This traditional Swabian town near Stuttgart Airport has timber-framed buildings from the 16th century and a weekly farmers' market in its historic center.
Leinfelden-Echterdingen sits 10 kilometers south of Stuttgart. You can learn about 500 years of card game history at the German Playing Card Museum, watch summer performances at the open-air theater built into the hillside, or hike through beech and oak forests in the Schönbuch Nature Park. With Stuttgart Airport next door and quick access to the A8 highway, you can easily explore the wider Baden-Württemberg region from here.
Getting Around Leinfelden-Echterdingen
S-Bahn trains run every 15 minutes between Stuttgart and all four districts of the town: Leinfelden, Echterdingen, Musberg, and Stetten. The trip to Stuttgart's center takes 20 minutes. Local buses connect to Stuttgart Airport, which is a 5-minute ride away. The A8 highway and B27 federal road give you direct access to other cities in Baden-Württemberg.
Cultural Venues and Museums
The German Playing Card Museum displays over 20,000 cards dating from the 15th century to today, showing how card designs and printing methods changed over time. At the local history museum, you'll find agricultural tools, photographs, and documents that tell the story of the town's development. Three theaters put on regular shows: the hillside open-air theater stages classical plays in summer, the Theater under the Domes focuses on contemporary works, and the Theaterscheuer Mäulesmühle presents comedy shows in a 200-year-old mill building.
Sports and Recreation
Four sports centers across town give you access to indoor courts, running tracks, and exercise equipment. Two indoor swimming pools open year-round: one with a 25-meter lap pool and another with water slides and a children's area. Local sports clubs organize regular training sessions in volleyball, basketball, and gymnastics.
Nature and Outdoor Spaces
The Schönbuch Nature Park begins at the town's edge, with 156 square kilometers of beech, oak, and pine forest. Walking paths range from 2-kilometer paved loops to 15-kilometer forest trails. Information boards along the paths explain the local flora and fauna. You'll find trail maps at five entry points around town.
Business District
About 20,000 people work in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, with Daimler Truck's worldwide headquarters as the largest employer. The main business area stretches between the airport and Stuttgart Trade Fair, including three technology parks and several office buildings. The location between Stuttgart's center and the airport has attracted many international companies' regional offices.
