Stuttgart, Germany is a “small” big city in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany. It is easy to get to from Munich, and a perfect place to base yourself for exploring castles, small towns and gorgeous countryside in south central Germany and the Black Forest.

I personally really enjoyed the city of Stuttgart, plus there are so many really great day trips from Stuttgart you can take, both to popular locations and hidden gems. This guide will tell you all the best ones to do, and how to get there.

Year visited: 2025

Time of Year: December

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What’s in this Article:

• Tübingen
• Heidelberg
• Ludwigsburg
• Esslingen
• Hohenzollern Castle
• Lichtenstein Castle
• Wiblingen Abbey Library
• The Black Forest
• Regional Train Travel
• Things to Do in Stuttgart

Looking for where to stay in Stuttgart? We stayed at Adina Apartment Hotel, right by the public library, and I thought it was the perfect location!

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Stuttgart Day Trip #1: Tübingen

The small university town of Tübingen is by far one of the best day trips from Stuttgart! It is very easy to get to (assuming, that is, that the train line isn’t shut down for maintenance and you can’t find the replacement bus…), and is one of the prettiest towns in Germany.

Things to Do in Tübingen

• Hohentuebingen Castle (houses the University’s Museum of Ancient Cultures)
• Wander the cobblestone streets (on your own, or with a local tour guide)
• Step inside the Collegiate Church of St. George.
• Go punting on the river
• Relax in the riverfront park
• Check out the local shops and markets
• Visit for a festival (like the Tübingen ChocolART Festival in December!)

How to Get to Tübingen

Take a direct 1 hr. train from Stuttgart to Tübingen. You can use a regional Baden-Württemberg ticket to get there (more info below).

Looking for more day trip ideas? Check out these activities in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany.

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Stuttgart Day Trip #2: Heidelberg

Heidelberg is one of the most famous cities in this region of Germany, especially at Christmastime. I actually first heard of Heidelberg because of a Hallmark Christmas movie that’s set there (fun fact: I was a background extra in a Hallmark movie, starring the same actress who is in A Heidelberg Holiday!).

My friends visited Heidelberg on their trip to Germany, and were really excited for us to go too, but we ended up skipping it due to my already packed itinerary…

But Heidelberg is easy to get to and absolutely worth visiting if you have the time!

Things to Do in Heidelberg

• Visit Heidelberg Castle (& the German Apothecary Museum)
• Ride the old funicular cable car to top of the mountain for views overlooking the city
• Hike the trails around the top of the mountain
• Walk across the iconic “Old Bridge”
• Wander the old town (or take a guided walking tour)
• Climb the tower of the Church of the Holy Spirit
• Visit the University Museum (and the old student prison!)
• Walk along the river (or the Philosopher’s Walk)
• Be sure to check out the Christmas market during the holiday season!

How to Get to Heidelberg

The train from Stuttgart to Heidelberg takes about an hour to an hour and a half. Most direct trains will be high speed trains (not regional). Or you can get a regional ticket (more info below), which will require a transfer to a second train.

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Stuttgart Day Trip #3: Ludwigsburg

The best time to visit Ludwigsburg, Germany is undoubtedly the fall, when they host the world’s largest pumpkin festival! I would love to visit during their pumpkin festival, though I was also excited to experience their Christmas market in front of the gorgeous Ludwigsburg Palace!

We ended up not visiting, just because we were tired (and I’m trying to learn how to plan relaxing trips…), but it is literally just a 15 minute train ride away from Stuttgart’s main station, so it is easy to stop by at any time during a trip to Stuttgart.

Ludwigsburg is worth visiting any time of year to explore the extensive halls and grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace, whether during the pumpkin festival, Christmas market, or for the spring and summer gardens.

How to Get to Ludwigsburg

It is an easy 15 minute train ride from Stuttgart HBF (central station) to Ludwigsburg. You can take a regional train or a local overground (S Bahn) train.

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Stuttgart Day Trip #4: Esslingen am Neckar

Another easy 15 min. train ride is the medieval town of Esslingen am Neckar (Esslingen on the Neckar River). We came here for their medieval themed Christmas market, and it was my favorite of all the Christmas markets we visited (and we visited a lot)!

If you’re visiting Germany for Christmas, absolutely make sure you visit Esslingen for the medieval market!!!

If you’re here another time of year, I wouldn’t stress about putting it high on the list. However, because it is so easy to get to from Stuttgart, and is a charming and well-preserved medieval town, it’s worth a wander if you have the time (or if you don’t have time to go somewhere further away, like Tübingen).

• Fun Fact: Esslingen has the oldest row of half-timbered houses in Germany.

How to Get to Esslingen am Neckar

It takes about 10-20 minutes to get to Esslingen from Stuttgart HBF. You can take a regional train, or a local overground (S Bahn) train.

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Stuttgart Day Trip #5: Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle is actually the reason we visited Stuttgart. I wanted to see a Christmas market in a castle, and when I planned my trip (pre-Covid), Hohenzollern was the castle I picked! And as the nearest big city, Stuttgart was a natural home base for a visit.

Of course, they no longer host the Christmas market, but they did have a holiday event that we attended, and it was perfectly magical.

How to Get to Hohenzollern Castle

I have a complete step-by-step guide for how to visit Hohenzollern Castle, as it is not the most straight-forward process. You can take a train from Stuttgart to Hechingen Station (this line passes through Tübingen on the way to Hechingen), and a local bus or Uber from Hechingen to Hohenzollern Castle.

• Bonus: If you have your own car, or perhaps an Uber, you can visit Zellerhorn Viewpoint for the best views of Hohenzollern Castle. You can also hike here from the castle parking lot, but it will take several hours.

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Stuttgart Day Trip #6: Lichtenstein Castle

There are few castles in Germany more stunning than Lichtenstein Castle. Set on a cliff edge, overlooking a picturesque valley, its tower evokes images of fairy tales and long-haired princesses. It makes a great day trip combined with Hohenzollern Castle, especially if you have your own car (though it is more challenging to get to via public transportation).

• Good to Know: The castle closes for the winter, so it is best to avoid visiting at least between January and February.

How to Get to Lichtenstein Castle

Lihtenstein is another one that’s tricky (but not impossible) to get to via public transportation.

It is about a 1 hr. drive from Stuttgart to Lichtenstein Castle.

If you are taking public transportation, you will take a train from Stuttgart to Reutlingen. From there you will get a bus to Honau. This process takes about 1 1/2 hours. It is a 30 minute hike from Honau to Lichtenstein Castle.

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Stuttgart Day Trip #7: Wiblingen Abbey Library

I really want to visit Admont Abbey Library in Austria, but I was able to find this similar (though definitely smaller) library in Germany!

Wiblingen Abbey Library is one of those old monastic libraries that could have served as inspiration for Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (my favorite Disney princess!). It is a small library, but it is easy to get to from both Munich and Stuttgart.

While in the city of Ulm, be sure to check out the Ulm Minster (featuring the world’s tallest church spire!), and the Fisherman’s Quarter.

• Good to Know: The Abbey is open every day but Monday in spring and summer, but it is only open on weekends during the winter.

How to Get to Wiblingen Abbey

Take a 1 hour direct train from Stuttgart to Ulm. Then take Bus 4 from Ehingor Tor (central bus stop) to Wiblingen Kloster. If you have a regional ticket (more info below), this includes the bus.

Check out my Wiblingen Abbey guide for full details on how to visit the library and spend a day in Ulm.

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Stuttgart Day Trip #8: The Black Forest

One of my travel food bucket list items is to eat Black Forest cake in the Black Forest in Germany (a fine goal, to be sure!).

We achieved this goal in Gengenbach, an adorable Black Forest town about 2-3 hours by train from Stuttgart. We stayed overnight here, before moving on to France, but there are many closer towns in the Black Forest that you could easily visit as a day trip from Stuttgart (although you could also day trip to Gengenbach, but it would be a long day!).

Baden-Baden is an hour and a half by regional train from Stuttgart, and is a good place to start exploring the Black Forest. It’s certainly easier if you have your own car, but there are definitely things you can do via public transportation, even with limited time. Another good option to visit is Bad Wildbad.

Things to Do in the Black Forest

• Eat Black Forest cake (this is an absolute must!)
• Visit thermal baths
• Hike the magical hills overlooking all the towns
• Shop for Cuckoo clocks

How to Get to the Black Forest

The best town to visit for a day trip from Stuttgart is Baden-Baden. It is one of the larger towns in the Black Forest, with plenty to see and do. You can take a regional train, which will take about 1 1/2 hrs. You will have to change trains at one point, as there are not direct trains to Baden-Baden.

Or you could also choose to visit another town in the Black Forest region, like Gengenbach or Bad Wildbad. Just check on the Deustch-Bahn website for the times and connections it will take to get there.

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Regional Train Travel from Stuttgart

I wrote an entire in-depth guide to train travel in Germany if you want to know more, but the most important thing to understand is how the regional day tickets work.

For Stuttgart, the regional ticket is a “Baden-Württemberg” ticket. This type of train ticket allows you to use any regional train or local transportation from 9:00 am through the rest of the day.

It is ideal for day tripping, because you don’t have to have a set time to get up in the morning or come back in the afternoon. Plus you can use it to get around the city where you’re visiting, like to take the bus to Wiblingen Abbey Library or Hohenzollern Castle, which would be too far to walk.

Regional trains are not as fast as ICE trains, but all of these day trips can be reached in less than 2 hours on a regional train, so that’s really not an issue.

• Good to Know: You can book a generic Baden-Württemberg ticket on the Deustch-Bahn website. Under “regional offers,” scroll down to where it says “Brandenburg-Berlin” and click the arrows to change the region.
• You can also search for a specific train, and then choose a “Baden-Württemberg” ticket option when you go to book the tickets. Even though the ticket is now associated with the specific train you booked, it is still good for all the regional transportation that day.

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Things to Do in Stuttgart

I really enjoyed our time in Stuttgart. It is such a beautiful city, and in my opinion, the perfect size, with plenty to do, but not overwhelming (like Munich!). We stayed at the Adina Apartment Hotel, which was the perfect base for our time in Stuttgart.

It’s one of those places I really enjoy just hanging out. But if you’re looking for a little something more to do than just drinking lebkuchen (gingerbread) lattes in the pedestrian plaza outside the library, here are a few ideas of the best things to do in Stuttgart:

• Photograph the city library
• Visit the Porsche Museum & Mercedes-Benz Museum
• Multiple art museums, history museums, and more (even a pig museum!)
• Shop local produce and international foods in the Markthalle
• Wander the city streets and the Königstraße shopping district
• Explore the Schlossplatz (Castle Square)
• Visit Wilhelma Zoo & Botanical Gardens

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Map of Stuttgart Day Trips:

Any more questions?

If you have any questions about day trips from Stuttgart, Germany, or more ideas to share, please feel free to email me or comment below.

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You might also like:

• Things to Do in Stuttgart, Germany
• Magical 1-Week Germany Itinerary from Munich
• How to Visit Hohenzollern Castle
• Wiblingen Abbey Day Trip Guide
• Tübingen City & ChocolART Festival Guide

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