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.

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[Sponsored Post]
I am a huge fan of the new English-speaking courses because I know that it is hard for some of you guys to act out your hobbies, learn something new or make new friends when everything is always offered in German. That’s why I reached out to vhs stuttgart and teamed up with them. In an interview Daniele Nuccetelli, supervisor of the international program, told me all about the new program and pointed out several fun English-speaking courses for us.

Daniele, vhs stuttgart is launching a very new program for the international community in Stuttgart. What motivated you to do so?
The English-speaking program is a further step to making our institution more open and appealing for new residents and visitors who don’t speak German or are not fluent yet. And the truth is… our city is really international! Did you know that Stuttgart is home to people from over 180 countries and around 40 percent of the total population have some foreign background? It’s quite impressive, isn’it?

It really is! Who can attend the new courses? And who benefits from them the most?
The program is specifically aimed at expats and foreign students and professionals who maybe don’t speak German yet but don’t want to miss the chance to learn something new or stay healthy. More generally, the program is open to everyone comfortable taking classes in English – regardless of their nationality or native language. We’d love to see new and local residents get together, exchange ideas and opinions, and learn more from each other.

What type of courses does vhs stuttgart offer with the new international program?
The program is very diverse and interdisciplinary. This semester, we’re offering courses and events in 10 categories: meditation, yoga, qigong, and pilates classes in Body & Mind, zumba classes in Move it!, regional and international cooking classes in Taste the world,  city tours in Exploring Stuttgart, special language courses for international learners in the category Languages, Literature & Film, singing classes and music workshops in Rhythm & Music, thought-provoking seminars for women in Style & Personality, practical courses for creative minds in Arts & Crafts, computer courses for work and leisure in Go digital, inspiring travel talks in the category Talks. And there’s much more to come in 2019!

A lot of expats who are new to Stuttgart want to learn more about their new hometown, the Swabian culture and history. What courses would you recommend them?
I would definitely recommend the city tour Pearls of Architecture in the Swabian Metropolis to all those who want to know more about the fascinating urban developments of Stuttgart over the centuries till now. And for the ones who want to learn how to cook local specialties: Classics of Swabian Cuisine and Veganese Schwabinese for vegans.

A lot of my readers are passionate foodies. Are there any other classes you would recommend?
Absolutely! If they love Italian food as much as I do, then they should learn how to make Pasta Amatriciana with an experienced chef from Rome. The Lebanese cooking class and Korean cooking class are not to be missed either! Needless to say, at the end of each class the participants will sit together with the teacher and savor their self-cooked specialties in a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

When I want to be creative, which courses can I choose from?
If you want to create your unique style and learn how to make your own clothes, you should take one of our sewing classes for beginners and intermediate learners. Children can create their personal greeting cards with Hand Lettering for Kids. And for art enthusiasts we offer a Watercolor Painting course.

What courses are best for meeting new people and making new friends?
We know it can be really hard moving to a country where the language and culture are so different. That’s why all the courses in the English-speaking program focus on bringing people together and helping them build new meaningful relationships. Besides the cooking classes and fitness courses, I would suggest joining our international choir led by a trained opera singer: music has this magic power of bringing people together. And we’re also planning a special Christmas choir for the Advent Season!

Apart from the courses you just named, what other highlights await us this semester?
The Whisky Tasting is definitely not to be missed! It’s going to be an entertaining and educational evening about Scotland’s favorite drink with live music, snacks and… whisky, of course! For the category Music & Rhythm, I can recommend a seminar on K-Pop, the world sensation from South Korea. And for those who have wanderlust, the speaker of the travel talk Camino de Santiago will explain how to follow the pilgrim route from Germany down to Santiago de Compostela.

Can you tell us a bit more about volkshochschule stuttgart? What type of school is it? What is its goal?
volkshochschule stuttgart, or vhs stuttgart, is one of the largest centers for adult education in Germany. It was founded in 1919 during the Weimar Republic, the first democratic phase in the history of Germany. And now that we’re approaching an important milestone – our 100th anniversary in 2019 –, we believe that although things have changed and evolved dramatically in Europe and the world over the years, vhs stuttgart will stick to its original credo: making education and culture accessible and affordable for everyone.

Thank you very much for all this information, Daniele! And see you soon at vhs stuttgart 🙂

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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

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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”

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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)

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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)

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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)

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Ludwigsburg is a lovely city for itself and definitely worth a visit. It’s right next to Stuttgart. I’ve been here last winter, visiting the Christmas Market, which is very special and beautiful. But to tell you the truth: Ludwigsburg is even more beautiful in summer. One of its main attractions is the Residential Palace.

But we were not here because of the castle (well, at least not because of this one ;-)) but to see Hänsel and Gretel and Rumpelstilzchen and Aladdin and much more at Märchengarten Ludwigsburg.

I got some last coaching in fairy tales by this story teller…

and then we were ready for witches, dwarfs and Co.

As we were quite early and it was not too crowded, we decided to start our day in the Märchengarten with a boat ride.

The boat ride is a very relaxing thing to do. You pass different houses where puppets tell you about several fairy tales. Very cute! The only scary thing (at least, when you’re three years old) is the mouth of the whale…

…but don’t worry, Pinocchio is waiting at the end, eager to show you the way out! 😉

After this adventure, we had to prove how brave we are, again: By visiting the witch!

Two courageous men debating whether it’s a good idea to knock on the house of the witch or not…

… and hiding behind the fence when she looks out of the window. But be assured: She didn’t put the two in the oven!

Our next stops where less nerve-racking: We saw Aladdin and the  genie of the lamp…

… the orphan girl collecting star money…

…and looked through grandma’s window only to find out the wolf was lying in her bed!

Well, what can I say, the houses with the different fairy tales are a delight for the young and for the old:

🙂 Cute, hum?

We also passed a giant in his castle…

…and Rumpelstilzchen…

… before we arrived at Rapunzel’s tower:

Can you see her braid dangling down from the tower? 🙂

When you walk around it, you’ve got a great view:

When you step inside, stairs lead you down…

…and down…

… and down…

… until you arrive at the very bottom of the rock on which the tower is standing.

Well, and if you were the only one of your group who was stupid enough to walk down all the stairs of the tower, you have to climb up again in order to meet the rest…

Now we were hungry! We left the Märchengarten early afternoon and went to a Café in the park… not without enjoying the first flowers of this spring…

We chose the “Cafeteria” for our lunch break…

… didn’t care about healthy eating principles…

…and had our first ice-cream in 2013!

Aaaah, what a beautiful day! And can you imagine a better end to it than swinging into the spring sky with an ice-cream in your hand…?

Well, I couldn’t… 🙂

More information about:

Märchengarten Ludwigsburg (only in German)

Ludwigsburg

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If you’ve missed part I, you’ll find it here.

The second day of our wonderful weekend in winter wonderland Prague started as the first day had closed: with lots of snow!! We saw little snow men everywhere! Very cute 🙂

We had decided that we want to spend this day just wandering around, sucking in the atmosphere of this beautiful city. After breakfast (which was very nice in our Grandhotel Bohemia!), we headed to the Old Town Square again and walked to Charles Bridge.

When in Prague, make sure to look up from time to time. There are so many beautiful, historical houses. You’ll find a lot of Art Nouveau for example.

But you don’t have to get a stiff neck, there’s also a lot to explore by looking straight ahead:

And sometimes, it’s also worth looking to the ground…

Isn’t that cute? Four hearts in a golden circle. I nearly missed it… 🙂

We crossed Charles Bridge and entered the “Kleinseite” (“Malá Strana” in Czech – which translates to “Little Side” and refers to the part of Prague in the west of the Vltava River).

When you leave Charles Bridge, you’ll find the park Kampa on your left. I’ve never been there in winter so we wanted to find out what it looks like covered with snow. And our undertaking got rewarded: Suddenly the sun came out and the snow was sparkling. We had such a beautiful view from Kampa over to Charles Bridge, with a blue sky over it.

It was so magical, time could have stopped moving, I wouldn’t have minded…

But to bring you guys back to reality, too, that’s what we found in front of Kampa Museum:

Yes, it’s a museum for modern art, why are you asking…? 😉

There’s a little canal leading around Kampa and that’s why this part of Prague is sometimes called “Venice of the east.”

A very romantic spot. 🙂

We left magical Kampa and started to walk up the winding streets to the castle.

The last part of the street is a bit steep but it’s worth the climb because you get rewarded with a stunning view.

Even this little snow man liked what he saw… at least I think so, he didn’t talk much… 😉

We didn’t visit the castle, we just had a look at St. Vitus’ Cathedral from the outside.

OK, I couldn’t resist, I had to get this touristy picture taken:

We also had a look down on the city from the other side of the castle…

… and descended by using the stairs next to this wall:

On our way back to the city center, we passed Charles Bridge again.

When you’re on Charles Bridge, you might observe many people touching pictures of a saint. Let’s talk about this cult for a moment: John of Nepomuk was drowned in the Vltava River at the behest of King Wenceslaus in 1393. As the confessor of the queen he refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional – and thus got in trouble with the king. Today, he is considered the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional and a protector from floods. And many people touch his picture for good luck. But some people get confused by who exactly they have to touch…

This is one of the pictures of Nepomuk. So, if you have to, touch it…

Here’s another picture of Nepomuk – but there are other individuals on it, as well. Question: If you want to touch this picture for good luck, what figure would you go for?

a) the random dog

b) the rubberneck, watching poor Nepomuk getting killed without doing anything

c) Nepomuk, falling down the bridge

d) none of the above because by touching this picture, I’ll get in contact with billions of bacteria, the hundreds of tourists, who touched it before me, left.

Well, this woman is not on the right track, she’s touching the rubberneck. Don’t know what luck will come from that… 😉

On our way back to the city center, we passed two more points of interest, I would like to share with you:

1.) My favourite shop in Prague: Manufaktura!

Here you find cute Czech folk craft and traditional wooden toys and (even more interesting! ;-)) cosmetics inspired by balneology and Czech natural ingredients. I LOVE their soaps, shampoos, body lotions, creams… 😀

I got two body lotions and a shampoo for kids…

2) Marionette shops: You’ll find a lot of marionette theaters in Prague. Many of them are performing Don Giovanni (and they are doing it quite well, I can tell you ;-)).

But even better: You can buy a marionette as a souvenir, too. You’ll find a lot of cheap puppets in many of the souvenir shops, but there are also a few professional marionette makers, too. They sell high quality puppets and they are absolutely worth their price.

When I left Prague after living there for 7 months, I wanted to buy myself a souvenir that’s worth my good memories of this city. So I went to some of the marionette shops and chose a little wooden replica of Mozart. I still love it.

We had again an awesome time in Prague. This city is simply something very, very special. It was great being in Prague in winter when there is heaps of snow. But I am also looking forward to coming back one day soon in summer, when you can sit in the parks, climb one of the hills and enjoy the view from there. Good bye Prague, see you soon again!

More information about:

Museum Kampa

Manufaktura

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