Stuttgart is a top destination for car fanatics. Although subject to opinion, it is widely accepted that the first automobile was invented by Karl Benz in Stuttgart in 1886. Visitors can learn about the inception and development of the car in the Mercedes-Benz Museum, and the Porsche Museum takes guests on a journey through the history of the brand.

The kings of Württemberg once ruled in Stuttgart, and the many palaces in the area bear witness to this time. The New Palace is in the city center, and during summer the square is a popular hangout for locals and tourists alike. The building is now used by the state ministries of finance and education.

The buildings of Stuttgart's Weissenhof Estate are a feat of architecture. They were designed by the famous architects Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1927 as an exhibition on modern living. Both buildings by Le Corbusier (pictured) were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2016, together with several of his other works in seven different countries.

Stuttgart's theaters have something for everyone. There are six large, private theaters, around 20 smaller establishments and the multiple award-winning Stuttgart State Theater with opera, ballet and drama productions.

The city boasts 11 large museums, plus 30 smaller exhibition buildings and special collections. The Schweine Museum, for example, is about the art and cultural history of the pig. Among the classics is the Staatsgalerie with paintings and sculptures from the 14th to the 21st century. The architecture is a wonder in itself — a postmodern building combined with traditional building elements.

Stuttgart lies in a valley surrounded by vineyards. The winemaking industry has more presence here than in any other big German city, and a number of hiking trails take visitors through the vineyards. The tradition dates back 1,000 years, and the wine-growing museum (Weinbaumuseum) provides information about viticultural and oenological history.

A glass of Swabian wine goes hand in hand with some hearty Swabian food. Maultaschen, for example, are pasta pockets filled with minced meat, spinach and parsley. Visitors can sample Swabian cuisine in one of Stuttgart's many restaurants or in a "Besenwirtschaft" — traditional Swabian wine taverns that operate without a license for a maximum of four months a year.

The ingredients for a traditional Swabian meal can be found in all their forms at Stuttgart Markthalle. Even the most discerning foodies will be in their element here, and top chefs also come here to buy their produce. It's worth a visit just to see the Art Nouveau architecture, which is now listed as a historical monument.

The people of Stuttgart certainly know how to eat and drink … and party! The Cannstatter Volksfest, which normally takes place twice a year in spring and fall, is a huge festival with tents, stalls and fairground rides. This year, both events were canceled due to the coronavirus restrictions.

The best place to view this "Swabian paradise" is from the TV tower. It soars 217 meters (712 feet) above the houses and vineyards, and on a good day you can see the mountains of the Swabian Jura. Looking out from the tower at sunset, it's easy to understand why many people still see Stuttgart as paradise on Earth.

Berlin's endless rows of tenements were once horribly overcrowded, with large families often living in one- or two-room flats. But in recent years, these so-called Altbau, or old buildings, have enjoyed a rapid renaissance. These blocks in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin were, until the early 1990s, often empty and in a state of severe disrepair. Now everyone wants to rent an Altbau.

In former East Germany, where nearly all accommodation was rented from the government, prefab concrete housing blocks known as Plattenbau rose up across the communist nation. Not only were they cheap, but they were often preferred to Altbau apartments because they offered all modern conveniences like new plumbing that didn't leak, reliable electricity and hot water.

According to the most recent statistics from Statista (2015), 48 percent of Germans rent and 52 percent are home-owners. Most renters live in apartments - and make the most of their balconies. Some barbeque or lounge, while others grow overflowing gardens that utilize every last inch of precious outdoor space. Balconies can be veritable ecosystems that become rather bleak in the winter months.

In some Germans cities, particularly Berlin, rental houses are made up of front and back buildings separated by an inner courtyard through which the life of these rental communities ebb and flow. They are unique communal spaces across which people view each other's lives, and where they interact as they park their bicycles or access their numerous garbage bins.

Only the names of residents are used to identify the flats inside a building in Germany. These names on the intercom of a Hamburg apartment building typically have no corresponding flat number. That means you have to address letters to Germany clearly because the mail carrier only has the name to go by.

Known as WGs, or Wohngemeinschaften, shared apartments are popular in big cities where apartment prices are rising and availability is shrinking. People who share flats often also rent out the living area to bring prices down as much as possible. This is especially so in Berlin, a city full of artists, students and people on low budgets.

Painting the apartment before you leave is another German rental tradition. Leaving the walls shiny white for the next residents isn't such a bad thing - but it means you have to spend days preparing walls and climbing ladders before you move out. Not all rental contracts force tenants to paint the apartment - however they are obliged to leave it as they found it.

In some German cities, kitchens and appliances are not included in rental properties. That means the tenant has to purchase their own and have it installed at their expense. Alternatively, some people buy the previous tenant's kitchen at a discount if they aren't planning on taking it with them to their next living space.

Among the quirks of Altbau apartments is that many didn't use to include facilities, which were sometimes shared communally. That means that you'll find bathrooms today that are wedged into the smallest - and oddest - spaces. Or, in some cases, they might be huge and replace an entire former room. This shower in a Berlin flat was built in the kitchen cupboard.

When scanning apartment listings in Germany, you'll generally find the sizes given in square meters and the number of rooms. The latter includes not just bedrooms, but also living space. The kitchen and bathroom(s) are listed separately. Apartments are most expensive in Munich, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, where new tentants pay on average 16.55, 13.37 and 12.95 euros per square meter respectively.