Back Roads Germany (Dk Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

228

Above Punting on the idyllic Neckar

river, Tübingen Below Townhouses along

the Neckar river, Tübingen

WHERE TO STAY

TÜBINGEN

Hotel am Bad moderate

Located 1 mile (2 km) from the city

center, this good, mid-range hotel

beside the Neckar offers clean, simple

rooms with facilities such as Wi-Fi.

Uferweg-Freibad 2, 72072; 07071

797 40; http://www.hotel-am-bad.de

Hotel am Schloss moderate

This half-timbered hotel with

traditional charm, close to the Schloss,

boasts fine views over the city.

Burgsteige 18, 72070; 07071 929 40;

http://www.hotelamschloss.de

Hotel Krone moderate

A traditional-style riverside hotel by

the Eberhardsbrücke with pleasant

rooms that are furnished with the

occasional antique.

Uhland Strasse 1, 72072; 07071 133 10;

http://www.krone-tuebingen.de

BLAUBEUREN

Ochsen moderate

This traditional, half-timbered three-

star guesthouse in the heart of the

town has comfortable, airy rooms

and free wireless Internet.

Marktstrasse 4, 89143; 07344 96 98 90;

http://www.ochsen-blaubeuren.de

1 Tübingen

Baden-Württemberg; 72070

A charming medieval city, Tübingen

first appeared in historical records

in 1078, but only grew in status 400

years later when one of Germany’s

finest universities was established

here. The Eberhardsbrücke over the

Neckar river is a useful orien tation

point and the location of the tourist

information office. The bridge

overlooks the Platanenallee, a leafy

boulevard on a narrow man-made

island alongside which punts pass

serenely in front of rows of pink-

mustard- and cream-colored houses.

Crossing the bridge, a left turn on

Neue Strasse leads to Holzmarkt, a

square dominated by the late 15th-

century Gothic Stiftskirche St. Georg

(open daily). Inside, magnificent star

vaulting spreads across the nave and

aisle roofs and the choir is dappled

with beautiful stained-glass windows.

BACK ROADS GERMANY

Where to Stay: inexpensive under €70; moderate €70–€150; expensive over €150

Tübingen’s Scholars

Tübingen has attracted many fine

scholars over the years, including

theologist Philipp Melanchthon,

philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich

Hegel, astronomer Johannes Keppler,

and psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer.

The Romantic poet Friedrich Hölder

spent the latter part of his life in the

city, while Johann Wolfgang von

Goethe published his first works

here. More recently, Hermann Hesse

worked as a book binder here before

achieving literary fame.

A climb up the church tower reveals

fine views over the old town. On

the opposite side of the Holzmarkt,

Kirchgasse leads to Tübingen’s

Markt, whose centerpiece fountain,

Neptunbrunnen, has jolly cherubs

depicting the seasons. Behind the

fountain, the Gothic Rathaus is

dec o rated with Neo-Renaissance

frescoes of local heroes, painted to

celebrate the university’s 400th

birthday. On the lower side of the

marketplace, Marktgasse runs into

a network of old streets of the former

wine-growing neighborhood.

Back at the Markt, a walk uphill

leads to Burgsteige, where antique

shops encourage lingering on the

way to Schloss Hohentübingen.

Expanded in the early 17th century,

this 11th- century castle now serves

various university departments.

ª From the multi-story parking lot on

Wöhrdstrasse, turn left and left again at

Friedrichstrasse. Head south on B27,

then turn for Gomaringen and follow

Lichtensteinstrasse until signs for

Genkingen. Look out for brown signs to

Schloss Lichtenstein parking lot.

VISITING TÜBINGEN

Parking

The multi-story Neckarparkhaus

parking lot on Wöhrdstrasse is close to

the tourist information office and only

a short walk from the city center.

Tourist Information

An der Neckarbrücke, 72072; 07071

913 60; http://www.tuebingen.de