Germany from A to Z: Tübingen

Medieval half-timbered houses in all shapes and colors and authentically preserved narrow lanes attract many tourists to Tübingen, on the edges of the Swabian Jura. Cafés, wine bars, weekly markets and cozy student pubs complete Tübingen's charm. It's a hilly climb from the River Neckar up to Hohentübingen Castle.

Picture-perfect buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries line Tübingen's market square. The oldest and most beautiful is the town hall from 1435. In the Middle Ages its ground floor housed a prison, the municipal salt depot and arcades where bakers and butchers sold their wares. Tanners sold theirs on the first floor, and on the second the city's court and council met.

The massive late Gothic Stiftskirche, St. George's Collegiate Church, rises above the center of Tübingen's old town. Its tower is striking because it seems too short for the rest of the structure. Presumably lack of funds prevented its completion, and it was then quickly topped off in 1529. The interior is also worth a look. Its treasures include the burial sites of Württemberg's rulers.

Tübingen shows itself from its best side on the banks of the Neckar. Here one historical house follows another. The Collegiate Church is also part of this lovely ensemble. To view the entire panorama from various different angles, stroll along Platanenalle, Plane Tree Avenue, on Neckar Island in the middle of the river or take a boat trip.

These flat-bottomed boats, which the punter pushes along the riverbed with a pole, are typical of Tübingen. They used to serve as work surfaces for fishermen and ferrymen. Then student fraternities discovered punting for themselves — an enjoyable experience that has spread to tourists.

One of Tübingen's landmarks, the Hölderlin Tower, also stands on the river bank. It was built in the late 18th century on the base of a tower that was part of the medieval city wall. It gets it name from the poet Friedrich Hölderlin, who lived on its first floor from 1807 until his death in 1843. The building has recently been extensively renovated and is now the seat of the Hölderlin Society.

Who can claim to have studied in a castle? Tübingen graduates in archaeology, ethnology and cultural studies can, because their departments are in Hohentübingen Castle, above the rooftops of the town. Building on the castle began in the 11th century and it was later expanded. It is now a mixture of medieval castle, palace and fortress.

Hohentübingen also houses the Museum of Ancient Cultures. The highlight here is small but remarkable: a wild horse carved from mammoth ivory. It is about 40,000 years old and is one of humanity's oldest artworks. In 2017 UNESCO gave it World Heritage status, along with other figurines found in Ice Age caves in the Swabian Jura.

In Tübingen students don't study only in the castle, but also in other faculties spread around the town center. The university was founded in 1477, making Tübingen one of the oldest university towns in Germany. The uni and its students, currently some 28,000, still put their stamp on the town today. How fitting, then, is the saying: Tübingen doesn't have a university; Tübingen IS a university.

If you go to Tübingen, you should take time to explore the surrounding countryside. Not far from Tübingen, the highland region known as the Swabian Jura — sometimes called the Swabian Alb or Alps — begins: a natural area full of diversity, with both rough and gentle terrains, waterfalls, bizarre rock formations and more than 2,000 caves.