Stuttgart Festive Sparkle

With impressive car museums featuring Mercedes-Benz and Porsche too, these are probably the main attractions for many visitors to Stuttgart, but in December the allure is definitely the wonderful Christmas markets.  With the accolade of 'one of the biggest and most beautiful Christmas Markets in Europe' I went for a short Advent break to discover this appealing German city.

An efficient train link connects Stuttgart airport to the city centre.  The journey only takes half an hour before you then emerge at the top end of the wide pedestrian-only shopping street.  Based on positive reviews and central location, I'd booked the charming and comfortable, luxury Althoff Hotel Am Schlossgarten, which was a wonderful haven with truly fabulous staff.

First stop a restorative coffee and poppy seed pastry (half) before exploring further afield.  

With the delicious smell of mulled wine in the air, browsing the stalls laden with tempting festive treats was such a pleasure.  I had to remember to keep looking up at the surrounding architecture, which really set the scene for the stalls.  There's an annual competition for the best decorated wooden cabin.  Pine branches, nativity scenes, baubles and angels abound.

Keen to enjoy traditional German cooking, dinner each evening was at wine cellar restaurants featuring rustic decor such as at the Stuttgarter Staeffele below and excellent wines from the region.  

Here, the signature house dish on the menu especially for Advent, is Spaetzle (little pasta like dumplings made with saffron) with fillet of beef / pork and a mushroom sauce.  Served with a side order of sauerkraut cabbage and a salad to lighten the hearty fare.  Wine is served in glass mugs and 'TL' or Trollinger Lemburger is the popular red wine.  Most wine produced in Germany is white, but the Baden-Wurttemberg region grows mainly red grapes.

Best of all was dessert and this apple fritter generously dusted with cinnamon sugar, served with homemade vanilla ice cream was the star of the show.

I'd like to think all the miles walked would burn off the calories, but a few days' indulgence was definitely a lovely experience.  With festive music, carols and mulled wine, shopping pre-Christmas in Stuttgart definitely provided a seasonal treat.