Discover Tübingen: Old Town, museums and Botanical Garden

When looking for hotels in Tübingen, you can plan your stay around the themes that interest you: the heritage-listed Old Town, local history and literature, or the diversity of plants in the Botanical Garden. The city offers specific sights and experiences for each of these interests. The following highlights can help you organise your interests as you plan your trip.

Old Town, museums and literature

Tübingen’s Old Town is a heritage-listed ensemble with numerous notable individual monuments. Its half-timbered houses, romantic squares and winding lanes shape a townscape featuring a total of 350 cultural monuments. Narrow lanes and squares invite you to stroll; those interested in the city’s historic character will find plenty of points of interest here.

Housed in the former granary in Tübingen’s Old Town, the City Museum presents changing exhibitions on local history and current urban development. Two permanent exhibitions focus on the city’s history and the silhouette artist Lotte Reiniger. The museum also offers regular events and educational programmes for children and young people. So the programme includes events and educational activities as well as exhibitions.

Another cultural attraction is the Museum of Ancient Cultures at Hohentübingen Castle. Among other things, it displays the oldest works of art created by humankind, including UNESCO World Heritage Ice Age art. The Hölderlin Tower is one of the most important literary memorial sites. Together with the exhibitions on local history, it offers a literary and cultural-historical perspective on Tübingen.

Botanical Garden: collections and a walking route

The University of Tübingen’s Botanical Garden focuses on natural history. Covering ten hectares, it is home to almost 10,000 plant species from around the world. The collections are arranged by geographical, ecological and botanical relationship. The herb and cottage gardens, along with the ornamental perennial beds, complement these areas. The different ways of organising the collections showcase plant diversity from various perspectives: by origin, habitat and relationship.

A walking route of about 0.75 kilometres through the garden follows wide paths and can be completed without steps. The Botanical Garden is served by bus routes 5, 13 and 17. Bus services may change, so check current connections before travelling. If you are weighing up cultural and nature-focused outings, the garden’s collections offer a clear contrast to the museums and historic Old Town.

Old Town tours, the Neckar and getting around

The public Old Town tour visits the main sights in the historic centre and provides detailed explanations of the city’s history. It combines a walk around the city with historical commentary. Dates and booking terms may change; check them before making plans.

The traditional punting boats are also part of Tübingen’s heritage on the Neckar. These flat-bottomed wooden boats have been travelling along the river in Tübingen for centuries. This traditional type of boat adds a distinctive touch alongside the museums and Old Town. Tübingen Central Station is about 500 metres from the Tourist Information Office at the Neckar Bridge; this distance provides a useful point of reference on arrival.

For a cultural and historical focus, consider the City Museum, the Museum of Ancient Cultures and an Old Town tour; the Botanical Garden, by contrast, offers collections of plants from around the world and a walking route on wide, step-free paths. The punting boats add a long-standing Neckar tradition to Tübingen’s distinctive features. You can use these differences to decide what to focus on during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Bebenhausen, Kirchentellinsfurt, Ammerbuch, Öschingen, Mössingen, Nehren, Weingarten, Kusterdingen.

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