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In some cities, the walk home can quickly turn into a fitness workout. A city in Baden-Württemberg probably has the most staircases in all of Germany.
Convenience has crept into many everyday situations. A prime example of this would probably be the decision between the elevator and the stairs. In most cases we choose the elevator rather than the arduous journey up the stairs. But there is a large city in Baden-Württemberg where climbing stairs is often unavoidable when strolling through the city: This metropolis is one of the cities with the most stairs in Germany.
There are over 400 outdoor stairs in the Stuttgart basin. They are called “Stuttgarter Stäffele” by the city’s residents. © Arnulf Hettrich/IMAGO
More than 400 open-air stairs keep the people of Stuttgart busy
The “Swabian metropolis” Stuttgart not only houses one of the most famous shopping streets in Baden-Württemberg, which is known for having previously been a moat. A trip to the state capital is a constant ups and downs. In the basin there are between 400 and 600 open-air stairs, which are known as “Stuttgarte Stäffele”. How many there are exactly is not known. That’s why Stuttgart competes with Wuppertal for the title of the city with the most stairs in Germany.
The “Stäffele” originally served as access to the vineyards on the slopes of the valley basin. Today they are mainly used as paths or shortcuts to the new, higher residential areas of the city. Because of the many staircases, the residents of Stuttgart are called “Stäffelesrutscher”. In any case, the city is proud of its stairs and invests several hundred thousand euros every year in their maintenance and renovation.
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These two well-known “Stäffele” are considered the most beautiful
Pedestrians who want to climb all the stairs in Stuttgart would have to climb around 20 kilometers of steps throughout the city. Visitors who plan to do this are recommended to visit the “Eugenstaffel” on Eugenstrasse and the “Willy-Reichert-Staffel” on Karlshöhe. The two open-air staircases are not only the most famous among the “Stuttgarter Stäffele”, they are also considered to be the most beautiful.
Pedestrians can quickly gain a lot of altitude in the basin. Plus, anyone who climbs the stairs will be treated to stunning views of the city while staying fit. The Swabian dialect poet Friedrich E. Vogt commented on this: “If Stuagert had no staff, (…) his girl wouldn’t be so slim and not so pretty!” (Translated: If there were no stairs in Stuttgart, the girls wouldn’t be like that slim and beautiful.) However, this does not make the city barrier-free.
