Venture through time and discover the Stuttgarter Weinsteige, a path that has evolved from a medieval vineyard path to an essential part of Stuttgart’s urban landscape.
The Stuttgart Weinsteige is one of the most historically significant transport routes in the city. A distinction must be made between the Old Weinsteige and the New Weinsteige. The Old Weinsteige can be traced back to the 14th century and was first documented in 1350. It led from the area of the Esslinger Gate along what is now Hauptstätter Straße toward the horse-changing stations near what later became Marienplatz, and from there up to the Haigst, long considered the highest point within Stuttgart’s municipal boundaries.
This route was not only topographically important but also politically astute: it avoided areas that were at times under the control of the Free Imperial City of Esslingen, particularly around Vaihingen and Möhringen.
At the same time, the Old Weinsteige was far more than just a steep ascent out of the valley basin. It served as a key route for the transport of wine and goods between the upland and lowland regions, making it one of the vital arteries of historic Stuttgart. This role is also reflected linguistically: in Württemberg, the Weinsteige marked the dividing line between areas described as “above the ascent” (ob der Steig) and “below the ascent” (unter der Steig).
For cart traffic, the route was notorious, as the incline was so steep that heavily loaded wagons often required substantial additional horse teams to make the climb.
It was only with the construction of the New Weinsteige that the old route lost its dominant importance. Between 1826 and 1831, a new, wider, and more efficient road was built according to the plans of senior building officer Gottlieb Christian Eberhard von Etzel. This was a modern infrastructure project of its time and considered an engineering milestone, as it made the ascent to the Filder plateau significantly more manageable than the old cart track. According to common tradition, the road was initially called Wilhelmstraße, in honor of King Wilhelm I, before the name New Weinsteige eventually prevailed.
However, the Old Weinsteige did not become irrelevant. On the contrary, with the construction of the cog railway in the late 19th century, it gained a new and lasting significance. Since 1884, the Stuttgart “Zacke” has run along the Old Weinsteige up to Degerloch, transforming the historic route once again into an important connection between the valley and the heights—this time primarily for passenger transport rather than freight.
Thus, the history of the two Weinsteige roads reflects Stuttgart’s transformation in a unique way: from a medieval trade and wine route to a royal 19th-century highway and finally to a key element of modern urban transport.
A charming additional detail is that “Weinsteige” is not only a street name but remains a traditional term in Stuttgart’s viticulture to this day. The name therefore lives on not only in transport history but also in the city’s cultural landscape.
