Interrailing Through Germany Part 2: Stuttgart

Perhaps my best photo of the entire trip. Using a wide angle lens gives this volksfest ride real presence in the frame. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Thankfully on this leg of my journey there were no problems with the trains and in a little over two hours I’d exchanged the cultural city of Cologne with the industrial city of Stuttgart. You could tell the difference immediately as I was greeted by more modern architecture as soon as I arrived. I had a little while until I could go to my accommodation, so I put my big rucksack in a locker before heading out and walking around. By chance I happened upon a large but slightly unloved Chinese garden that had clearly been created with a lot of effort but needed a bit more upkeep. Despite its slight tattiness it was an enjoyable first stop, especially as it wasn’t very busy. It seems I was getting in plenty of Asian culture even on a trip to Europe. After a while watching the goldfish swimming in the pond, I realised that there was a large resident terrapin that was occasionally appearing on the surface. Not a native of either Germany or China but I guess the effects of 90s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mania are still felt in many different parts of the world.

Stuttgart is a very different city to Cologne and that was immediately apparent as I stepped out of the train station. 1/640s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Serendipitously I found this Chinese garden as I was wandering around. 1/160s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

It's a little out of the way but it's worth visiting for the buildings. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

A lot of effort went into the design and construction, it's just a pity it doesn't get enough upkeep. 1/400s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

This red-eared terrapin was a surprising addition. At least it'll keep the local goldfish population under control. 1/400s 200mm F4.0 ISO 1600.

Knowing that the next couple of days were going to be busy I didn’t have any great ambitions. After the Chinese garden I wandered through the lengthy Schlossgarten with its attractive avenues of trees and carp filled ponds. At least in a city of concrete and steel there are still green spaces to escape to. Eventually I hit upon the River Neckar with its many bridges and down this end of the park is even a zoo, which I didn’t have the time to visit. It turns out this area is also well known for its mineral baths with more than one facility allowing a warm water soak. Again I didn’t have time, but I did make the mistake of attempting to drink the water from a nearby set of taps. I was expecting something more inline with the mineral waters of the city of Bath but instead my mouth was greeted by a horrendous sour and sulphurous taste that I hope I’ll never experience again. You have been warned.

Carrying on I walked through the avenue of trees in the Schlossgarten. 1/200s 200mm F4.0 ISO 800.

The local U-Bahn running past at Inselsee. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 ISO 50.

Drinking the mineral water from these taps proved to be a huge mistake. Not pleasant at all, the corrosion was probably a give away. 1/500s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

There's plenty of statues on display in public spaces in Germany. 1/1000s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

After a good night’s sleep in private accommodation away from snoring ogres I was ready for my big day out to the home of the city’s most famous exports – the Porsche Museum. It’s a good distance out from the city centre but easily accessible by train and by showing your train ticket you also get a 50% discount on entry. This year was an especially good year to visit as it was the 75th anniversary of Porsche and the 60th anniversary of their most iconic car, the 911. Special exhibits took you through the history of the company starting with Ferdinand Porsche and the evolution of the 911. I was very surprised to see the oldest remaining vehicle that Ferdinand Porsche worked on was in fact electric. Simply astonishing that this technology was being developed as early as 1898 and this Egger-Lohner C2 Phaeton had a very impressive range of around fifty miles. However, it also had a charge time of more than a day and the technology proved too costly and impractical for commercial enterprise. Just imagine if electric vehicles had been developed throughout the entire twentieth century! I imagine they’d still be very heavy.

Visiting the Porsche Museum was something on the top of my list for this trip through Germany. 1/2500s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

As you walk into the Museum you get a peak into the inhouse workshop. 1/60s 35mm F1.4 ISO 250.

This was a big year for Porsche with their 75th Anniversary. 1/125s 58mm F1.4 ISO 100.

Inside the museum with it's futuristic layout. 1/100s 35mm F1.4 ISO 250.

Ferdinand Porsche - the genius behind the company. In the background is the bust of his son Ferry Porsche who was the main proponent in the early days of the postwar company. 1/40s 35mm F1.4 ISO 320.

The Egger-Lohner C2 Phaeton, the earliest surviving vehicle that Ferdinand Porsche and a remarkable example of an electric vehicle from the 19th century. 1/50s 35mm F1.4 ISO 160.

I think the recommended time for being in the museum is around two hours, but I spent more than seven here. There was just so much I wanted to see in detail and the layout of the exhibitions was great for photography. I did try to read as much in German as possible and I found the early history of the company and its founder to be fascinating, though also sad given the events of the Second World War and Porsche’s imprisonment at the hands of the French at the war’s conclusion. After all these years Porsche remains an iconic brand and their enormous trophy collection speaks for itself. If you love cars then this is a must visit. As an added bonus, it’s also possible to walk around the outside of the main factory, though don’t think you’ll be able to go inside. Unfortunately, by spending so much time here I was not able to visit the Mercedes Museum, the city’s other famous export. But I’m quite happy to visit Stuttgart again in the future.

Up-to-date exhibits aim to bring Porsche and it's history to life. 1/100s 58mm F1.4 ISO 400.

2023 also marked the 60th anniversary of the iconic 911. 1/100s 35mm F1.4 ISO 125.

A comparison between 911 keys through the ages. Here the simple key of the original Classic 911. 1/100s 35mm F1.4 ISO 200.

And here is the most recent key from the latest 992 model. There's a few extra bells and whistles in comparison to the original. 1/100s 35mm F1.4 ISO 200.

The legendary Le Mans winning Porsche 956. It's downforce was so great it could theoretically drive upside down. 1/100s 58mm F1.4 ISO 200.

Porsche have been mighty successful in motor racing. 1/100s 35mm F1.4 ISO 800.

The 911 GT3 RS, the latest and greatest from the factory in Stuttgart. 1/80s 120mm F4.0 ISO 500.

Speaking of the factory you can wander around outside but sadly there's no chance of going in. 1/640s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Car parks aren't normally this interesting. 1/160s 70mm F4.0 ISO 200.

On my final day I went to the nearby town of Kirchheim unter Teck to visit a friend from university that I hadn’t seen in over a decade. Seeing as she is now married with children there was plenty to catch up on and it gave me the opportunity to speak German continuously for several hours. Tiring but it also makes for great practice. As the major cities were smashed during the war it’s often these smaller towns where you can still see the traditional wooden buildings of old. The distinctive Fachwerkhäuse is not too dissimilar to the wooden-beamed Tudor buildings we have in the UK. Although our buildings are certainly much less red. Beyond the architecture it was also a good place to eat traditional food from Baden-Württemberg. German regional differences are far stronger than those we have back home in the UK. My dish of choice was Maultaschen which is like large tortellini stuffed with meat.

Visiting friends in Kirchheim unter Teck. 1/320s 35mm F3.2 ISO 320.

More old wooden buildings have survived in the small towns and villages. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

The rathaus (town hall) was one of the prettiest buildings I've seen in Germany. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Memorials to the First World War are everywhere in the UK but this was the first time I saw one in Germany. It wasn't the only one I found by the end of my trip. 1/200s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

As I had been travelling around Stuttgart I had noticed there was a massive event occurring in the city. In the UK we are used to the local funfair appearing periodically throughout the year but in Germany they have much grander volksfests which are more like Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. Throughout the summer and autumn there is at least one occurring somewhere in the country. As I had a bit of time left my friends recommended I check it out and whilst I didn’t go on any rides, I had plenty of fun capturing the scenes on camera. Interestingly a great number of people were all dressed in Lederhosen and Dirndls which are normally associated with Bavaria, but apparently wearing these iconic clothes to volksfests has become more popular amongst young people. It was a great deal of fun to see and be amongst, just a pity we don’t have many things like this back home.

Volksvests in Germany are on a much bigger scale than the local funfair back home in the UK. 1/1250s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Wearing lederhosen & dirndl seems to be becoming more popular in Germany, though these clothes are normally associated with Bavaria. 1/800s 58mm F1.4 ISO 100.

Perhaps not a ride for those who are afraid of heights. 1/1000s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Riding a rollercoaster. 1/1000s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

It's certainly geared up for some fun and cheesy dates. 1/1000s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

This handsome chap got the memo and smiled into the camera. 1/1250s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Scream if you want to go higher. 1/400s 58mm F1.4 ISO 320.

A smoke machine from a ride created plenty of atmosphere for this shot. If I'd grown up in Germany I'm sure visiting a volksfest would have been a quintessential part of my youth. 1/800s 58mm F1.4 ISO 200.

Amongst everything else I did manage to see more of the city centre in the evenings. The high street with all its shops and places to eat seems almost endless but there are also a few green spaces to sit in. Nearby there are also a handful of older buildings including Neues Schloss that was once home to regional kings. Still, I don’t think anyone would describe Stuttgart as a beautiful city. There’s plenty to do here but Germany’s real beauty was yet to come. Tune in for next week’s blog as I head to the city of Freiburg.

There's still a few older buildings in the heart of Stuttgart like Neues Schloss. Once a home of kings it now serves the state government. 1/60s 35mm F1.4 ISO 100.

Enjoying a beautiful sunset. Stuttgart may not be the prettiest city in Germany but it has its moments. 1/100s 35mm F1.4 ISO 160.

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