The relocation guide for people moving to Stuttgart, Germany.
This guide is written by the team of
Executive Suites Stuttgart,
who operate serviced apartments in the city.
New to Stuttgart, or still deciding whether it's right for you? Start with the basics: the apps that help from day one, what everyday life here is like, and where to live while you settle in.
Apps
Get ready to relocate to Stuttgart by loading up your cell phone with all the best Stuttgart apps. We've rounded up the most useful ones here!
9 min read
Culture
We help you prepare for your move by sharing things Americans have found surprising or difficult to get used to in Stuttgart.
7 min read
Housing
Fully furnished apartments in and around Stuttgart, ready to move in, with Internet and everything you need for everyday life in the city.
1 min read
How to get around Stuttgart: buses, trains and the U-Bahn, driving and renting a car, cycling, taxis, and the two airports.
Overview
Skip the traffic: Stuttgart's many ways to get around, from public transit and car sharing to bike and scooter rental.
4 min read
Public transit
Public urban transportation service in and around Stuttgart includes VVS buses, U-Bahn & S-Bahn. Learn more about the system and how to buy tickets.
3 min read
Driving
Ready to drive in the land of Porsche and Mercedes? We take you through the most important information about driving in Germany.
8 min read
The everyday things that work a little differently here: what to do when you're sick or injured, how to reach emergency services, and where to shop and order food.
Health
Germany has an excellent healthcare system, but it can feel a bit intimidating to navigate as a foreigner. Use this quick guide to get started!
3 min read
Shopping
We point out key shopping areas and offer a few tips regarding where to find certain products, how to pay, and the importance of planning for Sunday.
5 min read
Emergencies
Here's a quick guide to emergency services here in Stuttgart. The most important numbers are 112 for an ambulance or the fire department & 110 for the police.
2 min read
Once you have the keys, it's time to get connected and set up. These guides walk you through home internet, phone plans, mail and packages, and Germany's famous waste sorting.
Internet
Avoid getting locked into the wrong home Internet contract! This guide takes you through the most important questions to consider.
7 min read
Sending and receiving mail and packages in Germany: carriers, Packstations, and how to make sure your package arrives.
5 min read
Phone
If you've never lived abroad, dealing with phone numbers from multiple countries at once can be confusing. Here's a primer to make things easy!
3 min read
Stuttgart is more than work and errands. Find pools and mineral baths, local sports teams, classical music, riding and fishing.
Swimming
There are plenty of swimming pools and mineral baths in Stuttgart, perfect if you want to cool off, warm up, get fit, relax, or play with the kids!
7 min read
Sports
Stuttgart was named European capital of sport in 2007. Soccer is the favorite, with American football, basketball, and ice hockey too.
3 min read
Carnival
Fasnet, Fasching, or maybe Karneval? Learn more about this holiday in different parts of Germany as well as what to look forward to in Stuttgart.
4 min read
Coming to Stuttgart on orders? Find your first week on TDY, the PCS steps in order and who to ask. Official rules are checked and dated.
TDY
Your first week on TDY in Stuttgart: a plain order of questions for reporting, lodging, getting around and who to ask.
5 min read
PCS
The order of steps for a PCS move to Stuttgart: orders, sponsor, check in, housing, driver's license, schools, pets and move in.
5 min read
Offices
Who to ask in Stuttgart on TDY or PCS orders: the first contact and office for service members, DoD civilians, contractors and families.
3 min read
Lodging
Temporary lodging in Stuttgart on TDY, TLA or TQSA: a checklist for before you arrive, your first days, questions to ask and documents to keep.
7 min read
Furniture
Stuttgart gives you plenty of furniture shopping options, from flat-pack convenience to boutique craftsmanship or secondhand finds.
3 min read
Airports
Frankfurt Airport often has cheaper, more direct flights than Stuttgart. How to get there and find your way around FRA.
6 min read
What matters in Stuttgart at this time of year. This section changes with the season.
Christmas markets: from Nov 25
The Christmas market in Stuttgart is one of the largest and oldest in Europe. Enjoy festive food and activities, and get your gift shopping done!
Winter tires
In wintry conditions your car needs winter tires or all-season tires with the Alpine symbol. Most drivers switch from October to Easter.
Christmas markets: from Nov 24
The Christmas market in the center of Esslingen is unique and a wonderful experience since it's also a medieval market.
Stuttgart is a city that offers a wide variety of interesting sights and activities.
Sights
Here's a small selection of places to visit in Stuttgart and the surrounding areas. All sights include a link to the website and a link to Google Maps.
1 min read
Towns
There are a lot of beautiful towns in the Southwest of Germany which you can easily reach from Stuttgart. Here are a few examples that are worth a visit.
1 min read
Day trips
Plan a trip to the Black Forest: traditional culture, food and drink, and the region's best outdoor activities and sights.
12 min read
Festivals, markets and what is on in and around Stuttgart.
Nov 11 to 15, 2026
See Olympic, World and European champions compete in the Stuttgart German Masters, an international riding competition and horse show.
Nov 18, 2026 to Jan 16, 2027
Escape to a winter wonderland at the annual Christmas Garden at the Wilhelma Zoo. The grounds are transformed by holiday illuminations every evening.
Nov 18, 2026 to Jan 6, 2027
Stuttgart's Wintertraum transforms the Schlossplatz into a winter scene with a roller skating rink and seasonal treats.
Stuttgart has 23 city districts (Stadtbezirke). Tap one to read about it and see what we cover there.
Stuttgart-Mitte is the city's center and its stage: the Schlossplatz with the Old and New Palaces, the Königstraße for shopping, the main station, the opera and the market hall. The main museums and institutions sit here, so this is what most visitors see first. It is the reference point every other district is measured against.
Our guides here
District boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Stuttgart-Mitte is the city's center and its stage: the Schlossplatz with the Old and New Palaces, the Königstraße for shopping, the main station, the opera and the market hall. The main museums and institutions sit here, so this is what most visitors see first. It is the reference point every other district is measured against.
Our guides: Schlossplatz · Markthalle · City Library · Parks: Schlossgarten
Stuttgart-Nord climbs the hillsides above the center, and many of its streets look out over the whole city basin. It pairs quiet residential areas around the Höhenpark Killesberg with the Nordbahnhof quarter, right next to the modern Europaviertel and the cube-shaped city library. The Weißenhof estate from 1927 is a milestone of modern architecture.
Our guides: Parks: Höhenpark Killesberg
Stuttgart-Ost stretches from the edge of the center up into the vineyards, from old quarters like Berg, Gablenberg and Gaisburg to newer streets on the heights. The Ostendplatz is its meeting point, and the Villa Berg park crowns the district. It feels urban, but lived-in and relaxed.
Our guides: Parks: Uhlandshöhe
Stuttgart-Süd lies between the center and the Filder heights, with the Marienplatz at its heart and the Karlshöhe viewpoint above. Steep lanes, old wine-growers' houses and small vineyards give it a village edge. The historic rack railway starts here on its way up to Degerloch, and a funicular from the Südheimer Platz climbs to the Waldfriedhof forest cemetery.
Our guides: Marienplatzfest
Stuttgart-West wraps around the western slope of the city basin. The Feuersee with its lakeside church and the streets along the Rotebühlstraße give it a character of their own, and the forests of the Rotwildpark and Solitude reach right into the district. Expect steep streets and a lot of stairs.
Our guides: Solitude Palace · Parks: Birkenkopf
Zuffenhausen is Porsche country: the company headquarters, the main plant and the Porsche Museum all stand here in the north of Stuttgart. Behind the industrial fame sits an old town that became part of the city in 1931, with its own center and quiet residential hills. The S-Bahn reaches the city center in minutes.
Our guides: Porsche Museum
Feuerbach is a working district with deep industrial roots, home to a major Bosch plant since 1910. Just north of the center, it has a down-to-earth center of its own and the Lemberg hill for views. The Killesberg park with its gardens and tower is right on the doorstep.
Weilimdorf in the northwest has kept the feel of a small town, even though it has been part of Stuttgart since 1933. Half-timbered houses around the old village center sit next to modern commercial areas, and the S-Bahn links it directly to the city. It suits people who want suburbia without leaving Stuttgart.
Stammheim is Stuttgart's northernmost district and still looks like a village among the fertile loess fields of the Langen Feld. Many people know the name from the high-security prison and the RAF trials of the 1970s. Farms, orchards and farm shops still shape the landscape on the road toward Kornwestheim.
Botnang sits on the heights between Feuerbach and Vaihingen, almost completely surrounded by forest. The former wine-growers' and washermen's village keeps a busy center with a Saturday weekly market, and its mascot is the cuckoo: the Kuckucksweg hiking trail loops 10.5 kilometers around the district.
Bad Cannstatt is the oldest and most populous of Stuttgart's districts, a town in its own right with a spa heritage: its mineral springs still feed public baths today. The Cannstatter Wasen hosts the famous Volksfest beer festival, the MHPArena is home to VfB Stuttgart, and the Wilhelma zoo sits on the Neckar.
Our guides: Wilhelma Zoo · Mercedes-Benz Museum · Cannstatter Volksfest
Mühlhausen lies where the Neckar valley opens toward the north, with an old village core on one bank and vineyards climbing the other. The Max-Eyth-See, a lake on the river, is one of Stuttgart's favorite summer spots for walks, cycling and pedal boats. It feels half wine village, half riverside suburb.
Our guides: Parks: Max-Eyth-See
Münster is the smallest of Stuttgart's 23 districts, framed by the Neckar and vineyards. It lies on the river between Bad Cannstatt and Mühlhausen, with vines climbing the Schnarrenberg and a water playground on the bank. The professional BMX supercross track adds an unexpected sporting note.
Wangen clings to the left bank of the Neckar between Stuttgart-Ost and Untertürkheim and still feels like a separate village. Narrow lanes, vineyards on the slopes and an old market square set a small-town rhythm, while the U-Bahn reaches the center in minutes.
Untertürkheim is Mercedes-Benz: the company headquarters and its historic main plant shape the district on the right bank of the Neckar. Above the factory halls, vineyards rise toward Rotenberg and its hilltop mausoleum chapel, the Grabkapelle. Few places show Stuttgart's mix of industry, wine and river as clearly.
Obertürkheim and its hilltop village of Uhlbach form Stuttgart's easternmost district, and wine is the local pride. The slopes above the Neckar are covered in vineyards, and Uhlbach keeps its wine-growing traditions alive with a viniculture museum and seasonal Besen taverns. It is one of the greenest corners of the city.
Hedelfingen lies southeast on the left bank of the Neckar and is known for Stuttgart's river harbor, its wine and its historic churches. Wine has been pressed here for centuries: the village wine press house, the Kelter, was designed by the Renaissance architect Heinrich Schickhardt around 1600. The hamlet of Rohracker keeps a rural pace.
Degerloch sits high on the plateau south of the center and is reached by the historic rack railway, the Zacke. Its landmark is the Fernsehturm of 1956, the world's first television tower of its kind, and the Waldau sports grounds come with wide views over the basin. Wine still grows on its slopes.
Our guides: TV Tower
Vaihingen is Stuttgart's largest district by area and its university quarter: the main campus of the University of Stuttgart spreads through the Pfaffenwald here. The old village center keeps its own shops and character, and the Schwabengalerie mall covers everyday needs. Students, researchers and families share the streets.
Home of Patch Barracks.
Our guides: US military in Stuttgart · Vaihinger Herbst
Möhringen on the Filder plain combines a half-timbered village core with newer neighborhoods and two small lakes, the Riedsee and the Probstsee. The SI-Centrum with its musical theaters draws visitors from the whole region. Five U-Bahn lines meet at Möhringen Bahnhof, and the U6 runs directly to the airport.
Home of Kelley Barracks.
Our guides: US military in Stuttgart
Plieningen is Stuttgart's southernmost district, on the Filder plain between the city and the airport. Its pride is Hohenheim: an 18th-century palace with its gardens, home to the University of Hohenheim. Despite the trade fair and the runways next door, the village core around the old church stays calm.
Birkach is one of Stuttgart's smallest districts, a village on the Filder plain just north of Plieningen. The city itself calls it an idyllic village suburb where little of the big-city bustle arrives, although the airport and the city are both close. Half-timbered houses and fields at its edges keep the rural look.
Sillenbuch spreads across the Filder plateau in the south, and about a third of the district is forest: its name comes from its beech stands. It includes Heumaden, with a church from around 1500, and the younger Riedenberg, where part of the Eichenhain nature and recreation area lies. Most of the housing is postwar.