Leisure tips for the Stuttgart region
Whether it's a hip-hop festival or an award-winning opera house, a castle festival or a musical - the Stuttgart region is at the top of the German cultural metropolises. The region is also a gourmet paradise under the stars and Stuttgart is one of the greenest cities in Europe. Just a short S-Bahn ride from the state capital, nature lovers will find the impressive mountain landscapes of the Swabian Alb biosphere area, vineyards and idyllic swimming lakes.
Would you like even more variety? Here you will find lots of leisure tips - from the all-time classics to real insider tips among the excursion ideas.
Use the interactive map to find exciting excursion destinations near you.
Esslingen district
Hikes at the volcano crater
With a diameter of over 1,2 kilometers, the Randecker Maar is the largest crater in the Urach-Kirchheimer volcanic area. The striking boulders, together with the picturesque, old trees, give the maar its special landscape character. The nature reserve invites you to go for hikes in the park-like pasture landscape. You can take the main hiking trail of the Swabian Alb Association along the ...
Raised moor in the Swabian Alb
The Schopflocher peat bog near Lenningen is the only larger raised bog in the Swabian Alb. North of Schopfloch, nature enthusiasts can explore this unique landscape. The vegetation, with its many bushes and forests, is completely atypical for the Swabian Alb. The peat bog lies at an altitude of 750 meters and is...
View from the Albtrauf
The Breitenstein is an 811 meter high rock plateau near Ochsenwang in the municipality of Bissingen an der Teck. The rocky outcrop made of White Jura rock is located on the northern edge of the Swabian Alb directly on the Albtrauf. The 200 meter wide plateau of the Breitenstein offers a fabulous view of the surrounding area as far as Stuttgart. A small cable car leads...
Bees, fish and lots of birds
The Nymphaea Zoo in Esslingen is a volunteer-run animal and nature park that was founded in 1905. Around 600 animals live there: including numerous birds such as parrots, parakeets, eagle owls and chickens, reptiles such as snakes and turtles of all kinds, fresh and saltwater fish, beavers, ponies and bees. Nymphaea Park is home to more than 1.000...
Herb as far as the eye can see
The “Kraut and Rüben” cycle tour leads from Denkendorf via Plattenhardt and Bonlanden, past Stuttgart Airport, over the Filder plain with its numerous cabbage fields and back to Denkendorf. On the three and a half hour journey you can make stops at the “Fildorado” swimming pool in Bonlanden or the historic monastery complex in Denkendorf. In the numerous farm shops...
Nature and poems
The “Farmers and Poets” bike tour combines rural life with well-known poets from the Stuttgart region. The two and a half hour tour begins in the old town of Nürtingen and leads over hills and orchards to Beuren. In the open-air museum there you can experience historical everyday life on a farm. The circular route goes back through the Tiefenbachtal...
In the footsteps of Caesar
The Roman Park in Köngen was opened in 1988 on the site of an old Roman military camp. It consists of a museum and a freely accessible archaeological park. Remains from the Roman period can be found throughout the site, such as stone monuments and statues. The Roman complex, along with its walls, was built in 1911 by the Swabian Alb Association...
Digital puzzle run in nature
The “Quizpedition” circular hiking trail leads through the Esslingen districts of Hegensberg, Liebersbronn, Kimmichsweiler and Oberhof. With the smartphone app “DigiWalk” you can access background information on the individual districts in the form of photos and texts at ten stations. For example, the Kimmichersweiler “Schlößle”, the alpaca farm in Oberhof and the old schoolhouse in Liebersbronn are explained. ...
Art in a quiet place
Anyone who visits Plochingen should not miss a special place: “Les Toilettes” is a public toilet block designed by the Alsatian graphic artist and illustrator Tomi Ungerer. Very close to the Hundertwasser house “Regenturm” is the quiet little place that attracts everyone's attention: it is already in strong green and purple tones...