For the life of me I can not find a decent website for info about booking hostels here for the chocolate festival, even the links on Lonelyplanet give me an error. Hostels and other websites do not come up with much either.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to visit this town during this time or if its even worth visiting?
This is part of a four month trip I am taking, where I have dedicated nearly all of december to Germany for it's Christmas charm, is my time better spent in another town?
Don't know if there's still room but an option: http://www.jugendherberge.de/Jugendherbergen/Tuebingen113/Portraet
Anyone have any suggestions on how to visit this town during this time or if its even worth visiting?
And for the second part of your query: if you scan this forum you'll find plenty of reviews about Tübingen with some content so that you can judge if it's worth visiting for you(r interests); less helpful to say I do like the town.
Good luck.
MusicalHam, you talk about a 4 month trip. You don't mention your nationality, but are you aware of "Schengen"? If you would have an EU-passport it is of no importance for you, but in most other cases it could mean trouble.
I was in Tübingen last december, though not for the festival. One day could be enough for the town, it's indeed very nice, old city, river park, abbey,...and busy.
I came by bus from Freiburg, on a day trip, I didn't overnight there. The hostel is said to be a good one.
Have a look in this http://www.tuebingen.de/uebernachten - if you go to the different links you will find some offers also in English.
Tuebingen ( http://www.tuebingen.de ) is simply our favorite town in Germany, just quintessential Germany, with its hilly cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, castle, interesting nontourist shops, one of Germany's oldest universities, and the nextdoor delightful medieval well-preserved Bebenhausen Monastery. Having attended what is Germany's largest chocolate festival, I wouldn't go again as we didn't find it that good and had a hard time finding anything that appealed to us to buy. What will happen is some streets are full of stalls and crowded with people which will hamper your getting about the city and enjoying it. I believe that their Christmas Market is the next weekend and lasts only for it. If you cannot find a room there, Stuttgart ( http://www.stuttgart-tourist.de ) is less than an hour away by train and has several hostels, of them, I would prefer Alex30 which we lived across the street from it.
Stuttgart has one of Germany's largest, oldest, most visited and most beautiful Christmas Markets ( http://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de only in German) which takes up a good share of contiguous central Stuttgart. The stalls all have highly decorated roofs, probably the best of anywhere in Germany, and the setting is lovely by the Old Palace, New Palace and Stiftskirche (old church). Although visited by over 4 million people, Stuttgart has taken great efforts in reducing crowding in the market, and I've now visited on Saturday evenings with no problems unlike other of the popular Christmas Markets.
15 minutes away by S-bahn are two smaller themed Christmas Markets which each receive over a million visitors a year: Esslingen ( http://www.esslingen.de ) Medieval & Christmas Market set in the well-preserved medieval center of town particularly nice in the evening when lit up by torches; and the Ludwigsburg ( http://www.ludwigsburg.de ) Baroque Christmas Market which is also particularly nice at night with the large angels made of lights. It is close to Germany's largest perfectly-preserved (all original) palace (in http://www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de ), called the "Swabian Versailles" for obvious reasons, their English-language tour being the longest (1.5-3 hours) and best palace tour that I've been on in Europe, and I've been in plenty of others.
Another excellent Christmas Market is in Bad Wimpfen ( http://www.badwimpfen.de ) which is weekends only. It could be quite crowded because of its limited hours and its popularity.
Edited by: marcopolko
We went to the Stuttgart Christmas Market a couple years ago on Marco's advice and really liked it. We are going back this December with enough days to make day-trips to some places like Tübingen.
We like traveling in Advent Season. We sight-see during day and visit the markets in the evening. The evenings are very long in Germany in December (sunset ~ 4pm); the markets make them lively with lots to see and do.
We considered staying in Tübingen until we learned that we would not be there during their Christmas Market. We feared those long evenings might be a bit boring. So, we settled on a day trip there from Stuttgart.
Good luck with your planning. Regards, Gary
Edited by: trikist
Thanks for everyones help on the matter, as I will be coming from Northern Italy, perhaps I'll stay in Stuttgart and make a day trip out to Tübingen during the festival.
When the time comes, I'll update this thread or make a new one for reference to others who are interested in attending it someday.
I went to Tubingen and LOVED IT as well. What an undervisitied town! You have to go to City Hall and ask to see the drawings on the walls inside.
But as beautiful and charming as it is, it doesn't merit more than one day. Stay in Stuttgart (as it look likes you have already decided to do) and START YOUR DAY in Bebenhausen at the monastery there.
Then, go to Tubingen to see City Hall and the chocolate market. And then go back to Stutgart to your hostel. I stayed at Inter-Hostel and it was fine. It was in walking distance to the train station.
Don't forget that while you are in Stuttgart, you have the Porsche Museum, the Mercedes-Benz Museum, and the Art Museum in Stuttgart... all of which are considerbale undertakings.