful perspective day and night - the view over the nightly sea of lights is simply unbeatable. Who else has enjoyed this view? Jose Carreras, for example, Michael Schumacher and the entire team of flowers and flowerpots on the balconies. The place has a calm and family-style atmosphere, including a very personal service that starts with a hearty breakfast. The rooms are spacious and airy, and each of them is individually furnished. In the Seybold you feel less like a guest, but more like a family friend. If you want to cook for yourself and or travel with your family, you can rent one of the apartments with kitchen. Doubles start at 95 euros a night.

The Steigenberger Hotels are primarily known for their luxurious atmosphere and full service. The almost 200 rooms of the hotel are elegant and innovative, deliberately decorated more like private than guest rooms. Despite the hotel size one feels at home, and the anonymity can have a certain charm, too. The standard room is not smaller than 25m². When it comes to the categories Superior, Deluxe and Executive, the feel-good rooms grow to 58m²...Welcome to the Superior suite! If you've seen enough of that, just hurry up to the 5th floor, where you can wind down and chill out: The Shiseido SPA has been established according to ZEN philosophy and is a boon and blessing for body and soul.    In the gourmet restaurant Olivo the up-scale theme continues on. This time it's not your tired limbs but your taste buds that are spoiled. Chef Marc Rennhack has already earned a star for the restaurant. He spices up German cuisine with Spanish and French accents. The indulgence isn't exactly cheap, the delicious lunch menu costs around 48 euros. Compared to that, 200 euros for a double almost sounds like a good deal.

Is this a nightclub? Or an escort agency? Don't be fooled by the velveteen name of the restaurant. It's a restaurant offering Haute Cuisine of the finest kind. Until not long ago, the chef, Matthias Herrmann. has cooked for the star-rated Zirebnstube. Now he has ended up in the red-light district of Stuttgart. Not because he fell from his glory, but because he can realize his own culinary ideas in the restaurant of Remo Heine.   The menu changes daily and is just as short as it is creative. Rarely do you find more than six dishes, but all of them are so delicious that the gourmet will have a hard time deciding. The interior is, just like the name, reminiscent of Paris: Slightly luxurious, but not overly so. Very stylish and also comfortable.

Cornelia and Gert Habener, the owners of the épicerie fine, love France; so much so that they apparently had a hard time coming to terms with Swabian cooking. So they started to import treats and ingredients from France. What they make from it? Croissants, cheese platters, ratatouille or entrecôte. The lunch menus for about 10 euros are particularly popular, and all of Stuttgart comes here to celebrate French cuisine. Who's surprised? The cuisine is light but excellent, and the carefully chosen glass of wine is a blessing.   The shop is located in a former bakery, which was renovated and radiates in its renewed old charm. The guests cannot help but enjoy life and devote themselves to the most beautiful things in life: eating, drinking, music, talking, laughter, art - in short, everything that sweetens one's life. Come for the petit déjeuner, than you'll know exactly what we mean: The épicerie fine is a piece of Paris in the middle of Stuttgart.

The Cube Restaurant is located on the top floor of the Stuttgart Art Museum, guaranteeing a unique perspective: Wherever you turn your head, you are sure to have a fantastic view of the city centre, since the Cube is not only high but also entirely glassed-in. The architecture of the façade is so impressive that designer Heinz Witthöft concentrated on the essential in the interior. Noble restraint, a lot of style but little colour. The motto? An unforgettable dining experience in a spacious and unique urban setting.   The cuisine is upscale and so are the prices. On the other hand, the grilled shrimp with avocado cream, colourful summer salads with strawberry-pepper vinaigrette and turkey breast, the potato gnocchi in cream cheese sauce and braised rabbit legs in white wine sauce are just unbeatable. Tip: If you want to enjoy the great view for cheaper, you can come in the afternoon for coffee and cake.