The Old Town, literature, collections and plant diversity give Tübingen several distinct themes for a stay. The listed Old Town and the Botanical Garden offer different focal points, alongside city and university museums and the Neckar with its traditional Stocherkähne. When choosing a hotel, it is worth first considering which activities you want to shape your stay.
Old Town and city history
Tübingen’s Old Town is a listed historic district with numerous significant individual monuments. It contains a total of 350 cultural monuments, and its character is shaped by romantic squares and winding lanes. The Hölderlin Tower is one of the most important literary heritage sites. The Stocherkähne are also part of the area’s history: these traditional flat-bottomed wooden boats have plied the Neckar in Tübingen for centuries.
The City Museum is housed in the former Kornhaus in the Old Town. It presents changing exhibitions on the city’s history and current development, as well as two permanent exhibitions: one on the city’s history and one on the silhouette artist Lotte Reiniger. Regular events and educational activities for children and young people round out the programme; check specific dates in advance.
A public guided tour of the Old Town takes in the historic district’s main sights and provides detailed explanations of the city’s history. If you plan to join this tour, check the dates and booking conditions in advance.
Art and collections
The Museum of Ancient Cultures at Hohentübingen Castle presents, among other things, the oldest works of art created by humanity, including Ice Age art that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Within the broader travel destination of Tübingen, the Museum of Ancient Cultures is the only university museum in the world with exhibits from two UNESCO World Heritage listings. This means that early art, as well as the city’s history, is a focus of museum visits.
Botanical Garden: collections and walking route
The University of Tübingen’s Botanical Garden covers ten hectares and is home to almost 10,000 plant species from around the world. Its collections are arranged according to geographical, ecological and taxonomic criteria. Areas such as the herb and kitchen garden and the ornamental perennial beds add to this layout. The garden offers a distinct focus for anyone interested in plants and the different themes represented by its collections.
A walk around the garden is about 0.75 kilometres long and can be completed on wide, step-free paths. The Botanical Garden is served by bus routes 5, 13 and 17; as local bus routes may change, check the current service before setting out.
Arriving and planning your stay
The Tourist Information Office at the Neckar Bridge is about 500 metres from Tübingen Central Station. This adds a practical arrival point to your itinerary planning.
In Tübingen district: a different perspective
Looking beyond the city to Tübingen district reveals a distinctive landscape: the district stretches from Schönbuch Nature Park, with its many forests and valleys, in the north to the Alb escarpment in the south. The Neckar, Ammer and Steinlach rivers have cut through the cuesta landscape, creating a varied region. The landscape also includes the wooded areas of Rammert and Schönbuch Nature Park, high plateaus with expansive views, orchards and vineyards. This regional perspective is distinct from the individual sights in the city.
The cultural attractions in the district offer other points of interest, too. The Unterjesingen Wine Press Museum displays an extensive collection of equipment and objects related to wine and hop growing, as well as farming and domestic life, dating from the 19th century onwards. Guided tours in Bebenhausen explore Cistercian monastic architecture and the daily lives of the monks and the royal couple. The interior rooms of Bebenhausen Palace can only be visited as part of a guided tour; check the current dates and access arrangements before planning your visit.
Discover more destinations: Bebenhausen, Mössingen, Starzach, Stetten Am Kalten Markt, Kirchentellinsfurt, Ammerbuch, Öschingen, Gomaringen.
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