Tübingen is recognized for one of the oldest universities in Europe: the Eberhard Karl University, founded in 1477.
Basically you don’t need public transport, as Tübingen is quite a small city, but if you happen to visit the city on a Saturday you should know that you can use public transport for free. The offer is valid between 00:00 (Saturday) and 05:00 (Sunday) for all TüBus lines in zone 11 (urban zone). We spent a few hours in the city, and if you only have a day to visit, this mini travel guide is for you.
First of all, you should not miss the old town. A well-preserved area, with old architecture, cobbled streets and medieval churches.
In the heart of the old town is the Town Hall built in the 15th century, and in front of the building is Neptune’s Fountain (Neptunbrunnen), which dates from 1617.
After walking a little through the streets of the old town, we went up to Hohentübingen Castle. Built in 1037, the castle was extended in the 16th century, resulting in a mixture of architectural styles. Today it houses several centers of the University of Tübingen and museums, the most important of which is the Museum of Ancient Culture, which houses artifacts dating back to the Ice Age.
We took a short walk on the Neckarinsel – an artificial island of the Neckar river, which was created in 1910 and 1911. If the weather is nice, choose to take a walk on the Neckar in a famous “Stocherkahn” – a boat that exclusively in Tübingen, where you can admire the picturesque river bank with colorful houses, the old city wall and the famous Hölderlin Tower.
Our excursion ended in the Botanical Garden of the University of Tübingen (Botanischer Garten der Universität Tübingen). The garden dates back to 1535, when medicinal plants were first cultivated here. Today, the garden contains more than 12,000 species of plants, including major collections of Fuchsia (30 varieties) and Rhododendrons (150-180 varieties), collections of mountain plants from all continents, medicinal plants or ornamental plants. Unfortunately, when we visited the Garden, all the greenhouses were closed. Visit the University‘s official website for up-to-date information on the program (entry is free).
If you liked our article, find out what new destinations we visited by clicking here .
(Tübingen – September 2020)
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