Königstraße shopping street

Duke Friedrich II, king since 1806, began making Stuttgart the royal residence of his expanding empire. Under him and his successor Wilhelm I, the city walls were razed and the Königstrasse was redesigned into a boulevard according to plans by Nikolaus Friedrich von Thouret and Carl Etzel. At the end of the Königstrasse is the Königstor, and just a short distance to the left is the great royal stable. By 1843, the southeast side of the street, which was largely still used as garden land in the early 19th century, was filled with buildings.

Königstrasse was open to car traffic until the 1960s, but was later redesigned as a pedestrian zone with fountains, trees, kiosks and playground equipment by the office of the Königstrasse. Architect Günter Behnisch. In the late 1960s and 1970s, trams were moved underground, where, among other things, the Klett passage between the main train station and Königstrasse and the new underground stop at Schloßplatz was created.

Today Königstrasse is a busy 1.2 km long shopping boulevard with specialized shops, department stores, cafés, restaurants and relaxation areas. One of Germany's longest and best shopping streets, it begins across from the main train station and runs right through the city centre. Other streets to its right and left, such as stylish Eberhardstrasse, Stiftstrasse and Calwer Strasse are equally appealing, lined with chic boutiques and boutiques.

Address: Königstraße, 70173 Stuttgart