Stuttgart
48°47′ N 9°11′ ECityPop. 609,365Stuttgart and the Neckar
Stuttgart suits travellers who want one hotel and several markets, because its rail hub puts Esslingen, Ludwigsburg and Tübingen within easy reach. The trade-off is that the city itself is big and modern between the old squares.
Photo Baden de · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stuttgart is the base that makes the rest of the Neckar work. Its own market spreads over four central squares from 25 November to 23 December 2026, and S-Bahn trains from the Hauptbahnhof reach Esslingen and Ludwigsburg, so you can sleep in one hotel and see three markets. Tübingen and Heidelberg are day trips by regional train.
Take the train from Stuttgart
- Stuttgart to Esslingen · timetable
- Stuttgart to Ludwigsburgfastest 8 min, published by Deutsche Bahn (checked Oct 10, 2026) · timetable
The Christmas market fills the centre from Schlossplatz to the Marktplatz, with about 250 stalls under roofs decorated by the stallholders. Music runs through the day: organ at 13:15 in the Stiftskirche, a concert most evenings in the Altes Schloss courtyard and tower brass on weekend nights.
Stuttgart-Marketing's Glanzlichter scheme has lit Königstraße every winter since 2018, so the walk up from the station already glows. For something other than a market, the Christmas Garden runs a two-kilometre light trail through the Wilhelma zoo and botanical garden from 18 November 2026 to 16 January 2027.
Worth knowing
- Pick a hotel near the Hauptbahnhof or the Schlossplatz and use the S-Bahn for Esslingen and Ludwigsburg.
- Remember the Stuttgart market ends on 23 December; plan Christmas Eve around a church or a restaurant booking.
Quick answers about Stuttgart
Is Stuttgart a good place to stay?
Stuttgart is the base that makes the rest of the Neckar work. Its own market spreads over four central squares from 25 November to 23 December 2026, and S-Bahn trains from the Hauptbahnhof reach Esslingen and Ludwigsburg, so you can sleep in one hotel and see three markets. Tübingen and Heidelberg are day trips by regional train.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby
