Tübingen Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Contents |
Understand
Tübingen's population of about 85,000 people is a mixture of students, researchers and academics, medical specialists and "Gogen" (the people whose families have been there since forever). The university and its network of hospitals are its economic lifeblood (and the biggest employer in southern Wurttemberg); Eberhard-Karls-Universitaet, founded in 1477, is reputed to be one of the top 5 German universities for studies in German, medicine and law, and Tuebingen serves as a regional medical service hub (they even have a malaria clinic).
About 20,000 students fill Tuebingen's pubs, cafe patios and university lecture halls during "lecture time" (mid of October until mid of February and mid of April until mid of July). Meanwhile, the high concentration of educated folks with lots of free time means that there are plenty of things to do for the size of the town - 16 choirs; 3 theatres; a fine little art gallery; special lecture series at the university; and, of course, constant parties hosted by the student associations of the various departments (it's almost a competition to see whether the chemists or the anthropologists do it better). The town does get quiet, though, in the breaks between semesters (Feb 15 - Apr 15, Jul 15 - Oct 15).
The city dates back to 1078 A.D. and is remarkably well-preserved; only one bomb fell in Word War II - on the house where Goethe lived (or was it Schiller?). The "old town", which lies along the Neckar river, looks much as it would have in the 1600s - its crooked, cobblestoned streets will have you walking in circles, when you're not climbing up and down the stairs built into the sidewalks! The Arts campus of the university lies nearby, while more modern science faculties and student residences perch on the large hills that surround the centre of town. Everywhere you go, there are signs of those who went before, sometimes literally ("Dr. Alzheimer worked in this building"), sometimes less so - you can find Tuebingen's traces in the writings of Hesse and Holderlin...
The atmosphere in Tuebingen is something special. There is always going to be a bit of fog, or mist, or rain in the forecast, and it can go from pea-soup to crystal clear in 10 minutes. The sudden changes in the weather make your ears pop heading up into the hills by bus, or just sitting in the marketplace in the centre of town! The medieval architecture, the students' joie de vivre, the 40% of residents who vote for the Green Party, the absurd charm of the constant festivals that wind through the streets...it's a unique little spot.
Get in
By train
The train from Stuttgart takes about 45min. If you arrive at the main station of Tübingen, don't let the ugly and uninviting surroundings of the train station put you off. Just leave the station behind and keep going (north) and after 10min. walking you'll be right in the old town center.
By car
With Tübingen's terrible traffic system, lots of one-way streets and some eager ticket officers, it is best to park your car as soon as possible and then explore the city on foot or bicycle.
Get around
Best way to get around Tübingen and it's surroundings is by bicycle, just like thousands of Tübingen's students. Just don't forget to lock your bike! Oh, and did I mention that Tübingen is fairly hilly?
Tübingen has a solid bus system, and a day pass gets you unlimited rides from 8:30 AM until 3 AM of the following day. As of January 1, 2006, day passes cost 3,60€ for 1 person or 5€ for 2-5 people. After the buses stop running on Thursday through Friday nights, certain night bus routes are available throughout the city (check the posted schedules at the respective bus stops to see which bus routes stop where and when). On other nights, it is possible to call for a very inexpensive ride on the shared cab service (Sammel Anruf Mietwagen, or SAM) (page in German only).
Bus tickets can be bought on board every bus (with coins or GeldKarte only - no paper bills accepted) from the machine behind the driver, or at machines at selected bus stops (but only with a GeldKarte). Note that if you already have a ticket, you can board a bus through any of the doors, as the driver does not inspect tickets upon boarding; rather, fare inspectors patrol the buses at random points during the route.
See
Tübingen does not have great must-see sights but its scenic location between the forests, the Swabian Jura (Schwäbische Alb) and the river Neckar make it a beautiful stop in south-west Germany. Its flair is comparable to cities like Heidelberg or Freiburg, although Tübingen is smaller than those cities.
- The city centre, full of crooked half-timbered houses, small alleys, cobblestone roadwork and some nice old churches.
- The river Neckar next to the city center, on which the students go punting (similar to what they do in Oxford or Cambridge) in summer time, occasionally with a barbecue and a crate of beer on board.
- In June, there is a famous punt boat race in which more than 40 punting boats race along the river, trying not to come in last, as each crew member of the last boat has to drink half a litre of cod-liver oil. Traditionally, most of Tübingen's student fraternities participate in the race, but also private crews are allowed.
- About 6km north of Tübingen, right in the Schönbuch forest reservation, is the old cistercian monastery (founded 1187 A.D.) of Bebenhausen (http://www.bebenhausen.de/) with a small village next to it, especially nice to visit at night when part of the monastery is illuminated.
- The Schloss, or castle, can be a fun place to wander around. Look at the intricately carved gate at the entrance. Skip most of the center courtyard and head up the stairs on the back side of the courtyard. This leads to a beautiful garden/courtyard, with some beautiful views from atop the wall to the left. Alternatively, go through the tunnel on the backside of the main courtyard that will take you through the backside of the castle, a much more medieval and beautiful part of the Schloss. From back here there is a path that will take you along the wall of the castle and through the woods, ending up on Haagasse very near the Marktplatz.
Do
- Tübingen is situated at the southern rim of the Schönbuch, a large forest reservation area which offers some beautiful scenery for hiking, cycling, etc.
- If you arrive in Tübingen at summer, make sure you take some time to stroll along the Neckar river, maybe get some ice cream and sit on the old city wall above the water.
- If you are more adventurous, you might try yourself at punting: push a large wooden boat with up to 14 passengers along the river using a long wooden pole. It's not as easy as some of the professional punters make it look.
Buy
- Vinum, on Langegasse, across from the Stiftkirche, has many wines, spirits, and other things, and a great atmosphere to boot. A great place to buy a gift for someone.
- Mokka, on Collegiumgasse near the Wilhemstift, is a great place to buy teas, coffees, and chocolates. Again, a great place to buy gifts for someone.
Eat
- One of the more special places to eat is the "Mauganeschtle", right next to the castle. It specializes in a special Swabian dish called "Maultasche" which is basically a large ravioli and comes in all different kinds of flavours. The restaurant is a bit posh and a little on the costly side, though.
- An excellent but usually overbooked Italian restaurant is the "Al Dente" below the main church; try the pizza with fresh tomatoes.
- Get the best french fries in town from "X" on Kornhausstrasse (take Marktgasse off the Marktplatz, it will take you straight to it). In summer time, hundreds of students do this, and take them along with a beer to the market place and spend a warm summer's night right there, squatting on the cobblestones.
Drink
Best time to visit Tübingen is late spring or summer. Many of the pubs and cafes in the city center then have places to sit outside and hundreds of students populate the central market place until late at night, usually with beer from the nearby chip shop.
- A special place is the Schwärzlocher Hof, a really old (1085 A.D.) homestead which is now both a restaurant and a beautiful beer garden just west of Tübingen. Go there when the sun sets and order a "Mostbowle", a local cider drink made from apple, mixed with soda.
- The Neckarmüller, right on the bank of the Neckar by the main bridge, has a beer garden where you can sit outside under the trees and enjoy views of the river on warm nights. Beers run from €2-€2.70. One can also buy Würsts and pretzels.
- Storchen is a nice atmospheric place for a few beers. Can get very smoky, though. On Ammergasse, west of the X frenchfries and sausages place.
- On warm nights, many students will buy a few bottles of beer or a bottle of wine and go sit in the Marktplatz and drink. Can be a very fun (and cheaper) alternative to a bar.
- Tangente Jour, on the steps of the Stiftkirche, can be a fun place to drink a beer or cup of coffee and people watch.
Sleep
- There is a youth hostel right next to the river, not too far away from the city center (10 min. walk).
- Another possibility, especially in summer, is the Neckar Camping (http://www.neckarcamping.de), beautifully situated on the shore of the river Neckar and within walking distance (approx. 15 min.) of the old town
- A higher end option is the Hotel am Schloss, just below the castle and in the middle of the Old Town. Double rooms are approximately €90.
- "Wonderful overnight possibilities in and around Tübigen" (http://www.tuebingen-info.de/hotels/hotel_en.htm) has quite some hotels as well as private rooms that go from €20 upwards.
Get out
- As in most university cities, it is worth checking the blackboards at the main student cafeterias for car sharing ads. Many students take passengers to other majors cities for shared fuel expenses.
- Hitchhiking to/from Stuttgart is quite common; it's best to use a sign with the city symbol (S for Stuttgart, TÜ for Tübingen)
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