Stuttgart

Is this still noble or kitsch? Hard to say. At least the search for gold will find an end in this exceptional place. The owner of the Cube has converted the old Schwabenlandhalle into a top-class restaurant: Gold on the walls, gold at the bar, along with dark wooden floors and subtle, fresh floral decoration. In the Goldberg every dinner turns into a feast, and when it comes to ambience the noblesse of the place cannot be topped. The kitchen spoils you with timeless classics, with the duo Michael Bahn and Rainer Rupps encouraging one another to achieve ever greater results. Would you like a menu suggestion?  Let's start with a colourful summer flower salad with grilled tuna and watermelon, then white tomato cream soup with a baked shrimp cigarillo. The main course includes rabbit leg with creamy corn polenta, corn cob tempura and vanilla pepper cream, and for dessert cheesecake with raspberries on caramelised puffed rice slices and lavender ice cream. Tip: If prices get too hot for you, you should come around noon for the three-course lunch menu. At 27,- euros this is a fair opportunity to get a taste of the gold rush.

The Bohnenviertel (beans district) is the oldest and perhaps most charming neighbourhood of Stuttgart. Although some things have changed here, you'll still find three very original wine taverns - in the rustic restaurant "Zur Kiste" (At the box). Whence the name? We don't know. Maybe because almost everything here is made of wood, because the three little taverns are stacked like boxes onto one another, or because there is so little space that you almost feel like you are stuck in a box. Never mind, it only makes it more cosy. As a base for the wine you get Maultaschen (Swabian ravioli), meat fritters or briskets of beef. The wine is slightly overpriced, in order to sell more of the beer from the in-house brewery. However, if you come for the traditional Viertelesschlotzen (Swabian vernacular for drinking quarters of wine), you might have to bite the bullet. In any event, you are not alone: There are artisans, politicians, professors, directors, artists, the talkative and the quiet.

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.

Göppingen lies almost exactly halfway between Stuttgart and Ulm, and is hardly known as a fashion Mecca. Nevertheless, two guys got together there to turn their shared love of fashion and neon prints into the label Fetter Clothing. Revelling through the Stuttgart night you will see them more and more often: The shirts, hoodies and bags that are so characteristic one will always place them correctly. The not entirely secret to success: Print, print, print, in all the colours that people used to love in the 80s. You'll see neon sunglasses on jumpers and even the modified smiley has a revival. The bags are simple shoppers made of fabric, which are perfect for going to the library or swimming.

Sichtbar (visible) helps you to keep everything in perspective and look great at the same time: In the purist and stylishly designed shop you only find selected pieces, and many of the glasses have come in directly from one or the other trendy fashion week. Sichtbar not only promises the latest trends but also keeps its promise. The labels are national and international - a good mix. They include: Dsquared, Oliver Goldsmith, IC!Berlin, Mykita, Marni, Oliver Peoples, Paul Frank, REIZ, Robert La Roche, Tom Ford. And if you have perfect eyesight, don't be sad - there's a huge selection of sunglasses, too. You won't just find the perfect advice when it comes to style, the optician's team, too, is extremely capable and has an individual solution for every desire. Custom-made designs are part of the standard programme. Tip: For the lovely little ones you can get the wonderfully colourful glasses by Bbig.

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.

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.

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.

If you want to drop into your freshly made hotel bed right after arriving in town, you should book a room in the Hotel Unger. It is only one minute away from the train station, right in city centre. The disadvantage: It is not exactly tranquil. The advantage: The availability of public transport is perfect, and many highlights in the city can be reached on foot. The hotel is therefore the perfect place for business travellers and jet-setters. The 130 rooms are clean and furnished with natural materials, so that allergic persons can spend the night here without problems. The breakfast is legendary, and you will be perfectly set for a busy day in the city, whether you are on a private or business mission: smoked salmon, shrimp and the best regional delicacies. Doubles start at about 175 euros a night.  

It's been a lot of work, the new playhouse in Stuttgart. As early as August 2010 the leading state theatre has started to strip down the old stage machinery including the auditorium and foyer. They got rid of more than 250 tons of steel, the mentioned areas have been completely gutted. Re-opening: June 2013. When the view in the auditorium is impaired one needs a steeper floor. Preferably a parquet floor and not a linoleum covered floor. Et voilá they say in the playhouse, topped up and exchanged! More than 160 seats were too much - that now got knocked out! For an improved acoustic. Parts of the foyer got a new stone floor and a new illuminated ceiling, the natural facade was thoroughly cleaned. In addition they built three double-deck podiums and installed a revolving stage. For even more art appreciation! Bravo!

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.

The Schloss Solitude (Solitude Palace) is worth a visit simply because of its location on the heights southwest of Stuttgart, opening up to a magnificent view of the landscape. It was built on behalf of Duke Carl Eugen, between 1763 and 1769. The castle is the magical centre of a grand complex that is considered an impressive example of the late rococo. Visitors can explore the inside of the castle throughout the year as part of guided tours, and they do this in great numbers: Stroll through the banquet rooms, the white hall, the music room and the meeting room, and visit the Duke's apartment to get in idea of how noblemen used to live their private lives. Carl, for example, liked to relax in the marble hall and the palm tree room. The ceiling paintings by Nicolas Guibal as well as the frescoes in the basement are particularly interesting. In 1990, the Academy Solitude Palace has moved into the officer and cavalier buildings. The academy offers apartment-studios to young artists and hosts a number of events that promote aspiring young artists at the interface between the arts and sciences.