Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [368]
Saure Kuddle So who is for sour tripe? If you haven’t got the stomach, try potato-based, meat-free saure Rädle (sour wheels) instead.
Spätzle Long egg-based noodles thicker than spaghetti. These are fried with onions and topped with cheese in the waistline-expanding favourite Käsespätzle.
Zwiebelkuche Autumnal onion tart with bacon, cream and caraway seeds, which pairs well with neuer Süsser (new wine) or Moschd (cider).
* * *
Return to beginning of chapter
Entertainment
Tübingen’s thriving cultural scene covers the entire spectrum, from rock gigs to bass-loaded club nights and boundary-crossing plays.
Kino Atelier ( 212 25; Am Haagtor 1) Under the same roof as boho Café Haag, this independent cinema screens art-house and foreign films, some in their original language.
Südhaus ( 746 96; www.sudhaus-tuebingen.de, in German; Hechinger Strasse 203) This arts centre has an eclectic program embracing contemporary dance, concerts, stand-up comedy and club nights. Take bus 3 or 5.
Zoo ( 977 300; www.zoo-tuebingen.de; Schleifmühleweg 86) Tübingen’s funkiest alternative arts venue, Zoo hosts gigs and club nights with DJs pumping out tunes from indie to hip hop. Head for the beer garden if you prefer conversing to cavorting,
Return to beginning of chapter
Shopping
Tübingen’s labyrinthine Altstadt makes for relaxed shopping, dotted with kooky galleries, speciality stores and musty second-hand bookshops.
Ammerkeramik ( 255 397; Ammergasse 21; 10am-1pm & 2.30-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) Ellen Reinhardt is a whiz on the wheel in her ceramics workshop, stocking quality stoneware, crockery and knick-knacks to brighten up any mantelpiece.
Vinum ( 520 52; Lange Gasse 6; 9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4pm Sat) Wines and liqueurs share shelf space with mustards, vinegars and oils in this cellar of local goodies.
Wochenmarkt (Marktplatz; 7am-1pm Mon, Wed & Fri) Bag glossy fruit and veg, oven-fresh bread and local honey and herbs at Tübingen’s farmers’ market.
Return to beginning of chapter
Getting There & Around
Tübingen is an easy train ride from Stuttgart (€11.30, 45 to 60 minutes, at least two an hour) and Villingen (€17.80 to €22.50, 1½ to two hours, hourly) in the Black Forest.
The centre is a maze of one-way streets with residents-only parking, so head for a multistorey car park. To drive into Tübingen, you need to purchase an environmentally friendly Umweltplaketten (emissions sticker); Click here for details.
Radlager ( 551 651; Lazarettgasse 19-21; 9.30am-6.30pm Mon, Wed & Fri, 2-6.30pm Tue & Thu, 9.30am-2.30pm Sat) rents bikes for €10 per day.
If you’d rather let someone else do the pedalling, Riksch-Radsch ( 300 449; Aixer Strasse 198) organise 1½-hour rickshaw tours of the centre (€19.80 per person) and three-hour trips to Bebenhausen (€29.80 per person).
Return to beginning of chapter
AROUND TÜBINGEN
Naturpark Schönbuch
For back-to-nature hiking and cycling, make for this 156-sq-km nature reserve ( 07071-602 262; www.naturpark-schoenbuch.de), 6km north of Tübingen. With a bit of luck and a pair of binoculars, you might catch a glimpse of black woodpeckers and yellow-bellied toads.
The nature reserve’s beech and oak woods fringe the village of Bebenhausen and its well-preserved Cistercian Abbey ( 07071-602 802; www.kloster-bebenhausen.de; adult/concession €3.50/1.80; 9am-noon & 1-6pm Mon, 9am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, 9am-noon & 1-5pm Nov-Mar). Founded in 1183 by Count Rudolph von Tübingen, the complex became a royal hunting retreat post-Reformation. A visit takes in the frescoed summer refectory, the Gothic abbey church and intricate star vaulting and half-timbered facades in the cloister.
Bebenhausen, 3km north of Tübingen, is the gateway to Naturpark Schönbuch. Buses run at least twice hourly (€2, 13 minutes).
Return to beginning of chapter
Burg Hohenzollern
Rising dramatically from an exposed crag, its medieval battlements and silver turrets often veiled in mist, Burg Hohenzollern (Hohenzollern Castle; 07471-2428; www.preussen.de) sure is impressive