Stuttgart

Situated in south-west Germany, Stuttgart is an important manufacturing hub, with both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz having headquarters here. Despite this, the city is enviably green, with lush parks and sprawling vineyard-draped surrounds, all ripe for walkers.

Wilhelma, one of Europe's largest zoos and botanical gardens, is the city's best-loved family attraction, while the glossy Porsche and Mercedes-Benz museums are must-visits for car lovers too. For city slickers favoring the finer things in life, Stuttgart caters: here you can dine out in a swanky restaurant, sample the region's wine in a rustic bar, or take your seat for a world-class ballet, opera, or philharmonic orchestral performance.