While Stuttgart may not immediately come to mind when one lists
prominent German cities, the capital of Baden-Württemberg is home to one of the
most important German exports: cars. Probably thanks to the Mercedes-Benz and
Porsche headquarters in Stuttgart, the streets practically overflow with luxury
vehicles, and even the most modest-looking homes will have sleek sports cars parked
outside. That luxury is matched by the spectacular museums and well-preserved palaces of
the old city. The city’s famous mineral baths draw old and young alike (though more old
than young) to their healing waters, and the Ludwigsburg palaces , bucolic forests, and
lush vineyards are only a short train ride away.