Stuttgart’s List
The German city
might be the automobile capital but it is also the hub of eclectic cultural
landscape and heritage
Standing at the top of the hill at the Burgholzhof, a
19th century observation tower, Stuttgart seemed blissful and contented, with
vineyards and the city comfortably intertwined. And yet, down below, it was
quite a different perspective altogether.
Wine and vineyards were closely associated with
Stuttgart’s history, which in turn hinged on its geography. The city itself
went back to 600 BC, a sought-after place owing to its lush fertility on
account of resting in the Neckar river valley. But it got its current name only
in 10th century AD when the Duke of Swabia (region in southern Germany with
Stuttgart as its centre) established his stud farm and the area came to be
known as Stuotgarten or Stutengarten, meaning mare’s garden, which was
gradually shortened to Stuttgart. It rapidly rose in prominence to ultimately
become the capital of the Wurttemberg kingdom, suffered losses and destruction
at various times including Allied bombing but bounced back to become the centre
of the automobile industry and a leader in several others.
Up until a couple of centuries ago, the whole area
was carpeted in vineyards and greenery, with innumerable flights of steps and
stairs facilitating access to the terraces on the undulating land. As the
vineyards slowly disappeared to make way for the growing city, the steps
(Stuttgarter staffele or Stuttgart’s steps) remained and continue to form an
important part of the city’s heritage. According to estimates, there are
anywhere between 400 and 500 flights of stairs and it is said that climbing all
of them will equal a staggering 20 km in length!
It was these aspects, which lay a bit beneath the
surface and seemed to form Stuttgart’s soul, that fascinated me. Back in the
centre of the city, the Schlossplatz, the largest square in the city was
buzzing with people. A favourite meeting place, it housed the Neues Schloss or
New Palace, a sprawling 18th century Baroque structure. It seemed a bit
intimidating, and not at all like the lovely Altes Schloss or Old Castle, a
10th century building which was ranged around a cosy central courtyard with an
imposing statue of Count Eberhard on a horse surrounded by with arcades,
balconies and Renaissance motifs. But Konigstrasse, the King’s Street, which
led off the Schlossplatz, was full of buzzing cafes and restaurants.
Beer & More
Stuttgart’s reputation as the city of automobiles was
personified by the Mercedes-Benz and the Porsche Museums, but I chose instead
to wander around the rather strange Schweine Museum or Pig Museum. An essential
component of Swabian cuisine, pork went back a long way but everything about
the museum was cheesily excessive and yet incredibly fun too. It was housed in
a former slaughterhouse and was a glorious mishmash of over 50,000 articles
from all over the world spread over two floors separated by various themes.
I got a different kind of local experience at the
Cannstatter Volksfest, the annual harvest festival held during autumn at the
Wasen grounds. A 35-acre funfair and carnival, the festival grounds had several
joy rides, games, shops, activity areas and food stands selling a variety of
food though the aroma of frying bratwurst (German sausage) overrode everything
else. However, the biggest attraction was the seven massive beer tents, each
with the capacity to seat anywhere between 1,800 and 5,200, prompting people to
label the fest Stuttgart Beer Festival. The tents pulsated with live bands and
were bursting with people drinking beer accompanied by local burgers and
sausages, singing along, jiving and stamping their feet on tables.
If the wild night at the Volkfest was all about high
spirits, the neighbourhood of Waldenbuch, south of Stuttgart, was bucolic. Red
roofed houses lay in clusters amidst lush green rolling meadows and sweeping
farms on undulating countryside interspersed by clumps of trees. At the heart
of Waldenbuch was Ritter Sport, the renowned century-old chocolate brand.
Though the factory was off limits to visitors, my focus was on the interactive
Choco Exhibition which highlighted the history of the brand itself and
explained how some of the more popular chocolates were made, such as the
squares with yogurt filling. This, together with the sprawling store with
discounted chocolates, put me on a high much stronger than the Volkfest.
Back in Stuttgart and famished, I headed to
Markthalle, the covered market near the Schlossplatz housed in an Art Noveau
building with stunning murals on the facade. I headed to the stall specialising
in the Swabian dish maultsachen, a large pasta pocket filled with minced meat,
spinach and herbs. I had fallen in love with the dish during my time in
Stuttgart but my interest was piqued when my guide told me it was called the
‘little God-cheater’ and had been invented in the Maulbronn Monastery just
outside the city.
Intrigued by the story, I headed out to see the
monastery and was quite taken aback to come upon a sprawling church complex.
The central courtyard was massive, around which were ranged a variety of
ancient halftimbered buildings set up for various purposes such as storage and
stables, as well as towering turreted walls and gigantic arched gates. But the
main attraction was the Abbey, an 850-year-old Romanesque church with Gothic
elements and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Back in Stuttgart, it was tempting to soak up the
buzz of the Schlossplatz, but I wanted something a little more serene so I
headed West for about a mile to the Feuersee, literally fire lake. Flanked by
narrow avenues with tall trees on either side, it was a beautiful water body
with a stunning neo-Gothic church on its banks. Dedicated to St John, the mid
19th century church was striking in appearance as well as for the Gothic
elements on its facade. It was almost entirely destroyed in World War II and
subsequently rebuilt but without the original towering spire and hence was also
wryly referred to as the ‘church without the tip.’ As the sun completely
disappeared, I slowly weaved my way back to Schlossplatz where the buzz had
gone up several notches and the night vibe was electric. All around me I could
feel the different aspects of Stuttgart mesh and overlap, which seemed like the
perfect picture of the city.
Anita Rao-Kashi
ETM 4MAR18
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