Tubingen, which was built on a hillside above the Neckar River, is one of Germany's most important and famous university towns.
The city dates from at least 1078, and the university was founded in 1477. For a picturesque view over the city, stroll along the Platanenallee, the tree-lined island park in the middle of the river.
Sights in Tubingen include the market square and the 15th-century half-timbered town hall. Tubingen has its own gondoliers, called stocherer, who stake their boats along the Neckar River and recite famous German poems. (Note that Friedrich Holderlin, one of Germany's most famous poets, spent the second half of his life in mental derangement in the yellow tower on the river bank.)
Be sure to make reservations if you plan to stay overnight in Tubingen—the town is always busy.
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