Why go
The Old Castle, New Castle and Ludwigsburg Palace reflect successive chapters in the rulers’ ambitions and changing residences. A little background connects these separate visits, while Cannstatt’s older settlement history and Daimler’s workshop show that Stuttgart’s story extends beyond the court and the central palace squares.
The full story
The earliest settlement described in Stuttgart’s history lay in Cannstatt, where a Roman fort stood by the Neckar. The later town of Stuttgart developed away from the river. Its beginnings are associated with horse breeding in the fertile meadows of what is now the city centre. Around 1300, Stuttgart became a residence of the Counts of Württemberg. Their territory became a duchy in 1495, strengthening the town’s role as a seat of power. The name Württemberg itself comes from a hill in Stuttgart. The court’s story also leads north to Ludwigsburg, founded by Duke Eberhard Ludwig in the eighteenth century. Stuttgart later regained its residential role, and the New Castle became part of its royal landscape. Under King Wilhelm I, buildings including Wilhelmspalais and the State Gallery added another layer. Railway development helped the city expand in the nineteenth century. Daimler’s experiments in Cannstatt then contributed to its automotive identity. Württemberg joined the German Empire in 1871; Baden-Württemberg was formed in 1952.