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The beautiful region of Baden Wurttemberg (also called the Swabian region) in South Germany is a lesser trodden place that's emerged as the fastest growing destination in Germany. Black Forest, vineyards and wineries, castles with baroque architecture and the museums of Mercedes Benz and Porsche make it an intriguing destination.
Black Forest Black Forest isn't really black but has thick vegetation of green coniferous fur trees that together look dark. Other than lending its name to its indigenous, rich, chocolate cake, Black Forest houses Europa Park, Europe's biggest amusement park. Model architecture inside the Park offers a peek into Europe's lifestyle. Park owners' root business of rolling out roller-coasters to amusement parks across the world provides an opportunity for them to introduce the latest fun coasters at Europa Park. You only need to be a brave heart and be headstrong for the thrills. Monorail ride gives an aerial view of the entire theme park. Hotel Hofgut Sternen with its beautiful wood structure in Black Forest is at the historic border of Austria and France. Princess Mary Antoinette is supposed to have stopped here with her entourage on way to marry the prince of France. The manager at the adjoining cuckoo clock shop explains the technique of making of cuckoo clocks. All their cuckoo clocks are handmade from local bass wood and solid brass. Special decorations on the clock are made by skilled artisans. Donut boat ride on Titisee ('See'means Lake in German) is a fun way to experience the Black Forest ambiance. Tall fur trees surrounding the lake up above the mountains make a pleasant sight. Permission to ply only battery operated boats on Titisee leaves the water fresh enough to quench people's thirst.
Black Forest is part of the continental divide between the Atlantic Ocean drainage basin (drained by River Rhine) and the Black Sea drainage basin (drained by River Danube that originates in the region). Hohenzollern castle Germany has about 22,000 castles and how can one miss visiting one? The imposing Neo-Gothic-style castle located on top of Mount Hohenzollern at an elevation of 855 meters in the Swabian Alb looks majestic far away from the approach road. Magnificent Hohenzollern Castle was the ancestral seat of the Prussian Kings, German Emperors as well as the Swabian branch of the Princes of Hohenzollern. The castle rebuilt for the third time from 1846-1867 has been used mostly as a show castle to depict an ideal medieval knight's castle of the German Romanticism movement. It houses art and historical artefacts and precious diamond and pearl-studded crown of Wilhelm II. A climb up the 200-odd spiralling stairs to the tip gives a stunning panoramic view of the picturesque Swabian albs. Stuttgart
Baden Wurttemberg's capital Stuttgart has vast green patches spread on its hills, valleys and parks. Visible at the city centre, close to the main railway station are lush vineyards. The imposing red stone train station has a rotating logo of Mercedes Benz on its main tower. One can't miss Mercedes in Stuttgurt whether it is a logo, a stadium, the factory, museum or a bus, car, tractor or even a fire engine. King Street near the station leads to most of Stuttgart's architectural attractions at the Schlossplatz or the Castle square. Castle square stands at the crossover point between the city's shopping area, Schlossgarten park that runs down to River Neckar, Stuttgart's two central castles and major museums and residential areas. The "New Castle" built in the baroque style here in 1746 and 1807 now houses administrative offices. Stuttgart was heavily bombarded and damaged during the Second World War. Many historic buildings have been reconstructed and the city boasts of some fine pieces of modern post-war architecture. The opera theatre is a beautiful structure across the pond. Pedestrian-friendly area makes Castle square a popular place. The glass building housing the Cube restaurant stands out as the only modern building here and serves as a vantage point for the aerial view of the Castle square. Another beautiful view point of the city is at the TV tower on the outskirts. The TV tower built in the 1950s shows the thick green forest enveloping the well laid-out streets of the city with the backdrop of Swabian albs. Biking is a common activity during summer and bicycles are available for hire at many places, including the station. Mercedes Benz museum The motorbike and four-wheel automobile were invented in Stuttgart by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and May Bach are all produced in Stuttgart and nearby towns. Probably Germany is the only country where there's no speed limit while driving. No wonder that it has produced many Formula 1 champs. Stuttgart celebrated 125 years of the invention of the car recently and its prized attractions are two car museums of Mercedes Benz and Porsche museums that are a delight for anyone. One can conveniently spend many hours at Mercedes-Benz museum spread on a total area of 7,000 sq m. A hundred and sixty vehicles are on permanent display, including the earliest models and the latest in-series production vehicles. The story that reveals around the six level lay-out is presented in context to industrialisation, world economic growth and challenges - through machines, cars, motor vehicles, photos and text slides. Equally captivating is the new Porsche museum with its latest sports and regular models. Metzingen Metzingen, a suburb of Stuttgart is a shopper's paradise. It has about 70 factory outlets of popular international brands, including Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike and Swatch, all within a walking distance. Thermal spa at the ancient spa town of Baden Baden, winter sport at Freiberg, vineyard visit and wine tasting, and for cheesy and meaty Swabian cuisine and more can be reserved for the next visit.
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