Buses also travel to Messe Stuttgart from nearby Esslingen, Göppingen, Reutlingen and Tübingen.

One of the most striking features of Messe Stuttgart is its huge parking garage, which spans the A8 Autobahn and can accommodate 4,200 vehicles on five levels.

Display rights for the 4-ton logo on both sides of the garage's bridge were sold to Robert Bosch GmbH, which paid around 20 million euros for exclusive advertising space.

Immediately after opening, Messe Stuttgart was plagued by a number of unexpected teething problems, ranging from faulty barcode readers at the entrances to poor signage.

After compulsory repossession of land was approved by the Baden-Württemberg State Government, demonstrations led to a string of court cases between landowners and the company hired to build the new center.