Tübingen delights with its mixture of history, culture and beautiful nature. Situated on the Neckar River, it is beautifully surrounded by medieval architecture and cobblestone streets.
One of the city’s main attractions is the famous university, which was founded in the 15th century. Historic university buildings such as the Beautiful Collegiate Church and the Old University Building create a unique atmosphere. Visitors can explore the university’s rich heritage as they stroll through its beautiful courtyards.
Be sure to visit the Old Town of Tübingen, especially the Marktplatz, the city’s central square, a lively center with many charming cafes, shops and restaurants.
For nature lovers, the Hölderlin Tower is a must-see. Named after the famous German poet Friedrich Hölderlin, this tower offers wonderful panoramic views of the city and the surrounding village. It also serves as a museum dedicated to Hölderlin’s life and work.
Another treasure is the city botanical garden, offering a diverse collection of plants. Tübingen also hosts many festivals throughout the year that enliven the city’s cultural scene. Stocherkahnrennen, i.e. boat racing on the Neckar River, is particularly popular.
University Tübingen
The University of Tübingen is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen. It is one of Germany’s most famous and oldest universities, internationally noted in medicine, natural sciences, and the humanities. In the area of German Studies it has been ranked first among all German universities for many years, and is world renown as a centre for the study of theology and religion.
Tübingen is one of five classical “university towns” in Germany; the other four being Marburg, Göttingen, Freiburg and Heidelberg. The university is associated with some Nobel laureates, especially in the fields of medicine and chemistry.
Monastery and Palace Bebenhausen
Bebenhausen Abbey, also known as Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace, was a Cistercian monastery located in the village of Bebenhausen (now a district of Tübingen).
Today the buildings are owned by the State Heritage Agency of Baden-Württemberg (Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten) and are open for tour as a museum. The site includes the church, main monastery building, abbot’s residence, guesthouse, infirmary, summer refectory, and the 19th-century Bebenhausen Palace.
Tubingen Old Town
The old town of Tübingen has many monuments to offer, for example the medieval town on the Neckar with a lively and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Stroll through the winding streets of the old town and let this unique combination of urban style and medieval town impress you. Numerous restaurants, cafes and small shops invite you to linger and browse. The historic half-timbered houses that line the streets – it’s amazing how well preserved they are.
Hölderlinturm
Friedrich Hölderlin was one of the most important German poets. The poet Friedrich Hölderlin (born 1770) lived here with the family of the master carpenter Zimmer from 1807 until his death in 1843 after an outbreak of illness. The tower houses a small but nice museum. Here you can find out where and how Hölderlin lived and worked. The Hölderlin Tower in Tübingen is a special place between history and modernity.
On the one hand, it is a historical object and a memorial site for the important poet Friedrich Hölderlin, so that his cultural treasure is available to posterity. On the other hand, a state-of-the-art museum concept in which interactive elements and computer games for children play as important a role as modern security technology for the Tübingen monument.
Ancient Culture Museum | Hohentübingen Castle
Situated central and high above the city, the Castle offers a wonderful view across the Neckar Valley and up to the Swabian Alb.On an area of 2000 m² it shows around 4600 exhibits from seven archaeological and cultural collections of the University of Tübingen, ranging over a period of around 40,000 years of cultural history.
Among these objects are the famous Tübingen Hoplite runner, a rare ancient egyptian sacrificial chamber and the largest number of original exhibits of the UNESCO World Heritage Ice Age Art – featuring the oldest artworks of mankind.
Kunsthalle Tubingen
In addition to monographic exhibitions on art of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Kunsthalle also develops thematic exhibitions. In addition to questions inherent in art, the thematic exhibitions also address social issues that show visual cross-references and spiritual kinship relationships across epochs, thus providing visitors with insights and knowledge into human development.
Zimmertheater Tübingen
The Tübingen Zimmertheater is located on the famous, picturesque Neckar front, just a few meters from the Hölderlin Tower. It opened in 1958 and has two rooms for an audience of 60 and 80 visitors.
Botanischer Garten der Universität Tübingen
Visit the Tübingen Botanical Garden with its approximately 10,000 plant species from all over the world. Designed as a research and teaching facility, the Botanical Garden offers visitors a lot of information. Every second Sunday of the month at 2 p.m., public tours by Botanical Garden employees take place under the motto “Sundays at two.”
Markt am Nonnenhaus
The market at the Nonnenhaus with its many shops not only invites you to shop, but also to linger in the two cozy cafes San Marco and Osteria. Especially in the summer months, the seating along the Ammer is as busy as it is legendary. There is hardly a Tübingener who hasn’t had a cappuccino or had an ice cream here.
Stocherkahnrennen
The big punting race takes place on the Neckar once a year. The teams, which consist of associations, other student groups and other punting crews, try to navigate or accelerate their boats as quickly as possible around the Neckar Island and twice from different sides through the bottleneck between the Neckar Bridge and Platanenallee.
The eye of the needle is always the busiest place for spectators; this is where many pokers fall into the water. The motto is: “The stick stays with the man”. The start is at the outdoor pool bridge and the finish is at the iron at the railway bridge at the western end of the Neckar Island.
