7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Tübingen, Germany

I could say I only realized this in hindsight, but I definitely knew it going into our recent trip to Tübingen, Germany: Taking my husband to my ex-boyfriend’s hometown on vacation was a weird choice. I was hoping that Tübingen would be charming enough to justify the visit, though I hadn’t been there in 13 years and wasn’t sure whether it was actually cute or just rose-colored in my memories.

It turned out that both of us loved our visit to Tübingen, with Matt even saying it was his favorite city we visited during our entire two-and-a-half week trip across five countries. But it was no surprise that he had never even heard of it before — and when we told our friends we were stopping there during our trip, everyone said: “Where?”

Despite hardly anyone knowing about Tübingen’s existence, it is well worth a visit. Here are just 7 of the reasons why you should visit Tübingen.

1. It’s Easy To Get There From Most Places in Europe

By train, Tübingen is only one hour away from downtown Stuttgart,* one of Germany’s most important business cities and major international airport hubs. Each day, Stuttgart Airport (STR) connects with more than 100 non-stop destinations, most of which are in Europe. Thinking about places I’ve been in Europe lately: I live in Alicante, I just visited Dublin, and before this, our last European trip was to Porto. I just checked, and all three of these cities have plenty of direct flights to/from Stuttgart each week!

If you arrive at Stuttgart airport and want to go directly to Tübingen, grab Bus #828 — it will take you from the terminal to the edge of Tübingen’s city center in just 1 hour and 12 minutes.

*As of August 2026, there are major repairs taking place on the railway between Stuttgart and Tübingen, so the direct train service is suspended. There are several bus options available from different points in the city.

2. The Historical Center Looks Like a Fairytale Town

So, while Tübingen is geographically close to Stuttgart, the two cities experienced very different fates during World War II. Stuttgart, as an industrial and transportation hub, was bombed heavily over the course of the war, suffering 53 air raids from 1940 to 1945. For that reason, many of Stuttgart’s buildings are more modern, having been built or rebuilt in the last 80 years as a result of the damage.

Tübingen, on the other hand, was not really considered large enough or important enough to attack on a large scale — though it was bombed three times, the historical center was spared.

And that means Tübingen’s historical center looks exactly like what you might picture when you think of Germany: old cobblestone streets flanked by traditional half-timbered houses that seem to be straight out of a fairytale.

3. The River Belongs To Everyone

The most iconic view of Tübingen — the photo you saw at the top of this article — is from the Eberhard Bridge (Neckarbrücke) over the Neckar River. I understand that a lot of cities have rivers running through them… but I would say that not every city really enjoys their river the same way that the Tübingers do!

And what’s the best way to enjoy the river? By boating down it, of course!

In Tübingen, you can expect to find a unique type of boat floating down the river. Stocherkähne are traditional punt boats, with the passengers’ seat backs made out of leaning wooden planks. One person stands at the back of the boat and navigates with a long, wooden pole. Each year in June, the city hosts a punt boat race, the Stocherkahnrennen.

What’s the second best way to enjoy the river? By watching others boating down it… while enjoying a few pints at the Neckarmüller Biergarten. 😉

While at the Neckarmüller Biergarten, we were treated to a floating performance!

4. Tübingen is a Human-Sized City

When we visited Toulouse, France, on a road trip back in 2023, something the hotel receptionist told us at check-in really stuck with us: “Toulouse is a human-sized city.” And ever since then, we’ve applied this descriptor to certain cities if we feel like it fits.

Basically, a human-sized city is one where everything feels like it was made for humans. Not cars, and not businesses… but humans! The city is built for pedestrians and vehicle infrastructure isn’t the focus of city planning. There are things to see, and do, and notice from street level, where people are actually walking around and living life. You don’t even *need* to take public transportation to get around, because most of what you need — whether it’s a bank, a pharmacy, or a grocery store — is within a reasonable walking distance.

And based on all of the above, we feel that Tübingen is definitely a human-sized city!

5. It’s Also a University Town, So There’s Always Something To Do

Tübingen probably most famous amongst Germans for its university. The Eberhard Karls Universität, or University of Tübingen, is one of the oldest universities north of the Alps, originally founded in the year 1477!

What do you picture when you hear that a city is a “college town”? In the U.S., it’s a young population, local activities and cultural events, and (usually) good restaurants and great nightlife. The same is true in Tübingen! And for Americans, it can be even more exciting to experience the energy of a college town in Europe.

So no matter how old you are, there’s always something interesting going on in Tübingen. I took a minute to see what events are scheduled for the rest of this year, here’s just a handful of the things I found:

African Festival (September)
Street Food Festival (September)
Duck Race (October)
Jazz Festival (October)
French Film Festival and the Women’s Worlds Film Festival (November)
International Chocolate Festival (December)
Tübingen Christmas Market (December)

6. There’s So Much Green Space!

We love living in Alicante, Spain, but with how hot, dry, and rocky it is here, sometimes we feel like we live in the desert. (Except for the fact that we can see the Mediterranean Sea from our balcony, lol.) All this to say… we miss grass. We miss trees. We miss the color green.

The people who live in Tübingen do not have this problem.

As soon as you take in that picture-perfect view of the colorful half-timbered houses and weeping willows on the Neckar, you start to realize how green Tübingen is — starting with the Neckarinsel park, just down a flight of stairs to your left. This man-made island was created in the early 1800s to divert part of the river and help regulate its water level. It’s a great place to take a serene stroll through the trees (and it’s also where the Stocherkähne race takes place!).

Continue following the Neckar to the southwest and you’ll find more green space, like the Kastanienallee, which hosts outdoor concerts and park runs. To the northeast of Tübingen’s old town is the “old” botanical garden, which is now a municipal park. And if you’re willing to go a bit further outside the city center, the Botanical Garden of the University of Tübingen covers 10 hectares and has more than 10,000 plant species from five continents — and it’s completely free to visit, open every single day of the year.

7. Tübingen Is Still Very Undiscovered

In recent years, it feels like traveling has blown up like never before. Travel has become more accessible to more people, which is great, but it’s also all over social media. Places that used to be quiet, now going viral. Places that used to have personality, now catering to tourists.

I have a very realistic view toward the level of influence this blog has 😜 so I don’t feel guilty for sharing the secret with whoever is reading this: Tübingen is a gem hiding in plain sight.

All it would take is a handful of travel content creators on TikTok or Instagram “discovering” Tübingen and posting about it, for it to become one of Germany’s top travel destinations for people looking for a charming city with great architecture, a river running through it, a castle, relaxed vibes, a university, and easy accessibility from a major airport. (Basically, it would become the next Heidelberg.)

But, as of now, that hasn’t happened. And only you know the secret.

So I would highly recommend visiting Tübingen, because you almost get to feel like you’re the only tourist.