Stuttgart is the capital and the largest city of the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located in a picturesque valley on the Neckar River. Many of its streets end with staircases leading to the tops of hills covered with vineyards and other vegetation. This is especially surprising to tourists who associate Stuttgart with its reputation as the cradle of the automotive industry, thanks to the world-famous Mercedes-Benz and Porsche factories located here. Along with the city's historic center, the Wilhelma Park, a favorite recreation spot for Stuttgart residents, and the Weissenhof district, an excellent monument to last century's architecture, their museums, occupying stunning architectural buildings, are recommended by all regional travel guides.
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is part of an entire complex located on the same grounds as the company's headquarters, a shop selling retro and modern cars, and the "Mercedes-Benz Arena", renamed "MHP-Arena" in July 2023. This is the home stadium of the football club "Stuttgart", where five Euro 2024 matches will be held. This stadium has a long and fascinating history, beginning in the late 1920s - early 1930s. It was built during the National Socialist era and from 1933 to 1945 was called the "Adolf-Hitler-Kampfbahn". After the war, Stuttgart fell into the American zone of influence. The Americans renamed the stadium "Century Stadium", and from 1945 to 1949, they played baseball here. It hosted the 1974 World Cup matches, the 1988 European Championship, and the 2006 World Cup, finals of European club tournaments, as well as world and European championships in athletics, before being converted into a football-only stadium. This reconstruction was completed by the end of 2011. During the upcoming European Championship, matches between Germany - Hungary, Scotland - Hungary, Slovenia - Denmark, Ukraine - Belgium, as well as a quarter-final match, will take place at the "MHP-Arena".
All the most significant successes of club football in Stuttgart are associated with "Stuttgart." Five times - in 1950, 1952, 1984, 1992, and 2007, this club became the champion of Germany, three times - in 1954, 1958, and 1997, it won the national cup, reaching the finals of the 1988/89 UEFA Cup and the 1997/98 Cup Winners' Cup. The successes of the city's second most popular club, "Stuttgarter Kickers", are much more modest. They became vice-champions of Germany in the distant year of 1908. In 1981, "Stuttgarter Kickers", as a participant in the Second Bundesliga, took part in the Intertoto Cup, winning its group. And in 1987, the blue-whites reached the final of the German Cup.
Despite the difference in size and the fact that "Stuttgart" and "Stuttgarter Kickers" have not played against each other for a long time, their fan movements do not like each other. Speaking of "Stuttgart" ultras, it is worth mentioning their quite high activity, friendly relations, including with the ultras of the French "Saint-Étienne" and the Italian "Cesena", as well as the thick fanzine StoCCarda, published by the Commando Cannstatt 1997 group.
Ultimately, Stuttgart knows how to surprise and delight - it is comfortable to live and chill here, and after getting to know it, you will want to return many times.
