11 Apr 2019
Tags: SouthWest Germany, Hockenheim, car racing, Automobile, automobile museums, W series, Bertha Benz, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz museum, Bertha Benz Memorial route, Stuttgart, Motorworld, V8 Hotel, Porsche, Porsche museum, Stuttgart Airport
On Saturday May 4, sporting history will be made at Hockenheim, the famous motor racing circuit in SouthWest Germany. When the chequered flag drops, that will signal the finish of Round One of the W Series, the first-ever all-women's motor race. No circuit could be more appropriate. Back in 1888, Bertha Benz drove her husband's newly-invented automobile on the first-ever long-distance car journey. And she drove through Hockenheim! SouthWest Germany is the birthplace of the car – and is unmatched for motoring experiences. Think two of the world's best motoring museums (Mercedes-Benz and Porsche) and a cool motor-themed hotel.
Stuttgart: Motor City
In the late 1800s, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler raced to make the first “horseless carriage”. Benz won with his Motorwagen; Daimler patented the world's first combustion engine. In Stuttgart, tour the Mercedes-Benz Museum; learn how the car changed the world. In Schorndorf, Daimler's birthplace is now a small museum. Stuttgart's other must see is the sleek Porsche Museum. Engineer/designer Ferdinand Porsche built his Porsche 356 in Stuttgart; the familiar black horse badge is the city's coat of arms!
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/classic/museum/, www.porsche.com/en
The 100% motor experience
A great destination for car lovers is MOTORWORLD Stuttgart. In Böblingen, near Stuttgart, see legendary car marques from Ferrari F40s to Porsche 911s; photograph vintage Mercedes-Benz and BMWs for sale; watch technicians restoring Bentleys and Lamborghinis. Next door, stay at the V8 Hotel with 26 bedrooms themed on anything from Route 66 to a carwash or filling station. The foot of your bed might be the fascia of a BMW E36, an Alfa Romeo or a Cadillac!
www.motorworld.de/en, www.v8hotel.de/en/
Getting there; getting about
With direct flights from the UK to Stuttgart Airport, it is easy to take in the W Series at Hockenheim. Visit Stuttgart's Porsche and Mercedes-Benz Museums; stay at the V8 Hotel. For a longer break, follow the 120-mile Bertha Benz Memorial Route. The first real driver in history was a woman; she completed her “tour” of SouthWest Germany safely. By the way, if you want to drive round the Hockenheim circuit, you can: with a professional driver or in your own car!
A digital version of this press release - as well as more detailed information on SouthWest Germany - is available on our website www.tourism-bw.com/Press
Contact:
State Tourist Board Baden-Württemberg
Esslinger Strasse 8
70182 Stuttgart, Germany
presse@tourismus-bw.de
