Hike: Steinenbergturm, Tübingen
This tower is probably rather unknown, yet it provides the best views of Tübingen and the surrounding hills and valleys, plus it’s a nice and easy walk that doesn’t take very long but still offers beautiful scenery. Starting from Friedrich-Dannenmann-Straße in Tübingen West, you can walk up the stairs and turn left, up the hill through the forest along a narrow path. As soon as you reach a paved street, turn left and follow the street for a while along nice gardens and through the forest. Crisscross (turn right, then left and again right) at the first opportunity (the path should always go up a bit). The tower will be in front of you then. Walk up the stairs of the tower and see the clinics from above, the city of Tübingen in the valley and the Wurmlinger Kapelle on the opposite hill. If you don’t feel like walking down again, you can also go across to the clinics and take a bus back down.   

Distance: 1.2 km one way
Info Google Maps hiking: Friedrich-Dannenmann-Straße to Steinenbergturm     (Image: Jonas Rauber) 

Bike: Rottenburg     
For a relaxed day on your bike without struggling with steep hills or dirt roads just head out from Tübingen West, in the direction of Schwärzlocher Hof, and follow the road to the west. Upon reaching Unterjesingen, turn to the south and take any of the bike roads in the direction of Wurmlingen and finally Rottenburg. Many roads lead to …. Rottenburg. You’ll be surrounded by green fields and orchards and, having reached Rottenburg, you can treat yourself with some ice cream next to the river. For a nice roundtrip, on the way back, you can take a different path and head to Bühl and Kilchberg instead. Again, many roads lead to Tübingen.      

Distance: round-trip 24km
Info: Google Maps biking: Tübingen Westbahnhof to Rottenburg am Neckar       

Train: Heidelberg    
Heidelberg is a small but beautiful city just 2 hours away from Tübingen. Spending a weekend in Heidelberg, take some time to just stroll around the old town, hike up to the castle (or take the funicular if you are lazy…) for a breathtaking view of the city and the surroundings, or walk the ‘Philosophenweg’ across the river. Make sure to stop by a bar in the evening, for example the ‘Vetter’s Alt Bierbrauerei’ to grab a beer and mingle with the locals.      

Round trip: 40-60€ with DeutscheBahn (~150 km)      (Image: Melanie Barth)     

Plane: Budapest, Hungary
If you really need some time off from Tübingen, Budapest is a great choice! With its shabby-chic charm, great monuments, nice spas in historical buildings and cheap but amazing restaurants, it’s a perfect getaway for a long weekend with an impressive pub and club scene. Budapest’s world famous ‘ruin bars’ are located in houses and factories that are doomed to destruction and equipped with rejected furniture that resemble an antique market. Paired with really cheap prices for cocktails and other beverages, this will surely be a great night out. While most attractions, such as the bars, cafes and buzzing streets are located in Pest, make sure to also visit the Buda site and climb up to the Habsburg palace for its amazing views!

Round trip: plane tickets for 80-120€ with Eurowings (if you book in advance)    
Accommodation: look into Airbnb

Stefanie Schuster is a PhD candidate in the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research in the Clinical Neurogenetics lab of Prof. Dr. Ludger Schöls in Tübingen, Germany.