It was THE scandal that shook the art world last October. At a regular auction at Sotheby’s something not so regular happened: Right after an artwork created by the anonym street artist Banksy got sold for quite some money, it destroyed itself. Well, nearly destroyed itself I should say: The artist has hidden a shredder in the frame and right after the hammer came down, so did the picture. But only halfway, leaving the top of the painting untouched while the lower half hangs down in pieces under the frame.

What a scandal! And what an installation! The so created new piece of art got a new name right away: Love is in the Bin.

Banksy in Stuttgart – A masterpiece or just a hype?

Banksy has never revealed his true identity. And he is known to be quite skeptical when it comes to the art scene. His newest trick can definitely be seen as a statement against the monetarization of art in general. But it also inspires questions and discussions:

• Why did the picture not get destructed completely? Was it really just a coincidence (a weak battery?) or was the real motive maybe to create a new piece of art in one of the boldest stunts in nowadays art history?
• Is this new artwork a new masterpiece or just an object of a world wide hype?
• Are the eyes of the girl, which are hidden behind the frame, a symbol of the anonym artist?
• Does it need stunts like this to create artworks in our time and to get recognized as an artist?
• When everybody likes to show his or her face on social media today, does it need a counter movement where artists hide their identities like Banksy is doing it?
• …

If you want to see the half-shredded picture by yourself you can do so at Staatsgalerie Stuttgart from now on for at least one year. But you will have to find it first as the museum will change the position of the artwork every eight weeks. The idea behind that: “Love is in the Bin” has to stand up to old masterpieces and the different locations and especially the contrast to the paintings it will hang next to should inspire discussions.

And here comes an insider tip: You can visit Staatsgalerie Stuttgart for free every Wednesday! And kids as well as teens up to 20 years enter the museum for free anyway. Definitely something Banksy would like 🙂

More information

Banksy in Stuttgart at Staatsgalerie Stuttgart

Banksy’s post on Instragram about the installation

more about Staatsgalerie Stuttgart

Transparency: Unpaid advertisement as I did not get paid by Staatsgalerie (nor Banksy ;-)) to write this post. As a journalist and blogger I was invited to the press conference on March 7. The opinion shared in this post is my own.

The post Love is in the Bin – Banksy in Stuttgart appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

Kurpark Bad Cannstatt consists of two separate areas, the upper and the lower park. The beautiful Kurhaus (Spa Hall) links both parts together. This is the perfect starting point for your visit as the U-Bahn stop “Kursaal” is located right here.

The Kursaal was created between 1825 and 1835. It took so long because of financial problems. Only because King Wilhelm I invested in the project, the Kursaal could be completed after all. That’s why you can find the statue of the king in front of the building nowadays.

The lower part of Kurpark Bad Cannstatt stretches out in front of the Kursaal and is also the older park. It’s creation began in 1819 when a straw hut and a pavilion were created at Wilhelmsquelle, the mineral spring that feeds Mineralbad Cannstatt until today.

The design of the lower Kurpark Bad Cannstatt follows a strict geometric layout. The main angle leads directly to Kursaal. The alley is designed in neoclassicism. When you stroll around this part of the park you will pass several statues and fountains. The “Lautenschlägerbrunnen” (the left picture showing the statue of the boy with a lute) is even fed by mineral water.

The lower Kurpark Bad Cannstatt is nice but my favorite is definitely the upper part of the park! And it is still a hidden gem with the one or other historical fun fact. More about that later.

Created in the more natural English Style, the upper Kurpark Bad Cannstatt features winding paths that are passing beautiful old trees and a big lawn.

I actually fell in love with the little pavilion that oversees the lawn. Sooo pretty!

But there is more about this park than its beauty. At upper Kurpark Bad Cannstatt you actually find the garage where Gottfried Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach invented the first sprinting motor in 1883 and the first light sprinting motor for vehicles, the so-called “grandfather clock”,  in 1885! Isn’t that cool?! The garage (don’t be astonished, it doesn’t look like a normal garage because it used to be a garden house before Daimler turned it into his workshop) houses a museum nowadays. Entrance is free but check the opening times before you go.

Kurpark Bad Cannstatt is a beautiful park that is well worth a visit – especially during the summer when all the flowers are blooming!

You can get to Kurpark Bad Cannstatt easily via public transport. The closest U-Bahn station is Kursaal.

More information about:

Kursaal Bad Cannstatt (only in German)

Daimler memorial

The post Summersightseeing: Kurpark Bad Cannstatt appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

Höhenpark Killesberg with kids

Let’s start with the family fun: One of the main attractions at Höhenpark Killesberg is the 381-millimetre (15-inch) narrow-gauge Killesberg railway. Kids love it! Two diesel and two steam locomotives runs around the main area of the park and offer nice views. 

At Eliszi’s Jahrmarktstheater you and you kids can celebrate the good old times. Historical fun rides like a swing boat and a merry-go-round as well as food stands that are offering snacks and sweets await you.

After your kids took turns on the wooden horses they probably want to pet some real animals. No problem because at Höhenpark Killesberg you also find a petting zoo!

And then, there is the playground:

Bring a picnic blanket, snacks and a football, too. It is lovely to sit in the shade of the old trees and the young ones will love to turn the grass into a soccer (or whatever sport you like 🙂 ) field.

The beauty of Höhenpark Killesberg

As grown-ups you can still enjoy a ride with the mini trains or pet the animals but there is more. Höhenpark Killesberg is especially known for its flowers. And they are truly stunning. In spring, you can marvel at the primulas. During summer it’s blooming everywhere, especially at the lake terraces. In autumn you can vote for the most stunning dahlia and even in winter the ericas make this park worth a visit. And the Valley of the Roses (Tal der Rosen) is a treat by itself.

If you like art, you can look for 25 statues and objects which you can find all over the park.

The ones brave at heart without fear of heights can climb the Killesberg Tower. 174 stairs lead up to the top which is located 400 meters above sea level. It’s worth the climb, the view is amazing!

Moreover, there is a public pool next to the park as well as an open air stage where you can visit concerts in summer AND you can do sports with Sport im Park (the open air yoga at Valley of the Roses is amazing!!) on the grass. But if all you need is peace of mind, Höhenpark Killesberg is also the place you want to go. Wandering through the hidden corners of the park and underneath the old trees is like forest bathing – in the city! 🙂

Some more fun facts about Höhenpark Killesberg:

• The park stretches over half a square kilometre.
• It used to be a quarry. You can still see the rest of it at Valley of the Roses.
• The quarry was turned into a park in 1939, when Stuttgart hosted a horticultural show.
• Stuttgart trade fair used to be located at the beginning of the park, next to the U-Bahn station, until 2007.
• Every summer the beautiful Lichterfest (Festival of Lights) is hosted in the park. Its main attraction is the firework above the tower.

More information about:

Free Brochure of the park (only in German but with a map)

Killesberg railway (only in German)

Eliszi’s Jahrmarkttheater

Open air stage (only in German)

Killesberg Tower (only in German)

How to get there?

The U 5 stopps right before where the park starts at the station “Killesberg”

The post Summer Sightseeing: Höhenpark Killesberg appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

Max-Eyth-See dates back to 1935 and is located in Stuttgart-Hofen, next to the Neckar. It used to be a gravel pit but nowadays it is a nature reserve and a lovely recreational area.

You can walk around the 600 meter long lake and even take a stroller with you as the paths are flat and easy. Riding a bike or taking inline skates however is only permitted during the week, not on weekends. The park next to Max-Eyth-See invites you to sit down and relax for a while – or to be active and play football or such 🙂 If you want to get on the water you can hire a row-boat, pedal-boat or electric-boat. And if you’re into birds you can bring our binoculars and observe birds such as grey herons, coots and cormorants.

You will find two restaurants at the lake: “Haus am See” and “Treffpunkt am See”. Moreover, on the peninsula in the lake sits a small beer garden that even has a sand beach (but please mind that swimming in Max-Eyth-See is not permitted).

You can reach Max-Eyth-See by public transport. The U-Bahn stations “Wagrainäcker”, “Max-Eyth-See” and “Hofen” are located right next to the lake and the surrounding parks. If you’ve got the chance, visit Max-Eyth-See during the week as it is crowded here on the weekend.

More information about:

Boat hire at Max-Eyth-See (only in German)

Haus am See (only in German)

Treffpunkt am See (only in German)

Biergarten at Max-Eyth-See (only in German)

The post Summer Sightseeing: Max-Eyth-See appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

As Stuttgart is located in a valley there are many great lookouts all around the city. I’ve already pointed out Birkenkopf aka Monte Scherbelino in my Fun Fact Friday series. Today I want to introduce Karlshöhe in Stuttgart-South to you.

A good starting point for your trip to Karlshöhe is the U-Bahn station Marienplatz or, even closer, the bus stop Mörikestraße. You will have to walk uphill until you enter the park – and then some more uphill :-).

Don’t be astonished to see a vineyard to your right, it belongs to the city of Stuttgart and is what’s left of an even greater one that existed until the end of the 19th century.

Karlshöhe is known to many locals because of the beer garden Tschechen & Söhne on top of it. A visit there is a treat. The view  is amazing.

After a refreshing drink at the beer garden you can continue your walk. If you follow the trail behind the beer garden downhill you will pass a pretty fountain, the Pallas-Athene-Fountain. It features Athene, Pandora, Prometheus and the head of Zeus.

When you continue downhill you will reach a pretty playground that is located where the old stone quarry used to be. The perfect spot for some fun hours with the kids.

If you’re interested in the history of Karlshöhe, here come some fun facts:

• The hill was called “Reinsburghügel” in earlier days. In honor of King Karl, it was changed to Karlshöhe in 1889.
• Rumor has it that there might have been a castle on top of Karlshöhe in medieval times. But that has never been proven.
• There used to be a stone quarry in the 13th and 14th century. Many buildings in Stuttgart were built with sandstone from here, for example Stiftskirche in downtown Stuttgart.
• After the quarry has shut down in the 19th century the hill had become wild and overgrown. The Embellishment Club Stuttgart (Verschönerungsverein) bought land on top of the hill in 1864 and created a public park from where the citizens of Stuttgart could enjoy the view.
• A project that luckily never went into the making came from the Nazis: they wanted to create a huge building for their radio station “Reichssender Stuttgart” on top of the hill, looking like the Acropolis in Athens…

More information about:

Karlshöhe

Verschönerungsverein Stuttgart (only in German)

Beer garden Tschechen & Söhne (only in German)

The post Summer Sightseeing: Karlshöhe in Stuttgart appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

The new museum Stadtpalais Stuttgart is located close to the U-Bahn Station Charlottenplatz (for more information about the public transport in Stuttgart click here), in the building that is also known under the name “Wilhelmspalais” because King Wilhelm II used to live here. Therefore, even the outer shell of the new museum is an important part of Stuttgart’s history.

For the opening, the museum has been decorated with paper puppets that are illuminated during the night. The puppets symbolise the people of Stuttgart who climb the building in order to finally get into their new museum. A very cute idea and quite a nice sight 🙂

The Stadtpalais Stuttgart offers free admission to the permanent as well as to the special exhibition until April 22. The permanent exhibition “Stuttgarter Stadtgeschichte(n)” (Stories from Stuttgart’s history) is located on the first floor. Here you find information and selected exhibits that explain Stuttgart’s history from mid-1800 up to now. The heart of the permanent exhibition of Stadtpalais Stuttgart and the starting point of your journey into the past is a media-projected model of Stuttgart that shows the topography of the city.

From here you have access to the two “Jahrhundert-Räume” (century spaces) that’ll give you a chronological narrative of the city’s history . The presentation is rounded off with a chronicle of the city’s history from the earliest times. And don’t worry if you don’t understand German. Every exhibit is explained in English, too.

The special exhibition “Sound of Stuttgart” is located on the top floor of Stadtpalais Stuttgart. Here you can experiment with the different sound that can be found in a city like Stuttgart. It’s quite fun actually!

Kids are invited to build their own city in the exhibition “Stadtlabor” (City Lab) on the garden floor, the lowest floor of Stadtpalais Stuttgart. I saw children with helmets building huge towers and having much fun knocking them down with wrecking balls afterwards 🙂

Next to the exhibitions there’s also a coffee shop, located on the ground floor, that is open to the public Thursday to Sunday between 10 am and 10 pm.

The permanent exhibition will remain free of charge, even after April 22. The special exhibitions will cost 5 Euro. Kids and teens under the age of 18 have free admission to the exhibitions.

More information about:

Stadtpalais Stuttgart

The post A museum for our city: Stadtpalais Stuttgart appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

The Weissenhofmuseum is located in the Weissenhofsiedlung (Weissenhof Estate) in the north of Stuttgart. The estate was planned and constructed as a architectonic exhibition of the Deutscher Werkbund (German Association of Craftsmen) in 1927. The exhibition’s goal was to present a prototype of future workers’ housing. Instantly the estate became a manifest of modern architecture. The 21 houses were built in only 21 weeks due to the usage of new materials and the high level of prefabrication. With the construction of the Weissenhofsiedlung begun a new era of architecture. The 17 participating architects, amongst them famous names like Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, turned their backs to rich decorations and other romantic gadgets and embraced simplified facades, practical solutions and open plan interiors.

What makes Weissenhofmuseum in Stuttgart such a special place?

“But what makes this museum so special?” you might ask now. The Weissenhofmuseum is located right in one of the original buildings, planned by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. It is in fact the only building that is open to the public, the others got either destroyed during World War II or are private property. One part of the house hosts the actual museum. Here you can get information about the 1927 exhibition and the history of the estate. The other part of the house got restorated and is now an accessible exhibit. The rooms are in the exact state as they were in 1927. Visiting this part of the museum feels like stepping back in time. In Le Corbusier’s “transformable flat” everything had to be functional and practical, like in a train cabin. Some of the walls can be moved and – like in a sleeper cabin – the bed disappears in a wardrobe during the day. Thus, the numbers of living- and bedrooms were flexible.

This sort of interior design and architecture might seem quite normal for us today but in the late 20s it was a huge revolution. That’s why Le Corbusier didn’t only have fans in those days. Some complained about the lack of cozyness, others couldn’t imagine living in the constricted rooms. During the Third Reich, the regime even planned to break down the settlement as it didn’t fit in their old-fashioned, traditional idea of architecture. Luckily, that never happened.

And here’s a little extra on top of all this information. Make sure you put the Weissenhofmuseum in Stuttgart on top of your bucket list because you surely don’t want to miss a UNESCO World Heritage Site, do you? Yep, it’s true, the two Le Corbusier houses got listed by UNESCO in July 2016. And if all this didn’t convince you, you might still like this place because you’ve got an amazing view over Stuttgart from the roof terrace! 🙂

More information about:

Weissenhofmuseum

The post Why Weissenhofmuseum in Stuttgart is a very special museum appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

The campaign is called “Hitzefrei” – a reference to the fact that school kids in Germany are allowed to go home when it’s getting to hot in summer. When the thermometer climbs up to 25 degrees Celsius (which equals 77 degrees Fahrenheit), the Landesmuseum (State Museum) offers free entry to everybody.

At Landesmuseum Württemberg you can explore the history of Baden-Württemberg, starting at the Stone Age. The museum was established by King William I in 1862 as a “state collection of national antiquities”. The Museum of Decorative Arts was merged into the museum in the 60s, which has been housed in Stuttgart’s old castle since 1969.

More information:

Hitzefrei at Landesmuseum Württemberg

The post Free entry to Landesmuseum Württemberg in August! appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

I suggest starting your Stuttgart city center tour at the main station. This might be the place where you pick up your visitors anyway, plus it is very central and easy to find. Local fun fact: The little crèpes stand at the beginning of Königstraße, right next to the stairs leading down to the S- and U-Bahn is THE meeting spot for locals! But if you’re in doubt whether your friends might find it, you can also choose the office of the tourist information I-Punkt on the other side of the stairs.

• Start your tour with a panorama view. Simply climb the 300+ stairs of the train station tower and enjoy the view. You can even point out the sights you will visit next. This treat is even free of charge!

• It is only a short stroll from the main station into the park and over to the historic opera house. Fun facts to impress your visitor: The Stuttgarter Staatstheater are a multi-branch-theatre, including the opera, the drama theater and the famous Stuttgart ballett. It was built between 1909 and 1912. The original drama theater got destroyed in WWII and a new building is home of the theater now on the very same spot. The opera however is one of the few opera houses that survived the bombs. Don’t miss the art nouveau fountain on the left of the opera house. It is dedicated to opera singer Anna Sutter who got killed by her lover in 1910. It is called Schicksalsbrunnen (fountain of fate) and symbolizes the ups and downs of life.

• We move on towards Neues Schloss. Fun facts concerning the New Palace: When duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg came to Stuttgart in 1744 to assume his throne he demanded a new residence and even threatened to move to Ludwigsburg if he would not get what he asked for. Thus, Neues Schloss was built. The cornerstone was laid in 1746 and the residence was completed in 1807. Nowadays the palace contains government offices and is only open to the public on special occasions.

• When we are standing in front of Neues Schloss, we are already at Schlossplatz. Fun facts: The square was built to host military parades and was not open to the public at first. The square was redesigned in 1977 to host a Bundesgartenschau. It is home to baroque gardens, two beautiful fountains, the jubilee pillar with goddess Concordia and the little music-pavillion that makes a great picture motive.

• From Schlossplatz we see our next stop already glittering in the sun: The Kunstmuseum hosts contemporary and modern art and was built in 2005. Fun facts: Even though it doesn’t look that big from the outside, a tunnel system streches its display space to 5000 m²! The plans of building were looked at controversial by the people of Stuttgart because the beloved Freitreppen had to move for the construction. Eventually, a compromise was found and thus there are still stairs next to the glass cube where you can see people sitting and chatting on warm summer days. By the way, the restaurant on top of the museum offers amazing views and is also open for coffee and tea during the day!

• We follow Planie road and turn right where we arrive at Schillerplatz. Fun facts: The statue of the German poet Friedrich von Schiller gave this square its name. Schiller used to live several years in Stuttgart. This was actually the first memorial erected for Schiller in Germany! But there is more to see on this square: Nestled in the corner is the Fruchtkasten, one of the oldest houses in Stuttgart. Next to it sits the Stiftskirche (Collegiate Church) with its two unsimilar towers. The earliest parts of this church stem form the 10th or 11th century. Since then Stiftskirche has had a changeful life and it displays parts of romanesque, early- and late-gothic, renaisance and baroque origin. If you are starting your tour early on a Tuesday or Thursday morning, you will get to hear one of Stuttgart’s loveliest traditions: Four brass players will climb up one of the towers and perform for ten minutes, starting at 8:45 am. This tradition started in 1618! But there is one more main attraction we musn’t miss: Altes Schloss! The history of this castle goes back to the 10th century when a Wasserschloss was erected on this area. Step inside to see the arcaded courtyard and a monument of Eberhard I. If you walk around the castle you will find a tiny museum at it’s back. It is dedicated to Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg who tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler on 20 July 1944.

• Next to Altes Schloss we find the grand art nouveau building of the Markthalle. Here you find high quality native next to international products and the delicious smell will draw you in even more. Definitely a great place for a short break and to grab something to eat. If you want to get a good view and/or picture, climb up the stairs to the first floor. Fun facts:  The market hall was erected between 1911 bis 1914. A curved glass roof spanned the 60 X 25 meter Hall, offering daylight for the presentation of goods. Paris’ Les Halles served as a model for the covered market hall.

• We now arrive at Marktplatz and the Rathaus. Unfortunately the old late gothic city hall, that got destroyed during WWII, didn’t serve as a model for the new Rathaus. The building we see today was erected between 1953 and 1956. I have to admit, the building is not much beloved but well, we have to live with it. But what is loved by the young and the young at heart are the old fashioned elevators called paternoster that still run inside the building! Please feel free to step inside the city hall, turn left and hop in one of the wooden cabins!

• When we have had enough of riding up and down the building in the paternoster we leave the city hall and walk to a place that is very popular amongst young people: Hans-im-Glück-Brunnen. The area surrounding the “Lucky Hans” fountain has become THE place to go for a fun night out. Here you find lots of bars and restaurants – and of course the pretty fountain (picture opportunity!!). Let’s take a closer look: Six bronze plaques display scenes from the fairy tale “Lucky Hans” written by the brothers Grimm. Hans had to lose all of his possessions before he found true fortune. Fun fact: The area surrounding the fountain is only a century old! But its medieval look doesn’t come from nowhere: The town planners wanted to create exactly that, an idyll of bourgeois life! Well done, I have to say.

• Either we stay here, have a beer or cocktail and call it a day (or night, depends on when you have started your tour :-)) or we head on, towards Feuersee. Here we see one of the prettiest churches in Stuttgart – even though its tower is damaged from war. The gothic Johanneskirche is thus a symbol for the destruction of war until today. We can sit down on the newly created stairs that lead down to the lake and watch turtles swimming in the water (yes, some wild turtles live here!) and kids navigating their toy boats over the water.

• Now we hop into the S-Bahn and ride back to Hauptbahnhof. From here we can catch a U-Bahn to station Stadtbibliothek. I know, this is a detour and you might be tired by now, but believe me, you want to show your guests this last sight! The new city library opened its gates in 2011 and won many prices ever since. Even though it doesn’t look like much from the outside (I like to call it book prison…) trust me: step inside, take the elevator to the top floor and look down and you will know why this is such a special place! The stairs and the setting look surreal! When the weather is nice, you should step outside and climb the last flight of stairs to the top of the building. Here you and you visitors can enjoy another nice view and even relax on one of the sunbeds (they do sell ice cream in the little café by the way – wink wink). From Stadtbibliothek you can walk back to Hauptbahnhof or take the U-Bahn.

The post Stuttgart city center tour for you and your visitors appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

Today, we took the U-Bahn to Ruhbank and walked the few meters to the entrance of TV-Tower Stuttgart.

Let me share some fun facts with you before we enter TV-Tower Stuttgart:

• it is 217 meters/710 feet high
• it was the very first TV-Tower constructed in reinforced concrete
• it was built within 20 months
• the engineer that constructed the tower was Fritz Leonhardt
• the tower was opened on February 5th, 1956
• the construction cost 4.2 million Deutsche Mark

Not too bad, right? OK, let’s move on.

As it was early in the day, we didn’t have to line up and could walk in nearly right away. The cash point is located in a little gift shop where you find lot’s of cute little things, all related to the tower of course

After we had a look around, it was time to hop into the elevator and fly up the 217 meters to the top of TV-Tower Stuttgart.

Even though it was not the clearest day, the sight was good from the top of the tower.

Check out Schlossplatz with the Königsbau on the left and the Neue Schloss on the right:

And here is the stadium of Stuttgart, the Mercedes-Benz Arena:

And do you know where that is?

I am sure you recognize the colorful buildings of the Marktplatz in the center of the picture, the white  tower of the city hall on the left, and the Stiftskriche in the back.

And here comes one more beautiful spot: the Karlshöhe:

Yep, I liked it a lot up there!

(Before you ask – we got balloons at the entrance because the Fernsehturm is celebrating its 60th anniversary! Happy birthday Fernsehturm!! )

As it got a bit cold after a while, we decided to visit the Panorama Café.

We were lucky to get a table. It was crowded up there. I saw that the group next to us had made reservations for a table in advance. That’s definitely a good idea if you guys want to visit the tower and intend on having a break in the café.

The Panorama Café is open until 11 pm everyday and they even serve cocktails up there! A great location for an after-work drink, don’t you think?!

But it was only around noon, so only coffee and hot elderflower tea with a view for us

We had a great time at the top of TV-Tower Stuttgart. Bye bye, Fernsehturm – see you again soon!

The Fernsehturm is open from 10 am to 11 pm during the week and from 9 am to 11 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The entrance fee is 7 Euro for adults and 4 Euro for students and kids between 6 and 15. They also offer special prices for groups, early birds or night owls. Check out their website for more details.

More information about:

Fernsehturm Stuttgart (only in German)

The post A sunny day at the top of TV-Tower Stuttgart appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.