The lower part of the Königstraße up as far as the Schlossplatz (Palace Square) was laid out at the beginning of the 19th century during the reign of Friedrich, the first king of Württemberg, when he moved the royal stables and the Eberhardskirche (St. Eberhard's Church) here from Solitude Palace. The start of the pedestrian precinct, where Stuttgart Marketing GmbH's "i-Punkt" tourist information centre is now located, was once the site of the Königstor, or King's Gate, before its remains were demolished in 1922.
For the 1977 national gardening exhibition the approx. 400 metres of the lower Königstraße were redesigned as a pedestrian precinct with fountains, trees, kiosks and playground equipment by the Stuttgart architects' office Behnisch.
Nowadays Königstrasse is a busy shopping boulevard 1.2 kilometres long with specialist shops, department stores, cafés, restaurants and relaxation areas. One of Germany's longest and finest shopping thoroughfares, it begins opposite the main railway station and runs right through the heart of the city. Other streets to the right and left of it, such as Eberhardstrasse, Stiftstrasse and stylish Calwer Strasse are equally inviting, with elegant shops and boutiques.
