Tübingen
From World travel guide
Tuebingen (German: Tübingen) is a small university town, pretty much in the geographic center of Baden-Wuerttemberg, roughly 30km southwest of Stuttgart.
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Understand
Tübingen's population of about 80,000 people consists of about 20,000 students which give it a young and vivid atmosphere during the semesters and the usual left-wing alternative flavour of old student cities. Consequently, Tübingen can be pretty quiet during semester breaks (mid of February until mid of April and mid of July until mid of September).
The city is fairly old (dates back to 1078 A.D.; the university was founded at the end of the 15th century) and has maintained a pretty city center, undamaged from second world war.
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 which can be costly to use (1.75 EUR for a single ride) and does not really run late at night but for the nightowls, there are special night busses or shared taxi cabs with affordable prices.
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)
Maps
External links
WikiPedia:Tübingen de:Tübingen
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