Stuttgart, Courtesy of Blake Little

I'm a bit behind on posting about my travels, but I hope to catch up before I leave for Scotland on Wednesday. Last weekend I spent two days in Stuttgart, and I can infer it’s the type of city that takes a little bit of inside information to truly appreciate. Some cities or famous locations have a handful of attractions that are impossible to miss--enough to keep uninformed tourists content for a weekend. Others, like Stuttgart, are a little different. Maybe it was because I arrived in a downpour or that the train station is undergoing major construction, but I was initially a bit unimpressed.

But then, I met my host Blake Little.

Blake is a family friend through Dudley, and he was at camp when my mom was a staff member and my uncle was a camper. Like my uncle, he went to St. Lawrence. He’s always been involved in the teaching and athletic training world, but half-a-dozen years ago he left his home state of Ohio to teach at DODS (Department of Defense School) in the north of Italy. After a successful five years there, he moved to Stuttgart and is doing the same thing in a new country.

I had never met Blake before, but within a few minutes I knew he was going to be an excellent host. When you have Dudley as a common denominator, it’s easy to become quick friends. We talked as we made our way back to his (awesome) flat, and thought it was still raining when we got there, I could tell I was in good hands for my time in the city. I was with someone who had the inside information about Stuttgart, and that made all the difference. 

A quick run through of what we did 

Traditional German architecture in Esslingen

First off we hopped on the S-Bahn heading east out of the city to visit the historical town of Esslingen no more than ten minutes away. Would I have known that the small village contained some of the most fascinating and classic examples of traditional German architecture? Blake took me down the windy cobblestone streets and beside the small canals. Vineyards covered the steep hills on either side of the town--it’s amazing how every bit of available space is utilized.

We returned for lunch at Calwer-Eck-Brau--perhaps Stuttgart’s finest microbrewery. The second-story restaurant was near the center of the city, and some fascinating interior woodwork separated the main room into distinct sections. It turned out they serve an all-you-can-eat buffet on Sundays, so I filled myself with the German, and more specifically Schwaben, style food. From what I know, Stuttgart is the benefactor of Black Forest heritage, which lends itself to the region’s unique food and beverage. I, for one, really enjoyed it.

After biking through the city for a while (the clouds had separated while we were eating lunch and the sun had come out), we prepared for the evening game. Stuttgart was matched up against Bayer Leverkusen in a Bundesliga tilt--and I was going to see it! The Mercedes Benz Arena finished a long-term renovation a few years ago, and now the stadium is spectacular. There’s room for over 60,000 spectators, and while it wasn’t sold out for this match, it’s still pretty loud when 50,000 cheer for a goal. Our seats were in the upper and left section of the Cannstatter Kurve--behind the net where the true fans sit. Below us was standing room only--packed with the club’s most loyal (and inebriated) supporters. Men on platforms held microphones, megaphones, and drums; they insured that the noise did not stop for one moment.

Stuttgart currently sits near the bottom of the tables, and when Leverkusen scored a easy goal off of a goalie mistake, I wondered whether the team and the fans would let down. We found out soon after that this would not be the case. The home side earned a penalty kick and promptly buried it to tie the score at one apiece. As the cold air set in the stadium stayed warm with the energy of the fans. I must have heard the cheer "Scheisst Ein Tor! Scheisst Ein Tor! Auf Geht Stuttgart, Scheisst Ein Tor!" about a hundred times. Following halftime, Stuttgart came out and scored one of the nicer goals I have seen live. The left wing beat two defenders going down the sideline before taking it to the end-line and sliding it across for an easy finish. Though Leverkusen tied it soon after on a nice header goal, the energy remained high until the final whistle. Not a bad experience at all. I feel very fortunate that the game lined up with my trip to Stuttgart and that Blake was so willing to help with tickets.

Three-story statue at the Cannstatter Volksfest

The fun didn't just end there. It also happened that I visited during Stuttgart's Cannstatter Volksfest. The fairgrounds are located right next door to the stadium, so along with nearly every other fan in attendance, Blake and I walked over to the festival. At half the size of Oktoberfest, it feels a little less touristy. Still, the party can still get pretty wild at the second biggest of Germany's fall festivals. Blake knew one of the bands playing in a smaller tent, so we listened to them sing anything from traditional German songs to "Sweet Caroline" for an hour. It wasn't like Oktoberfest where every square inch was packed, which made walking around easier. We saw some of the bigger tents before heading away from the grounds to get dinner.

We took the S-Bahn to one of Blake's favorite pubs, which served delicious local cuisine and specialty beer brewed in the Black Forest to the south of Stuttgart. I tried Flammkuchen--the form of pizza found in Germany's southwest. It has no tomato sauce; instead, a "creme fraiche" coats the crust, with the cheese, onions, and mushrooms or meat on top. It was delicious--certainly a well earned dinner. 

Monday was all about seeing the city--from the highest points possible. Blake drove me around in the morning to both of the hill spines that frame the city. The sun was out, and it was prefect to enjoy a casual morning in a beautiful place. Blake talked as we explored, and it's that type of tour guide which I enjoy most. Blake took time to show me around and make sure I enjoyed myself. I'm finding more and more that people are willing to go out of their way to make me feel comfortable--helping me to make the most out of my time here. 

I closed out my Stuttgart trip with a hike up to the top of the train station tower. The old stone staircase spiraled upwards for ten floors. I was sweating (a lot) by the time I reached the opening to roof lookout. It was a cool way to say goodbye to the city, one which definitely made a big impact me over my short stay.