Stuttgart: A day with StuttCard

So the lovely Stuttgart Tourism Board (They have an instagram account here) offered me the chance to tour around the city with the newly launched StuttCard so I said why not, let’s do this. This happened last Saturday. So the plan was to pretend we were in Stuttgart for the first time: Get up early, decide which museums/ restaurants/ shopping areas to go, search the map for directions and finish off the evening with a recommended and partnered restaurant. The plan: Start at 10 a.m.-> walk around city center-> look around some shops-> Landesmuseum Württemberg (Württemberg State Museum)-> light lunch-> Mercedes-Benz Museum-> Kunstmuseum-> dinner.

얼마전 스튜트가르트 관광청과 진행한 블로거 미팅에서 스튜트가르트를 저렴하게 투어할 수 있는 스튜트카드를 받았었다. 다른 도시 돌아다니느라 사용을 못하고 있다가 저번주 토요일 드디어 개시. 이미 다른 대도시에서는 쉽게 볼 수 있는 관광객용 카드였지만 직접 사용해본 것은 처음. 이번에 써보면서 이제부턴 다른 도시 갈때 참고하게 될듯. 우리의 계획은: 일찍 나와서 쇼핑/구경-> Württemberg State Museum 주립박물관 정도로 해석-> 가벼운 점심->메르세데스 벤츠 박물관 -> 현대미술관-> 저녁.

I live very close to Rathaus, which is the city hall and every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, there’s a very lively market that stretches out from Rathaus all the way to the Landesmuseum. Typical farmers’ market that offers vegetables, fruit, flowers and bread.

시청앞에서는 매주 화요일 목요일 그리고 토요일날 장이 선다. 가격은 일반적인 가게들보다 약간 비싼 편이지만 신선한 야채와 과일들, 직접 구운 빵이나 잼을 파는 곳이라 구경하기도 좋고 사진찍기도 좋은 곳. 봄이라 꽃이 많았다. 우리 집에 들어오는 식물들은 이상하고 슬프게도 다 죽는 경향이 있어서 난 직접 잘 사지는 않음. 흑.

The first stop: Landesmuseum Württemberg/ Württemberg State Museum. The museum is located inside Stuttgart’s “Altes Schloss” which means old castle or palace. It was built in the 10th century and is the oldest surviving building in Stuttgart. I have been walking pass the building ever since I first got here, but never found my way to pay a visit. The same sentiment I had when I lived very near the sports complex in Seoul. Never really appreciated it, until I left Seoul.

스튜트가르트에서 가장 오래된 건물인 구궁전안에 자리잡고 있는 주립박물관. 집과 굉장히 가까워서 자주 지나쳤지만 한번도 들어갈 생각은 못했다. 서울에서 종합운동장 근처 살면서 잘 가지 않는 것과 비슷한 느낌. G는 사실 별로 기대를 안하고 들어갔는데 너무 좋아서 놀람.

A preview of the museum, as I am planning to write a more in-depth post about it, along with the Mercedes-Benz Museum. It spans from the prehistoric times to the Kingdom of Württemberg (1806-1918). First of all, the museum was AMAZING. I was so pleasantly surprised and I kicked myself for not coming earlier. It’s spacious, quiet, offers a lot to see, touch and learn and very family friendly. Many of the displays would have these little shelves under them or even a lower display for the kids to watch and play with.

석기시대부터 Württemberg 왕국 (1806-1918)까지의 역사를 보여주는 곳. 특히 아이들이 가기에 좋은 곳이라고 생각된 것이 아이들의 눈높이에 맞춰서 유물이나 그림들이 아래에 진열되어 있었다. 서랍들도 있어서 열어서 꺼내서 만져보기도 하고 애니메이션도 있어서 앉아서 보기도 좋고.

Oh and it was also the most beautifully organized museum I have ever seen in my life. Just look at those shelves!

그리고 무엇보다도 이렇게 아름답게 정리된/진열된 박물관은 본적이 없었다. 박물관에 저리 아름다운 서랍들이라니!

It was also the first time I got interior decoration ideas from a museum. I kept on walking around thinking “that would look great on my wall,” “so THAT’S how you make the lighting work on the vase.” The curators managed to use historical artifacts and make them more approachable, instead of just sticking them into a glass box and explaining the dates, whereabouts and usage. One of my favorite collections was the Eugen Gutman Collection of Clocks, which is a bit hidden underground of the castle.

정리만 잘되어 있는게 아니라 뭔가 인테리어 디자인 측면에서도 놀라워서 새삼 배우고 돌아왔다. 칙칙하기 너무나 쉬운 아이템들을 가지고 이런 진열을 하다니… (놀라운) 시계들만 진열되어 있던 곳도 있었는데 이건 차차 구체적인 주립박물관에 관한 포스트에서 알아보기로.

Speechless, really. More coming up on the in-depth post about the museum!

Now to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Very easy to reach from the S Bahn station, which is always important for a first time visitor. I crouched down to take this photo with the museum as the backdrop, and so it ended up looking a bit crooked.

다음은 메르세데스 벤츠 박물관. 워낙 유명한 박물관이라 이미 스튜트가르트를 방문한 사람이라면 한번쯤은 꼭 들러보았을 그런 곳.

While the Porsche museum caters a bit more to design, the style and the overall concept and image of the brand Porsche and Porsche cars, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is like walking into a time capsule. Sounds lame, but it’s true. Every twist and turn during the company’s history is very closely linked to the political, social, economical events that happened in that same era, and so it’s impossible not to offer a bit of background information. So if you consider that Mercedes-Benz traces back to 1901 (technically the name first appeared in 1926, but the history of Mercedes (1901) and Karl Benz (1886) goes much further back), there’s a LOT of background information. More or less like a history lesson.

포르쉐 박물관은 포르쉐라는 브랜드와 포르쉐 자동차들의 디자인, 스타일 등에 치중했다면 벤츠 박물관은 무슨 역사 교과서 같았다. 워낙 오래된 역사를 가지고 있기도 하고 회사내의 크고 작은 일들이 경제적인, 사회적인 그리고 정치적인 사실들과 너무나도 복잡하게 얽혀 있어서였다. 자동차에 대한 설명과 내용도 많지만 그외 그 시대에 일어났던 크고 작은 역사사실들도 함께 진열되어 있어서 말그대로 타임머신. 진부하지만 사실임.

I wouldn’t mind having one of those.

The final museum was the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, which is right on Königstrasse, the main street of the city center. Some may have not yet visited the contemporary and modern art museum, but I am pretty sure they walked by it at one point. It’s that big cube of glass. It opened in 2005 and offers the collections of Otto Dix, Willi Baumeister and Dieter Roth, among others.

다음은 G와 내가 어려워하는 현대미술관. 현대미술은 사실 연습과 공부가 좀 필요하다. 스튜트가르트의 중심가에 위치하고 있어 찾기도 쉽지만 주립박물관처럼 좀처럼 들어가지지 않는 곳 중 하나.

The artwork is indeed very modern and some me and G were a bit puzzled about. But the spaces are very well curated and being inside the huge cube of glass adds a bit more intensity to the modern art experience.

Aside from the artwork, the museum also offers a great overview of the main square Schlossplatz. Unfortunately it was raining on the day we were touring around, so it was a bit gloomy and cloudy, but it was still one of the best views of the square I’ve seen.

스튜트가르트 중심가를 한눈에 보고 싶다면 현대미술관으로 올라와야한다. 물론 입장료는 내야함. 꼭대기층에 레스토랑도 있는데 맛은 별로인데 엄청 비싸는 악평이…

So after the Kunstmuseum, I was getting a bit tired. The weather didn’t help much, being rainy and so gloomy, so we decided to go for dinner a little earlier than planned. Among the many traditional “Schwabian” restaurants, we chose the Stuttgarter Ratskeller. A ratskeller literally means a bar or restaurant located in the basement of a city hall.

저녁은 Stuttgartger Ratskeller. 스튜트가르트 시청 지하에 위치한 레스토랑인데 독일식, 그것도 스튜트가르트가 위치하고 있는 Schwabian 전통식이다.

The restaurant is quite popular, not only for the food, but also for the very convenient location, the overall traditional atmosphere and friendly staff. We ordered the Schwabian basics: The Maultaschen, which is like a dumpling with a filling of minced meat, spinach, bread crumbs and onions. I chose the soup version, but there’s also a grilled/slightly fried one.

나와 G가 항상 말하지만 우리는 개인적으로 독일식으로 별로 좋아라하지 않는다. 헤비하고 나오는 음식에 비해 굉장히 비싸고 맛도… Maultauschen이라는 독일식 만두와 Gaisburger Marsch라는 비프 스튜를 주문. 스튜트가르트 카드를 제시하면 와인 두잔을 준다.

G ordered the Gaisburger Marsch, which is also very typical Schwabian. It’s basically a beef stew named after the Gaisburger district in Stuttgart. The StuttCard offers different services when it comes to restaurants, normally a free drink or dessert, and we had two small glasses of German wine. Soup and wine. Great finish to a great day. Thanks, Stuttgart/ StuttCard.

Places mentioned: 

• Landesmuseum Württemberg/ Württemberg State Museum (+49 711 89 535 111, Old Palace (Altes Schloss) Schillerplatz 6, 70173, Stuttgart) Admissions are 5.50 euro but with StuttCard free. 
• Mercedes-Benz Museum (+49 711 17 30 000, Mercedesstrasse 100, 70372, Stuttgart) Admissions are 8 euro but with StuttCard free. 
• Kunstmuseum Stuttgart/ Stuttgart Museum of Art (+49 711 216 21 88, Kleiner Schlossplatz 1, 70173, Stuttgart) Admissions are 6 euro but with StuttCard free. 
• Stuttgarter Ratskeller (+49 711 239 78 0, Marktplatz 1, 70173, Stuttgart) 

How to use the StuttCard: 

• Available cards: 24 hours (23 euro)/ 48 hours (38 euro)/ 72 hours (45 euro)
• The card can be used as transportation ticket for the buses and metros (VVS transport network) in the entire Stuttgart region. (You must validate your card in the VVS ticket machine before starting your trip.)
• Free admission to nearly all museums and leisure facilities. Free audio guides.
• Discounts and free services in selected restaurants, shops and theaters.
• Cards are available at Tourist information centers, Stuttgart customer service department and also at airports.

All photos by rachelsanghee. Disclaimer: Only the StuttCard was offered by the Stuttgart Tourism Board as part of their StuttCard campaign. No more, no less.