• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Time Travel Turtle

A travel blog with stories beyond the brochure

  • HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • BY COUNTRY
    • WEST EUROPE
      • Belgium
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Ireland
      • Liechtenstein
      • Luxembourg
      • Netherlands
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Switzerland
      • Wales
    • NORTH EUROPE
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • Latvia
      • Lithuania
      • Norway
      • Sweden
    • SOUTH EUROPE
      • Cyprus
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Holy See
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Portugal
      • San Marino
      • Spain
    • EAST EUROPE
      • Austria
      • Belarus
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Hungary
      • Montenegro
      • Poland
      • Serbia
    • NORTH ASIA
      • China
      • Japan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Mongolia
      • North Korea
      • Tajikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • SOUTH ASIA
      • Cambodia
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Myanmar
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Sri Lanka
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • Antigua & Barbuda
      • Belize
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • USA
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
    • AFRICA
      • Egypt
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
    • OCEANIA
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • Jordan
      • Turkey
  • MOST POPULAR
    • The world’s oldest backpacker
    • Orangutans in Borneo
    • The need for speed
    • Trying to get out of the slum
    • The lake swamped with tourism
    • Journey into Dreamland
    • The village where life begins again
    • Is Cambodia safe for travellers?
    • Making the perfect gin and tonic
  • UNESCO

Where the car was born

March 20, 2020 | Michael Turtle | 15 Comments

CAR MUSEUM

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

It was here, in the Germany city of Stuttgart, that the first modern automobile was created.

It’s almost unrecognisable by today’s standards but the patent that Karl Benz submitted in 1886 for a vehicle with a gas engine and three wheels is generally considered to be the “birth certificate” of today’s cars.

How that legacy that he created more than a century ago has grown!

Not only does the world respect the Mercedes-Benz like almost no other car brand – but here in the Baden-Wurttemberg region of Germany, its parent company, Daimler, is industrial royalty.

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

“What are you doing here in Stuttgart,” a guy asks me and some other bloggers at a bar on the first night in town.

Without getting into specifics, we tell him that we’re here for work.

“Oh, don’t tell me,” he says. “You work for Daimler, right?”

We don’t. Obviously. But it shows you the reputation the motoring giant has in Stuttgart when that’s the first and the obvious assumption people make.

In this region, about 150,000 people are employed by Daimler – the majority working directly on the Mercedes-Benz brand.

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

Not everything happens behind the scenes, though. The company has weaved its way into the community fabric of Stuttgart.

Apart from the fact that a lot of people seem to drive a Mercedes-Benz, the main sporting arena is called the Mercedes-Benz Arena… and then there’s the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

The museum tells the history of 125 years of the car company. The building itself, though, represents more of the future than the past.

It’s a modern structure with a design based on a double-helix. When you arrive, you are whisked up in a glass elevator to the seventh floor where you begin the spiral journey downwards past more than 150 vehicles.

“Welcome to the museum,” the voice comes through my headphones.

“Our audio guide will accompany you on your tour. Once you’ve started the sound recording, as you did just now, you can walk wherever you like…”

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

There’s more information than you can reasonably take in during one visit. The audio guide has a general introduction to each section and then each display has even more facts and figures you can listen to if something takes your particular interest.

I feel like I’m missing out if I race through too quickly – but I’m also worried I will never get out if I try to listen to everything. I stop at just one or two vehicles in each section.

“This 40 horsepower Mercedes Simplex belonged to the American billionaire William K Vanderbilt,” the voice in my ear tells me.

“Delivered in March 1902, it is today the world’s oldest surviving Mercedes…”

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

If this was all you ever knew about cars, you would be forgiven for thinking that Mercedes-Benz ruled the roads. I suppose it’s natural that a company wants to promote its own image but there is little (if any) context of how the brand fits into the broader automotive industry.

In a city that is so reliant and intertwined with one particular manufacturer, perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise.

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

Vroom. The sound of a car racing moves from left to right across the large hall displaying more than a dozen racing models.

The exhibition is as modern as the building containing it. Lightshows, sound effects, impressive display designs.

The museum is clearly trying to capture the style and sophistication of the cars that bear its name. It makes for an experience beyond the purely informative and often I find myself admiring the way things have been laid out more than the actual cars.

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

Still, if you accept that the “birth certificate” of the modern car was created here, this is a fitting tribute to its life. One that clearly has many years and miles still to run.

>> More info about the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart <<

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN STUTTGART

You might find it convenient to get accommodation that’s walking distance from the main train station so you can easily explore the region.

BACKPACKER

If you’re looking for a budget option, the Youth Hostel Stuttgart International is one of Germany’s best.

BUDGET

For a basic but comfortable and cheap hotel, I would suggest Hotel Astoria.

BOUTIQUE

A good modern hotel in Stuttgart that’s a great option is Jaz Stuttgart.

LUXURY

And I think the best luxury hotel in Stuttgart is the Le Meridien, which also has a perfect location.

Time Travel Turtle was a guest of Baden-Wurttemberg and DB Bahn but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

Stuttgart Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT STUTTGART?

See my Stuttgart Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Stuttgart:

  • My tips for the best things to do in Stuttgart
  • Explore the city’s fascinating motoring history
  • Why Ludwigsburg Palace is one of the best in Germany
  • The Cannstatter Volksfest could almost be better than Oktoberfest!
  • Visiting the Mercedes-Benz Museum is one of the best things you can do in Stuttgart
  • If you really love cars, maybe you want to sleep in one!
  • Don’t miss this quirky museum dedicated to… pigs

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a tour of Germany, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours of Germany.

You could consider:

  • Explore Central Europe – National Geographic (9 days)
  • The best of Eastern Europe (14 days)
  • Eastern Europe, Croatia, the Balkans (28 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you should use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Colleen Brynn |

    October 30, 2013 at 5:51 am

    Reply

    I’m not a car buff by any means, but I can appreciate the sleekness and beauty of the cars and this building. What an impressive structure. Sounds like it was a great visit.

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 10, 2013 at 10:00 pm

      Reply

      That’s exactly it – you don’t need to care too much about cars to appreciate this place. If you like design and cool visuals, then that along makes the trip worthwhile!

  2. Devlin @ Marginal Boundaries |

    October 30, 2013 at 6:57 am

    Reply

    Mercedes-Benz has always produced some fantastically superb vehicles, design & performance wise. I’d love to check this museum out some day. I’ve always had a bit of a car buff in me.

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 10, 2013 at 9:59 pm

      Reply

      The only problem with going to the museum is that you then want to go out and buy a Merc! Thank goodness that wasn’t really an option for me 🙂

  3. TammyOnTheMove |

    October 30, 2013 at 6:10 pm

    Reply

    I have been to the BMW museum in Munich once and it was fascinating too. I always like the old cars best.

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 10, 2013 at 9:58 pm

      Reply

      I’ll have to check out the BMW museum sometime. I guess if any country is going to have heaps of car museums, it’s going to be Germany!

  4. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    November 1, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Reply

    They have made some beautifully designed cars – and separate entirely from that, the building itself is gorgeous and I love the way you are directed slowly through from the 7th floor moving ever downward.

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 10, 2013 at 9:48 pm

      Reply

      The whole experience is so enjoyable – I absolutely love the design of the museum. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the exhibits and information but it would be heaven for a car nut. You could spend hours listening to the audioguide about all the different makes and models.

  5. Jennifer |

    November 1, 2013 at 8:22 pm

    Reply

    This is still one of the car museums we still need to visit! We’ve been putting together a car lover’s guide to Germany will all the auto related things you can do throughout the country!

    http://jdombstravels.com/car-lovers-guide-to-germany/

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 10, 2013 at 9:46 pm

      Reply

      If you’re putting together a car lover’s guide – you definitely need to include this! I imagine there’s a lot to do in Germany for a car enthusiast but this place has got to be one of the highlights. The museum is just so well done!

  6. Chirsty Wilson |

    November 12, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    Reply

    German engineering is world class engineering. Everyone loves German cars. M-Benz is popular car and everyone attracts towards its beauty, comfort and power.
    Glad to see post on German Engineering.

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 29, 2013 at 1:47 am

      Reply

      Thanks, Chirsty. German engineering is legendary around the world and when you go somewhere like the M-Benz museum, you can see why!

  7. Charles Oliver |

    October 1, 2014 at 11:21 am

    Reply

    Great!

  8. Richard Fraizer |

    December 8, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    Reply

    I think there’s a lot of action going on in Miami. Speedhut

  9. Ron Tully |

    July 19, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    Reply

    thank you for sharing this! i really love this cars wow. i wish could go there.

Primary Sidebar

This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

Want Occasional Updates?

Sign up to be the first to hear the latest about the adventures of Time Travel Turtle. You'll also get access to special offers and exclusive news.
Thank you! You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

Search

  • PRIVACY POLICY