Tübingen Walking Tour

By Vicky · Published Oct. 11th, 2022 · Updated Mar. 23rd, 2023

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On this self-guided walking tour visit the charming Altstadt of Tübingen, the city castle, viewpoints, historical squares and more.

Location

This walk starts from Tübingen Train Sation. It’s conveniently close to the centre of town. Tübingen is just over 1 hour on the train from Stuttgart and just over 3 hours from Munich.

Tübingen Walking Tour Map

Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.

Top Sights in Tübingen

On this self-guided walking tour you’ll see the main sights and attractions of Tübingen. Half a day to one day is the perfect amount of time to spend in Tübingen. However, there are several other things to do in the area if you want to spend the weekend.

Tübingen Walking Tour Route

This walking tour starts from Tübingen Train Station.

Directions: Head out the front of the train station and across the central bus station into Anlagen Park. Walk straight through the park and over the road into a courtyard area with a statue in the middle. Pass through here and over the pedestrian bridge into Nekarinsel Park.

1. Nekarinsel Park

Nekarinsel Park, or Neckar Island Park, is a narrow park on an island in the middle of the Neckar River. There are several rows of large deciduous trees and if you walk along the path on the far side, you can see some of the historic houses of Tübingen.

Directions: Turn right to walk a short distance through the park to the bridge.

2. Neckar Bridge Viewpoint

From Neckar Bridge there are great views in both directions. If you look left, you’ll see historic houses lining the river, including the Hölderlinturm in the distance. To the right is an idyllic scene of trees overhanging the banks. viewpoint in town.

Tübingen Tourist Information

If you want to visit the tourist information, it’s at the end of the bridge opposite town. It’s open on weekdays 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-2:30pm and Sunday 11am-2:30pm. There are several leaflets, including the Wurmlinger Chapel Walk and other local hikes.

Directions: Once over the bridge, turn left to walk up the pedestrianised street called Neckargasse. Before heading into Holzmarkt square on your left, turn right to make a loop around Schulberg.

3. Schulberg Viewpoint

In front of you, you’ll see an old building called the Pfleghof, now student accommodation. Walk right up the street and around the building to reach a little park on your right. Schulberg Viewpoint is here, and it’s a quiet place for a short sit down while looking at views over the river, countryside and house rooftops. To the right, you can see the church tower of St. George’s.

Leave the viewpoint and walk right, around the back side of the Pfleghof. It’s quite cool-looking from this side, with a funny sticking-out turret. Turn left and down through an archway underneath the building, then left and back to Holzmarkt Square.

4. Holzmarkt Square

Holzmarkt Square is a pedestrianised square in the Altstadt. There’s a church on one side and several half-timbered buildings on the other. It’s called Holzmarkt, or Wood Market, because wood was traded here until the mid-20th century.

St George’s Church

St George’s Church* is the main church of town on the edge of Holzmarkt. It’s from the 14th century and for a few euros, you can climb up the tall church tower. This is worth doing for the great views over the Altstadt, to the castle and countryside beyond. The inside of the church itself is not that interesting.

Directions: Leave Holzmarkt Square at the corner opposite the church and the busy pedestrianised street will bring you to the next stop.

5. Marktplatz & Rathaus

The Marktplatz & Rathaus* lie in the heart of the Altstadt and are one of the best things to see in Tübingen. The entire square is surrounded by cute historic buildings, with the highlight being the unique Rathaus (or Town Hall) itself. It was first built in 1435 and was used as the court of Württemberg until 1805. In more recent times it has been renovated so today it looks rather perfect. A market takes place on the square from 7am to 1pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Any time of the week, it’s a great place to sit and have a cake and coffee at one of several cafes on the square.

Directions: From Marktplatz, leave at the corner on the left of the Rathaus. Head left up the hill and take the first right. This will lead you all the way up to the castle.

6. Hohentübingen Castle

Key Information: The castle grounds are open almost all of the time. The Ancient Culture Museum inside the castle is open Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, open until 7pm on Thursdays. Tickets cost €5/3 for adults/reductions.

Hohentübingen Castle* is a castle on a small hill in the centre of Tübingen. You arrive into the castle through a large stone entrance gate. Before you enter the main castle courtyard, take in the views from the grassy area to your right. In the middle, you can see an old telescope inside the little round tower. Astronomers worked at the castle since 1752, and in 1814 an observatory was built here.

Ancient Culture Museum

On entering the main castle courtyard, you’ll see the Ancient Culture Museum to your left. The Ancient Culture Museum (Website, Tripadvisor Reviews*) contains many interesting cultural objects, including the oldest figurative art made by mankind and the world’s oldest musical instrument. You can also learn about the Pile Dwellings found in Germany and there are several items from Ancient Egypt.

Castle Courtyard

At the far side of the courtyard on your left is a small, free exhibit about the man who discovered DNA (but didn’t realise its significance). If you head up the steps at the far end, you can explore another small section of the castle, an area with great views over the river and a cute little courtyard.

Directions: Back down the stairs, take the dimly lit tunnel underneath the building. On the other side of the tunnel take the stairs to your left and out of an entrance gate. Follow the cobbled round around the castle, and take the path back down through the wood to the centre of town.

Take the next left and second right, just before a small canal, along a busy pedestrianized street. The next stop will be on your left.

7. Stadtmuseum Tübingen

The best thing about the Stadtmuseum (Website, Tripadvisor Reviews*) is the historic half-timbered building it’s located in. It’s free to look around, but the exhibits are all in German. It’s open11am-5pm Wednesday-Sunday.

Directions: Continue along the street and at the T-junction head left across a little canal and right on a path by the church. At the next road, turn right and then take the left through a cute archway to the next stop.

8. Nonnenhaus

The Nonnenhaus is one of the nicest houses in Tübingen. It’s really a beautiful historic building and you can admire the outside. Next to it is another nice building. This area is often busy with little market stalls, people sitting out at cafes, and enjoying walking around this pleasant area.

If you want to extend this walking tour, now is the best time to visit the Tübinger Alter Botanischer Garten* for a pleasant stroll. It’s straight on, across the road and to your left.

Directions: The Nonnenhaus is the last stop on this self-guided walking tour of Tübingen. The route now heads back to the station, via a detour along some of the historic streets not visited yet. After you’ve seen enough of the Altstadt (Old Town), cross over the main Neckar bridge, walk straight onwards and the station will soon be on your right.

Things to See near Tübingen

Outside of the city you can go on a beautiful walk to Wurmlinger Chapel, stroll through Rottenburg am Neckar town, or visit Hohenzollern Castle and Schloss Lichtenstein.

During our weekend in Tübingen, we first visited the city, then in the afternoon walked to Wurmlinger Chapel. The following day we strolled around the Rottenburg am Neckar walking tour before visiting Hohenzollern Castle. In the late afternoon, we went to Lichtenstein Castle before driving home.

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For more walking tours and hikes in Germany, see our Germany hiking page.

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