Hike - Bike - Train - Plane
by Laura Dudek and Michael Paolillo
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 is-
land 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
Michael Paolillo
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 (remem-
ber, 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 beau-
tiful 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!
Melanie Dietz
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 hood-
ie, 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 Dudek
30 | NEUROMAG |November 2017