Sommerfest is a festival that takes place in Stuttgart, Germany. It has been called the most elegant open-air event. It’s held every year at the beginning of August and attracts about half a million people.

Its center is near the opera house and Neue Schloss both of which are transformed into a dreamy wonderland of white tents and pagodas and colorful light displays. A variety of music genres play including jazz, dixie and South African rhythms.

But it’s no surprise that the food is the star of the event. Unlike most outdoor festivals, the vendors serve a variety of delicacies including beef fillet, salmon, Prosecco and fancy cocktails. Read on to find out more.

History

The event started as a one off in 1991. It was first held at the end of the cycling world championships in the capital of Baden-Wurttemberg but it quickly became a tradition.

The idea was to allow people to stroll through the glamorous area to enjoy the music emitted from the five different stages. They could take in the tables with white fabric tablecloths that replaced beer tents and the elegant pagodas that served the finest cuisine in the area. The festival never fails to impress visitors with its upscale beauty.

Music

While visiting the festival guests can be entertained by the wide variety of music performers. 25 bands and solo artists provide a total of 100 hours of live music that mixes diverse musical genres.

Food

Despite the terrific entertainment, the food remains the star of the festival. Guests can choose from four different menus including:

• Tower 66 Steakhouse & Bar: The menu includes terrific burger and turf and surf options. The one page of food is balanced by three pages of beers and cocktails.

• Schmeig Gastro: This fresh food menu offers a variety of pastas, steaks, salads, desserts and plenty of alcoholic beverages.

• Schmucker Catering: This menu lists steak, salad and pasta dishes as well as a good choice of spirits.

• Menu Game Specialties Gobel: Enjoy a variety of German dishes and drinks.

Getting There

The city anticipates large crowds during Sommerfest and plans accordingly. The festival is centrally located as it is close to the Stuttgart main station. There are also plenty of parking spaces within walking distance, but the traffic will be bad, so public transportation is recommended.

What to Do in Stuttgart

Sommerfest is likely to take up a good amount of your time during your stay, but if you have a few extra hours, here are some other things you can enjoy when you’re in the city.

Staatsgalerie

This museum dates back to 1843 and sits in a scenic Neoclassical building with a Post-Modern extension. The original building is filled with painting and sculptures up to the 1800’s with a strong focus on the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The newer annex features 20th century work featuring artists like Matisse, Picasso, Dali, Mondrian and more.

Mercedes Benz Museum

The museum is housed in a curved metallic building with a double helix that allows for two parallel audio guided tours, one that reveals the history of the brand and the other showing the diversity of the vehicles. The design allows you to switch from one tour to another at any given moment. The two routes converge allowing guest to check out the brand’s 21st century designs. There are 16- vehicles and 1500 plus exhibits overall.

Porsche Museum

You can’t see the Mercedes Benz Museum without seeing the Porsche Museum. It’s located in Zuffenhausen, just up the road from Stuttgart. It provides insight on the early days of the brand moving forward to modern day. It has several interactive displays with timeless classics and over 80 vehicles.

Wilhelma Zoological Botanical Zoo

The Wilhelma Zoological Botanical Zoo is located just north of Stuttgart on the grounds of a royal palace. It opened in 1880 as a pleasure park but was rebuilt as a zoo after the war. It has over 1000 species making it second only to the Berlin Zoo. Its Amazon House has 2000 plant species as well as habitats for mammals, reptiles and fish. Its botanical garden features Europe’s largest magnolia grown, thousands of orchids and dozens of camellia and azalea varieties.

Killesbergpark

Killesbergpark was originally landscaped for a horticultural show in 1939. It features 50 hectares of gardens, fountains and sculptures. Its Tal der Rosen, or Valley of Roses, blooms in the summer making for an impressive display of over 200 dahlias. Children can enjoy feeding donkeys, ponies and goats at the park farm and ride the steam railway and diesel-powered tram.

Schlossplatz

Schlossplatz is a square that sits in the middle of Stuttgart. It comes from the façade of the Neues Schloss, the Classical seat of the kings of Wurttemberg and HQ for ministries of the Baden Wurttemburg state government. The space in front serves as a garden, parade ground and an event space for open air concerts. It features a formal garden with fountains and a monumental column for William I. The south side contains the Gothic Old Palace for the Counts of Wurttembuert, which is now a state museum. At the north sits the cupola of the Kunstgebaude build for the Wurttemberg Art Association in the 1910’s.

If you are looking to get out of town at the end of summer, Sommerfest provides the perfect opportunity. It offers terrific food, great entertainment and there are so many awe-inspiring sites to see. Will you be scheduling a trip there this year?

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