Tübingen

Tübingen is a small university town near the geographic centre of Baden-Württemberg, roughly 30 km southwest of Stuttgart. 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.

Understand
Tübingen's population of about 91,000 people (2020) is a mixture of students, researchers and academics, medical specialists and "Gogen". (The Gogen are people whose families have been there since forever. They used to grow wine berries on the hills around the town. "Goge" ~ cork.) The university and its network of hospitals are its economic lifeblood (and the biggest employer in southern Württemberg); 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 Tübingen serves as a regional medical service hub (they even have a malaria clinic).

About 25,000 students fill Tübingen's pubs, cafe patios and university lecture halls during "lecture time" (mid-October until mid-February and mid-April until mid-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).

History
The city dates back to 1078 AD and is remarkably well-preserved; only one bomb fell in World 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, cobblestone 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 Tübingen's traces in the writings of Hesse and Hoelderlin.

Climate
Tübingen has fairly good weather compared to the rest of Germany (slightly worse than Freiburg, though). Sudden changes in the weather can make your ears pop heading up into the hills by bus, or just sitting in the marketplace in the centre of town!

By plane
The Stuttgart airport in Echterdingen is only 33km from Tübingen. From there, the easiest way into Tübingen is the 828 Sprinter bus, which runs hourly and takes approx. 48 minutes to about an hour. For more details see Naldo Verkehrsverbund. Alternatively, take the train to Herrenberg, and then the S-Bahn train from there to the airport. For more information see the Stuttgart page.

If coming from Frankfurt Airport, it takes 2 -2½ hours with at least a change in Stuttgart and sometimes in Mannheim as well. See prices and timetables at Deutsche Bahn.

By train
The train from Stuttgart takes about 45min by IRE train or around 1 hr by normal train. If you arrive at the 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 10 min walking you'll be right in the old town centre. If you are using regional trains the Baden Württemberg Ticket (€23 for one person €4 more for every additional person up to five) might be a good option as it allows unlimited travel within one day (from 09:00 to 15:00 of the next day) within Baden Württemberg. (not valid on ICE, IC and EC trains)

By bus
Flixbus operates national and international long distance bus services. All buses leave from the next to the train station. For more information, see long distance bus travel in Germany.

By car
With Tübingen's traffic system being designed for pedestrians and cyclists, it is best to park your car as soon as possible and then explore the city on foot, bus or bicycle. Finding a spot to park you car can be quite a pain, especially close to the centre of the city. Almost every street there may only be used by residents at night, and during the day there are parking meters. Be sure to check the signs how long you are allowed to park there, and if you are not sure, look for another spot. Ticket officers are very quick in Tübingen. If you need to park your car near downtown, you can use parking garages, but they are not cheap.

By carpooling and hitchhiking

 * 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); typical starting points towards Stuttgart are in front of the Sports Institute; from Stuttgart to Tübingen is best hitched from Stuttgart-Degerloch

By foot
The city centre of Tübingen is quite dense and hilly. If you want to explore it, walking is the easiest option. The main railway station is within 10 minutes walking distance to the south of the centre.

By bicycle
The best way to get around Tübingen and its surroundings is by bicycle, just like thousands of Tübingen's students. Remember to lock your bike!

By bus
Tübingen has a solid bus system. Timetables and maps are available from Stadtverkehr Tübingen.

Bus tickets can be bought on board every bus (with coins or GeldKarte/ATM Cards only - no paper bills accepted) from the machine behind the driver, or at machines at selected bus stops (but only with a GeldKarte). The machine on the bus is rather non-intuitive, so be prepared to ask friendly looking passengers for help. 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. If caught without a valid ticket, fares are a hefty €60.

Day pass gets you unlimited rides from 08:30. Day passes cost €4.60 for 1 person or €11.00 for a group day ticket (maximum of 5 people). Riding the bus on Saturday is free.

After the regular buses stop running, certain night bus routes are available throughout the city, usually once an hour (check the posted schedules at the respective bus stops to see which bus routes stop where and when). Night buses used to run on weekends only, but the service has been extended to the whole week now. It is also possible to call for an inexpensive ride on the shared cab service (Sammel Anruf Mietwagen, or SAM) (page in German only).

By car
The old town centre of Tübingen has been laid out to walk and cycle. Subsequently, driving around by car and parking is constrained by few streets, one-way streets, speed limits as well as few and expensive parking spots. Getting around by car is therefore only advisable outside of the city centre.

By taxi
Taxis are available at the main rail station an in front of Wilhelmstraße 3 near the old botanic garden in the city centre. They are metered and run subject to the same conditions as in the rest of Germany.

See
Tübingen's 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 primary attraction is the unspoiled Altstadt (city centre) and the lively student population.



Annual events

 * Umbrisch-provencialischer Markt. In September. A market for gastronomic specialties from the twin towns in Umbria and Provence. The course of the Tübinger Stadtlauf, a 10-km race taking place the same weekend, leads over the market.
 * Umbrisch-provencialischer Markt. In September. A market for gastronomic specialties from the twin towns in Umbria and Provence. The course of the Tübinger Stadtlauf, a 10-km race taking place the same weekend, leads over the market.

Learn

 * The Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen dates from 1477, making it one of the oldest in Germany. The university also offers free public lectures during the semester, Studium Generale, which are open to anyone interested.
 * The city is also host to several research institutes including the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, The Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the MPG, and the Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research.

Buy

 * There are some tourist shops that sell souvenirs (mugs, T-shirts, etc.): one at Holzmarkt and the other at Marktplatz, furthermore one in tourist information at Neckarbrücke.
 * There are some tourist shops that sell souvenirs (mugs, T-shirts, etc.): one at Holzmarkt and the other at Marktplatz, furthermore one in tourist information at Neckarbrücke.
 * There are some tourist shops that sell souvenirs (mugs, T-shirts, etc.): one at Holzmarkt and the other at Marktplatz, furthermore one in tourist information at Neckarbrücke.

Eat
At night there are only a few places where you still can get something to eat: "X" near the marketplace, McDonalds Drive-Through on the road to Reutlingen, Burger King at the train station, a small Italian take away in Mühlstraße, a Döner Kebap next to the Epple-Haus (central bus station) is opened until 04:00 on the week-ends, and of course any fuel station.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:



Delivery
There are a few places that deliver food, which may come in handy if you choose to stay here for any length of time.



Drink
Best time to visit Tübingen is late spring or summer. Many of the pubs and cafes in the city centre 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.



Go next

 * Reutlingen