Mercedes-Benz Museum

The building, designed by UNStudio and opened in 2006, is based on a double helix: visitors take a lift to the top and walk down, choosing between a chronological Legend route and a thematic Collection route, which spiral around each other on separate ramps and cross only at intervals, so the same structure carries two independent visits. The collection starts with the 1886 Patent-Motorwagen, generally treated as the first automobile, and runs through commercial vehicles, racing cars including the Silver Arrows, and popemobiles. The company traces its origins to Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler working separately in this region in the 1880s.

What you actually see

• The double helix - two visitor routes spiralling down without merging.
• The 1886 Patent-Motorwagen - the vehicle usually called the first car.
• The Silver Arrows - racing cars from several eras on a banked display.
• The commercial vehicles - trucks, buses and fire engines across the century.

When to go

Year-round; the museum closes Mondays. It is quieter late in the day. Allow three hours minimum, more to do both routes properly.

Honest expectations

The building is large and doing both routes is tiring. It closes Mondays. Factory tours are separate and book out far ahead.

Nearby

The Porsche Museum lies north; central Stuttgart is southwest.