Esslingen is located in the Neckar Valley near Stuttgart. Behind it the Neckar becomes unnavigable upstream, and from Stuttgart to Esslingen endless factories, plants and power plants stretch along the river.
Therefore, despite the fact that the old city itself is pretty, you can easily replace it with another one. You can find the same well-preserved half-timbered house in less industrial places: in Tübingen, Bad Wimpfen, Besigheim, not to mention the Black Forest.
Ludwigsburg palace and gardens are not so well known. However, apart from Wilhelma, this is the most interesting place in the region. It is a must-see if you are staying in Stuttgart. In this post we see Ludwigsburg palace, gardens around, Favorit park up to Monrepos palace. I tell also about Ludwigsburg pumpkin festival.
Be sure to check if there are any extra activities. The city hosts a street music festival, while the park hosts musical fireworks and a great pumpkin festival.
Swabian Tuscany, this region was nicknamed for tourist purposes because of the warmer climate (here comes the air from the Rhine) and vineyards. Wine, perhaps, is not so good as along the Rhine, but in the end of October this section of the Castle Road becomes an independent destination.
In a not too rainy and cold autumn, all vineyards become bright, but not all are truly picturesque. For this you need a suitable relief – the most rugged hills possible.
If we speak about the castles on the Middle Rhine (Mittelrhein), we mean the section from Rüdesheim (slightly downstream from Mainz) to Bonn. From Rüdesheim to Koblenz, the banks converge, forming the Rhine Gorge. This section is also called the “Loreley Valley” (Tal der Loreley). There are many castles of varying degrees of destruction / restoration. We will go through all the castles, briefly tell what happened to them and whether there is something interesting inside.
Lake Constance (Bodensee) is one of the most favorite places of vacation. And this is its main drawback for everyone who wants to relax. For those who are not disturbed by the crowds of walking, skating, swimming and eating, there are a lot of advantages: clean water, equipped beaches and warm pools, water sports and entertainment, numerous asphalt roads for pedestrians and cyclists along the shore and between vineyards, delicious food, fresh trout from the lake, finally enough attractions if everything else gets bored.
Baden-Baden rose garden is called Rosenneuheitengarten – that is, rose’s novelties.
There is a garden above the Kurpark – straight from the Kurpark along the street, a rather steep climb. It is very difficult to get there by car along some strange narrow road. There is probably some more “human” road there, but newcomers to this city will have a lot of emotions trying to get to the garden and parks. You can park along the street near the garden, although this is not indicated anywhere. However, there are a lot of people who wish, and free places fly away immediately.
The zoo-botanical garden, unique in Germany, was built in Stuttgart in the middle of the 19th century for King William (Wilhelm) 1 of Württemberg. Therefore the name Wilhelma. About 9000 thousand animals are represented. Greenhouses are open to the public: among the most important are collections of orchids, magnolias (March), camellias (winter).
It would seem that over the years we have studied Wilhelma inside and out. And nevertheless, each visit brings at least small, but discoveries.
I think the previous topic has convincingly proved that Wilhelma is worth a visit for the sake of flowers alone. Now let’s add the animals as well. Map is on the end of the post.
From this section the Castle Road leaves the Neckar Valley and runs parallel to the A6 Autobahn towards Nuremberg. The three main attractions on this section are Sinsheim, Schwäbisch Hall and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. There are also a few smaller, lesser-known places along the way that are worth a visit. We also take a look at what’s to the south of the A6 Autobahn, covering the section from the Odenwald to the Black Forest and the region around Stuttgart. Top attraction is here Maulbronn.
Apart from Wilhelma, Stuttgart does not have many top sights or architecture. The city was badly damaged during the Second World War.
But if you happen to be here for a couple of days, you will not regret it. Stuttgart is a pretty city with a lot of parks and high hills all around. Children, and many adults alike, will be delighted with Wilhelma. Adults – with plenty of shops concentrated in the center and the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Without tiring yourself too much, you can explore the small center and relax in the thermal pool in the evening.
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