Frankfurt or Stuttgart?

Neither city is a choice for a beach trip, and both are a long way from any coast. The summer swimming is different, though. Frankfurt has gravel-pit lakes such as the Langener Waldsee, with sandy shores in the forest south of the city. Stuttgart's best option is outdoor pools fed by its mineral springs, and the nearest large swimming lake, Lake Constance, is more than two hours away.

Both serve hearty regional cooking, but Stuttgart's is more distinctive and better supported by local wine. Its Maultaschen, Käsespätzle and Zwiebelrostbraten come with Trollinger and Riesling from vineyards on the city's own slopes. In season, growers open Besen taverns in their homes and serve wine with onion tart. Stuttgart also has more fine dining than you would expect for a city its size.

Frankfurt's local food is a shorter list: Grüne Soße and Handkäs mit Musik, eaten with Apfelwein in the Sachsenhausen taverns. It makes up for this with range. Bahnhofsviertel is full of cheap food from around the world, and the Turkish and Asian cooking is easier to find than in Stuttgart.

These two are fairly even on sights, but their character is very different. Frankfurt has the traditional collections: the Städel's old masters and a dozen more museums along both banks of the Main. Close by are the rebuilt Römer, the Paulskirche and Goethe's birthplace, all beneath the tallest skyline in Germany.

Stuttgart's heritage is industry and modern design. The Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums are the main draws, and the Weissenhof Estate's Le Corbusier houses are part of a UNESCO listing. The Neues Schloss and the Staatsgalerie add a more classical side.

Frankfurt is the better city for going out. With Offenbach, it played a big part in the history of techno and house, and serious clubs still keep that tradition going at weekends. The Bahnhofsviertel has rough edges and plenty of character, while Berger Straße and the summer riverbanks offer something calmer.

Stuttgart's evenings are friendly but more limited. Most of the action is on the bar strip along Theodor-Heuss-Strasse, and the city settles down early on weeknights. It is at its liveliest during the Cannstatter Volksfest beer tents in autumn and the late-summer wine village.

There is little between them here. Both offer gentle walking and cycling country rather than mountains. Stuttgart's countryside starts closer to the centre: vineyard trails climb its basin walls, and the deer forests of the Rotwildpark are near the city. Within about an hour are the limestone cliffs and caves of the Swabian Jura and the fir woods of the northern Black Forest.

From Frankfurt, the beech forests of the Taunus and the Großer Feldberg are under an hour away by public transport. The huge Stadtwald and the flat cycle paths along the Main are right in the city, and the Rheingau vineyards make for scenic walks a little further out.

Both are excellent bases, but Frankfurt has more destinations within easy reach. As a hub of the high-speed rail network, it reaches the castles of the Rhine Gorge, Heidelberg, Cologne Cathedral and Würzburg's Residenz in about an hour or a little more. Mainz, Wiesbaden and Darmstadt are closer still, and you could fill a week without repeating a direction.

Stuttgart has a strong list of its own. Ludwigsburg's palace and Esslingen are a short ride away, Tübingen and Heidelberg take under an hour, and further trips reach Hohenzollern Castle, Ulm Minster and the monastery at Maulbronn. Strasbourg is possible for a long day.

These two are close for families, with Stuttgart slightly ahead thanks to Wilhelma, a zoo and botanical garden that easily fills a day. Stuttgart also has extras that children love: the rack railway, the narrow-gauge train on the Killesberg and the fairy-tale garden at Ludwigsburg. The catch is the hills, which make pushing a pushchair hard work.

Frankfurt is flatter and easier on young legs. The Senckenberg's dinosaur hall, the central zoo and the scooter-friendly paths along the Main make several good days out, but none of them matches Wilhelma.

Frankfurt is the easier city to get around. Its centre is flat, the river bridges link it to Sachsenhausen, and trains from the airport take about a quarter of an hour. The same ticket network covers Mainz, Wiesbaden and the Taunus.

Stuttgart's flat centre is just as walkable, but the rest of the city climbs the sides of its basin. Beyond Königstrasse and Schlossplatz you will rely on the Stadtbahn and S-Bahn or tackle the long Stäffele stairways. The rack railway and funicular make some of that climbing part of the fun.

Shopping is evenly matched, and both cities lean towards practical, mainstream shops. Stuttgart is better for brand hunters. Königstrasse is one of Germany's longest shopping streets, Breuninger is the place for designer fashion, and the Metzingen outlet village is about half an hour away.

Frankfurt has a little more for browsers. Alongside the chains of the Zeil and the luxury houses on Goethestraße, it has independent shops on Berger Straße and Schweizer Straße and a Saturday flea market by the river.

Both are expensive by German standards, for the same reason: hotels are priced for business travellers and become very expensive during trade fairs. In either city, a weekend or a quiet month cuts the cost noticeably.

Frankfurt is better for cheap meals, thanks to its Turkish grills, market stalls and Bahnhofsviertel food. Stuttgart's taverns give good value through generous portions, but cheap street food is harder to find there.

Stuttgart has the stronger stage scene, mainly because of its ballet. The company has been famous since John Cranko's time and is the hardest ticket in town. It shares the state theatre with an adventurous opera company, and the Liederhalle adds orchestras and a strong Bach tradition. The big musicals at Möhringen and a well-known jazz club give it a lighter side.

Frankfurt is far from weak. Its opera company is one of the most respected in Germany, the Alte Oper hosts the radio symphony orchestra, and jazz cellars and an English-language theatre add variety. Both cities have their main season from autumn to early summer.

Stuttgart is the better choice for relaxing, because it has a bathing culture of its own inside the city. Mineral springs at Bad Cannstatt and Berg feed public baths where you can soak in warm, naturally carbonated water indoors and outdoors, with saunas in the larger baths.

In Frankfurt itself there are only municipal pools and hotel spas, and the best bathing means a trip out. Wiesbaden's Art Nouveau Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme and the thermal baths at Bad Homburg are both worth the journey. In town, the Palmengarten is the quietest place to slow down.