Hard to miss and easy to like, the Stuttgart City Library is a massive white cube just a short walk from the main station. Step inside and you're in a vast, white space that feels more like a sci-fi film set than a library. Books line open balconies around a light-filled atrium, everything quiet, clean, and geometric. Head to the rooftop for a surprisingly good city view, or grab a coffee downstairs and just take it all in.

Oudayas Kasbah near Rabat's nedina has kept its old cannons placed on a bastion. Its massive gate is entirely carved, while its blue and white walls give it a Mediterranean atmosphere. Cobbled streets lead to the El Atiqa Mosque, the oldest in the city, and on to the old semaphore platform. The view from here, or the terrace of the neighbouring Café Maure, is splendid: Rabat, nearby Salé and Bouregreg river meeting the ocean. The Oudayas Palace, further on up, which now houses the National Museum, has conserved its markedly simple and balanced original decor. The Andalusian Gardens below are a heaven of peace full of fruit trees, rose-laurels and cascades of bougainvilleas.

This baptistery is one of the oldest examples of Christian architecture in Europe and houses an interesting collection of stone coffins. Built on a Roman foundation in the early 4th century, the site was reconstructed in the Middle Ages.

Stuttgart has the second-largest mineral water reserves in Europe, just after Budapest. In Bad Cannstatt, 19 springs produce around 44 million litres of mineral water daily. Locals have been using these waters for centuries, and today, three public mineral spas keep the tradition alive: DAS LEUZE, Mineralbad Berg, and SoleBad Cannstatt. DAS LEUZE is the most modern of the three, with indoor and outdoor pools fed by natural mineral springs, a large sauna area, and a dedicated children’s section. It’s located right by the Neckar River and easily accessible via public transport.