Ljubljana

Ljubljana is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. The origin of the city's name is unclear. In the Middle Ages, both the river and the town were also known by the German name Laibach. This name was in official use as an endonym until 1918, and it remains frequent as a German exonym, both in common speech and official use.

During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the area. Ljubljana itself was first mentioned in the first half of the 12th century. It was under Habsburg rule from the Middle Ages until the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Situated at the middle of a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region, it was the historical capital of Carniola, a Slovene-inhabited part of the Habsburg Monarchy.

The city, with an area of 163.8 square kilometers, is situated in the Ljubljana Basin in Central Slovenia, between the Alps and the Karst.

The city's architecture is a mix of styles. Despite the appearance of large buildings, especially at the city's edge, Ljubljana's historic center remains intact. Although the oldest architecture has been preserved from the Roman period, Ljubljana's downtown got its outline in the Middle Ages.

The central square in Ljubljana is Prešeren Square (Prešernov trg) where the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation is located. Built between 1646 and 1660, it replaced an older Gothic church on the same site.

Ljubljana is famous for its bridges. The most notable bridges of Ljubljana are the Triple Bridge (Tromostovje), the Trnovo Bridge (Trnovski most), the Dragon Bridge (Zmajski most), the Hradecky Bridge (Slovene: Hradeckega most), and the Butchers' Bridge (Mesarski most). The Trnovo Bridge crosses the Gradaščica, whereas the others cross the Ljubljanica.

Each year, over 10,000 cultural events take place in the city, including ten international theater, music, and art festivals. The Ljubljana Festival is one of the two oldest festivals in former Yugoslavia (the Dubrovnik Summer Festival was established in 1950, and the Ljubljana Festival one in 1953).

Stuttgart

Stuttgart  is the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg with its population of more than 620,000 inhabitants. Stuttgart is the political center of the state, the seat of the state government of Baden-Württemberg and the state parliament, as well as the seat of numerous state authorities.

Art, culture, sport or architecture - the state capital of Baden-Württemberg offers something for everyone. The range of events and attractions is vastand includes the following:

Mercedes-Benz Museum Stuttgart: Visit the only place in the world that can present the history of automobile history from day one: the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Go on a time travel and head to the elevator at 34 meters high - back to the year 1886. Here starts the myth with the groundbreaking invention of Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz - the automobile. Hardly any other invention has shaped mankind to this day to this extent. Two interconnected tours lead you through the eventful history of the Mercedes-Benz brand in the architecturally spectacular building - combined with exciting themes of the times, past supersports cars, silver pillars and wing-doors. Both routes lead to one goal: the innovations of the present. Here, in the field of fascination technology, there are insights into current topics from research, design, development and production. Nine levels present 16,500 square feet of 160 stunning vehicles and more than 1,500 exhibitions. The exhibition is divided into myth and collection rooms. The myth rooms tell the story of the Mercedes-Benz brand and divide them into themes and epochs. The collection rooms show thematically arranged abundance and variety of the vehicles of the brand.

Großcomburg Swabian Hall - former monastery of the Benedictine monks: Großcomburg in Swabian Hall, a former Benedictine monastery, was founded in 1078. The castle-like structure with its walls, towers, chapels and buildings experienced its first flowering during the Staufer period. At the end of the 15th century, it was transformed into a choir house. The outdoor complex of Großcomburg is freely accessible and the 420 m long walkway offers wonderful views of the town of Swabian Hall and the Blickberg Einhorn (510 m high).

Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg: The Ludwigsburg Palace is one of the largest remaining baroque castles in Europe, and it is also one of the largest cultural centers with three new museum pieces - the Baroque Gallery, the Fashion and the Ceramics Museum. But it is not just the size and the new brilliance that justify the international popularity of this building. It is also unique for its princely apartments from the times of the Baroque, Rococo and the Empire that are preserved as a unity of space, together with wall decoration and rich furniture. Three generations of rulers, builders, artists and craftsmen have designed the rooms. The richness of creative ideas, which were realized in the style of that time, will make your visit to the castle an unforgettable journey.

The Tomb Chapel on the Wirttemberg (die Grabkapelle auf dem Württemberg) in Stuttgart was built by King William I as an eternal proof of love for his newly deceased wife Katharina. The architectural monument with its charming architecture is therefore regarded by many as the most romantic place in the country - with a magnificent view over Stuttgart. The Tomb Chapel lies in an exposed position above the Neckar valley and was built between 1820 and 1824. King Wilhelm deliberately chose the location of the former tribal castle of the dukes of Württemberg for his memorial. It was one of the favorite places of his late queen.

"Love never ceases" - The inscription above the main entrance is a promise which King William I made with the construction of the tomb chapel. After the sudden death of his wife, Queen Katharina, on January 9, 1819, King Wilhelm opened a competition for the construction of the chapel. He chose the design of the court architect Giovanni Salucci. Later the king and his older daughter Marie Friederike Charlotte of Württemberg also found their final rest here.

The Blühende Barock Ludwigsburg: Around the Residenzschloss, the Blühende Barock offers around 30 hectares a unique park landscape. Splendid gardening of different epochs and regions awaits visitors. From roses to the pharmacy garden, from the Japanese to the award-winning Sardinian garden - refined arrangements catch your eye at every corner. The colorful flower and gravel coils in the south of the complex invite you to a leisurely stroll. In addition, constantly changing exhibitions and flower displays are interesting highlights, especially the pumpkin exhibition in autumn. Even the little ones will not be bored: the fantastic magic world in the fairytale garden with its countless attractions is a fascinating place for children.

The Urach waterfall: The Urach waterfall, probably the most beautiful waterfall of the Swabian Alb, is situated in the beautiful Cornish valley on the outskirts of Bad Urach. The karst spring falls here from 37m height in the free fall into the depth and flows another 50m over a steep sloping. Particularly nice at the Urach waterfall is that you can look at it from different perspectives. From below you can see how the waterfall first falls 37 meters into the depth and then flows in cascades further down into the valley. As you climb the steep steps on the side of the falls, you will always get new impressions of this nature play.