Hike: Tübingen Neckarinsel

This mini-hike begins at the Neckarbrücke in the heart of Tübingen, a perfect activity for a first date. Head down the staircase onto the island and note the massive pigeon coop.    Tübingen’s handy way to regulate the pigeon population though egg exchange (with plaster eggs). Continue along the island and you’ll see the Hölderlin Tower, which was home to the then recluse hermit, now renowned poet, Friedrich Hölderlin. Friedrich did not leave the tower for the final 36 years of his life! The trees on either side were planted in about 1824 making them nearly 200 years old! Enjoy the rest of your hike as you end at the west side of Tübingen. We recommend you head north through the tunnel and into the old town for some hot cocoa. 

Round trip distance and time:  3 km / 1h (approximately)

Info: The big island in the middle of the Neckar river in Tübingen

Bike: Weilheim (Southern Tübingen)

Hop on your bike – don’t forget your helmet! – and head west towards the Freibad. Leaving Tübingen behind us, we saw the beautiful Wurmlinger Kapelle on the right and Weilheim to our left. Even for a beginner rider this is a breeze. It is mostly flat without much traffic (remember, we were in a village outside the city). We then followed the bike path southwest towards Kiebingen and along the way we passed through some apple orchards, the second most beautiful part of this trip – the first being the company, of course.  We then looped back eastward and returned to Tübingen via Derendingen just in time for dinner! 

Trip distance and time:  25 km / 1.5 h (approximately)

Info: Follow the bike paths and explore a bit!  

Train: Mineralbad in Böblingen

Ready for a relaxing day of bathing and bubbles? Of course you are! There are various pools inside and outside which make this location rather diverse. The decoration is well done and creates a relaxing atmosphere with the main hall showcasing a ring of large columns around the first bath reminding us of old Greece. Swimming outside through a revolving door, we were met by the cold air against our wet skin and reflexively sank down into the warm bath. With wrinkled fingers and toes, we headed back to the changing room leaving our worries behind in the waters.

Trip distance and time: 30 km / 50 min (approximately)

Info: Take a train to Herrenberg, the S1 to Böblingen, and it is a 10 min walk from the station.

Plane: New York, USA

After almost 15 hours of travelling, we were rewarded with the most beautiful view of New York. Instead of paying 30 bucks for the Empire State building, we paid a bit extra to enjoy this fantastic view. We saw a Broadway play, visited Time Square, rented a rowboat in Central Park, and most importantly, bought an “I love NY” hoodie in Chinatown (remember to bargain!). After buying this amazing hoodie, we had our fill of dessert in little Italy and walked town to Battery Park and said goodnight to the Statue of Liberty before heading off to sleep ourselves. New York is a city we can imagine visiting any time of the year and who knows what will happen next time.

Trip distance and time:  6300 km / 10 h (approximately)

Info: Use Skyscanner or Momondo to search for flights

Laura Dudekcan be found teaching Zumba and riding her old bike around Tübingen.

Michael Paolillo is currently a doctoral student at the Interfakultäres Institut für Biochemie (IFIB) in the lab of Prof. Dr. Robert