Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany and the sixth-largest city in Germany. Stuttgart is spread across a variety of hills (some of them vineyards), valleys and parks - unusual for a German city and often a source of surprise to visitors who primarily associate the city with its industrial reputation as the 'cradle of the automobile'. The Stuttgart area is known for its high-tech industry. Some of its most prominent companies include Daimler AG, Porsche, Bosch, Celesio, Hewlett-Packard and IBM -- all of whom have their world or European headquarters here.Hundreds of SMEs are still based in Stuttgart, many still in family ownership with strong ties to the automotive, electronics, engineering and high-tech industry.