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.

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.