Whether you think it a marvel or a monstrosity, the 217m-high Fernsehturm is one of Stuttgart's most visible landmarks, with its needle-thin concrete spire poking up above the city. Built in 1956, it was the world's first TV tower and the prototype for all to come. It goes without saying...

　　Stuttgart's pride and joy is this central square, dominated by the exuberant three-winged Neues Schloss, an impressive, Versailles-inspired baroque palace that now houses government ministries. In summer, the square plays host to open-air concerts and festivals, such as the Sommerfest; in winter it twinkles festively with its enormous Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas...

　　Occupying a shimmering glass cube, this gallery presents high-calibre special exhibits alongside a permanent gallery filled with a prized collection of works by Otto Dix, Willi Baumeister and Stuttgart-born abstract artist Alfred Hölzel. For far-reaching views over the city, head up to the Cube cafe and restaurant. 　　Out front, the...

　　A terrific park for a wander right in the heart of the city, Stuttgart's sprawling Schlossgarten threads together the Mittlerer Schlossgarten, with its fine beer garden for summer imbibing, the sculpture-dotted Unterer Schlossgarten, and the Oberer Schlossgarten, home to stately landmarks such as the Staatstheater and the glass-fronted Landtag. ...

　　Architecture enthusiasts are thrilled by the recent opening of the Weissenhof Estate, following many years of restoration. Built in 1927 for the Deutscher Werkbund exhibition, the estate showcases the pioneering modern architecture of the age, bearing the clean aesthetic imprint of 17 prominent architects, among them Ludwig Mies van der...

　　The neoclassical-meets-contemporary Staatsgalerie bears British architect James Stirling’s curvy, colourful imprint. Alongside big-name exhibitions, the gallery harbours a stellar collection of European art from the 14th to the 21st centuries, and American post-WWII avant-gardists. Highlights include works by Miró, Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky and Klee. Special billing goes to masterpieces such...

　　Domed Schloss Solitude, perched above Stuttgart, was built in 1763 for Duke Karl Eugen of Württemberg as a hunting palace and summer residence. Blending rococo and neoclassical styles, it is a lavish confection, with an opulently frescoed, chandelier-lit, gilded interior: top billing goes to the pearly white, stucco-encrusted Weisse Saal...

　　To really slip under Stuttgart’s skin, mosey through one of the city’s lesser-known neighbourhoods. Walk south to Hans-im-Glück Platz, centred on a fountain depicting the caged Grimms' fairy-tale character Lucky Hans, and you’ll soon reach the boho-flavoured Bohnenviertel. A facelift has restored the neighbourhood’s cobbled lanes and gabled houses, which...