Energy tour for children

In summer, the Tübingen outdoor pool or the water feature at the Anlagensee lake provide the necessary refreshment. If you would like to go a little longer, you can follow the Neckar Valley cycle path from Lustnau to the quarry pond in Kirchentellinsfurt.

Start: Tübingen outdoor pool

Stage 1: Km 0 - 3: Outdoor pool - hydroelectric power station

- From the outdoor pool (information board on the solar thermal system at the rear entrance to the outdoor pool) next to the Paul Horn Arena (information board on the photovoltaic system), the route leads through the park to the Neckartal cycle path. Turn left there in the direction of Rottenburg. At the junction towards Weilheim, continue straight on, then turn right onto the bridge over the Neckar. After crossing the Neckar, leave the Neckartal cycle path and turn right onto the little-used Rappenberghalde road back towards Tübingen.

- After about 500 m you reach the Rappenberghalde transformer station and a few meters further on the Rappenberghalde hydroelectric power station, both of which have an information board.

Stage 2: Km 3 - 9.5: Hydroelectric power station - Egeria Platz

- The tour then continues along the road past the campsite. At the crossroads with the bus stop “Ernst Bloch Straße”, turn right over the Neckar bridge back into the park. Behind the sports field, turn left onto the Neckartal cycle path towards Tübingen city center. A special highlight awaits you directly behind the sports field: the 3inOne exercise park. In addition to a skate park, pump track and parkour, there is also a nice playground with lots of climbing facilities and a sandpit for younger cyclists.

At the next junction, turn right onto the “blue ribbon”. The newly designed cycle path takes you directly to the Tübingen bus station, where the next highlight awaits with the Café am See with its water feature and beautiful outdoor terrace. Right next to the Café am See is the bike station, where minor repairs can be carried out without an appointment. The bicycle parking garage under the café and bike station is also a special experience. After the bus station, turn half right into the entrance between the underpass and the “Epple” house. Turn left behind the “Epple” house and shortly afterwards turn right onto the bridge over the Steinlach and follow the footpath/cycle path. Then continue on Schaffhausenstraße, which is marked as a cycle route along the railroad tracks.

- At the end of Schaffhausenstraße, turn half right onto the farm track. After crossing under the bridge, turn right and follow the path along the idyllic allotment gardens. At the end of the gardens, turn right again under the bridge.

- Before Lustnau station, continue left along the bridge embankment to the junction where you reach the Neckar Valley cycle path again. If you wish, you can make a detour from there to the Großholz substation. To do this, keep left and cross the bridge over the railroad on the footpath/cycle path. At the traffic circle, use the crossing aid and continue right along the DIY store to the Großholz substation. Next to the DIY store is the headquarters of the Tübingen bakery “Lieb”, which has a large café where you can take a break.

- Alternatively, you can follow the Neckar Valley cycle path a little further upstream towards Esslingen to the quarry pond in Kirchentellinsfurt, which is ideal for swimming on warm days and has a kiosk where you can take a break.

- If you want to save yourself a detour, follow the Neckar Valley cycle path directly towards Tübingen-Lustnau. At the end of the bridge over the Neckar, stay left on the main road. You are now in the Egeria district, a popular residential area for young families. On Egeria-Platz, you will find another lovely playground and, right next to it, restaurants and cafés that make for a pleasant stopover for the whole family.

- Continuing on Nürtinger Straße, leave the traffic circle at the third exit and follow Gartenstraße back towards Tübingen city center. To the left of Gartenstraße, a beautiful recreational area is currently being created directly on the banks of the Neckar following the extensive renaturation of the Neckar, which will invite you to linger once it is completed in 2025. From Gartenstraße, turn left after the small playground at the tennis club into Brückenstraße, where the Neckarwerk with its information board and cycle bridge over the Neckar awaits you.

Stage 4: Km 12.5 - 15: Neckarwerk - outdoor pool

- The route then continues along Hermann-Kurz-Straße . At the youth hostel, turn right briefly uphill and then left again into Gartenstraße. At the end of the street on the left is the Neckarmüller restaurant, which has a large beer garden directly on the Neckar and has been awarded family-friendly status. Afterwards, it is worth making a detour to Tübingen's old town, which has many small playgrounds, museums, owner-managed retail stores, cafés and restaurants. Back at the bikes at Neckarmüller, the tour leads left over the Eberhardsbrücke bridge, Tübingen's postcard motif. After the bridge, turn right into Uhlandstraße and continue straight on past the Anlagensee lake into the traffic-calmed area. For the rest of the tour, cross the junction and continue right past Wildermuth Gymnasium on the Neckartal cycle path.

- After the railroad crossing, continue straight ahead on Jahnallee. At the end of the sports facilities, continue straight ahead. Shortly afterwards, the junction to the outdoor pool and the Paul Horn Arena follows and after a few meters you reach the starting point of the tour.

No special clothing required; if necessary, snacks and sufficient drink for a break at one of the many rest areas

Wearing a helmet should be a matter of course for all cyclists young and old.

The tour runs mostly on cycle paths and traffic-calmed roads. Nevertheless, busy roads and city traffic cannot be completely avoided. Children should therefore already be safe on the roads and be familiar with the traffic rules. Despite the moderate gradient and length of the route, we recommend the tour for children aged 9 and over.