During the many (seven) years I spent planning our Christmas trip to Germany, I came across the beautifully preserved medieval town of Tübingen, Germany. Which is of course worth visiting in its own right.
But…!
I also discovered that the town hosts a chocolate festival every December, known as ChocolART!!!
So obviously I added it to our itinerary.
The itinerary changed over the years, but visiting during the Tübingen chocolate festival was always a must!
I couldn’t find a lot of information about either Tübingen or the chocolate festival in my planning, so I knew I had to write a guide with all the information I gleaned, both from (seven!) years of planning and from our personal experience in Tübingen, Germany.
Year visited: 2025
Time of Year: December
More Germany Guides:
What’s in this Article:
- About Tübingen, Germany
- Where to Stay
- How to Get to Tübingen
- Tübingen ChocolART Festival
- Other Things to Do in Tübingen
- Other Things to Do Nearby
About Tübingen, Germany
Where is Tübingen
Tübingen is in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany. This is in south central Germany, to the west of Munich and Bavaria. It is about a one hour train ride south of Stuttgart, the capital city of this region.
About Tübingen
Tübingen (or Tuebingen) has a population of just under 100,000, making it a good sized university town. The university was founded in 1477, and has defined the character of the city ever since.
Many famous scientists and artists studied at the university, including Johannes Kepler.
Why Visit Tübingen
Tübingen’s historic old town was left mostly untouched during WWII, and is therefore one of the best cities in Germany to visit for classic medieval half-timbered buildings. There is row upon row of picturesque streets worth exploring (and photographing!).
Because of the university, the city always has a vibrant and modern feel (despite its charmingly fairy tale-esque appearance). There are plenty of great restaurants to experience (if you’re not here on a Sunday afternoon when everything is closed).
Plus there is the ChocolART Festival in winter! Or you can come in the summer and enjoy punting on the Neckar River!
Where to Stay
For our trip, we stayed in Stuttgart, Germany. It’s the closest city (just an hour by regional train), and the perfect place to base yourself for other day trips in the area. Personally, I prefer to stay in the bigger city and day trip around.
But you can also stay in Tübingen itself, which is especially good for experiencing the chocolate festival at night. There are plenty of good options for where to stay in Tübingen.
Stay in Stuttgart
- Adina Apartment Hotel-Where we stayed. Close to the main station and in a great area. Absolutely loved it!
- Premier Inn Europaviertel-Affordable and right next to our hotel. We stayed at a Premier Inn in Edinburgh and really liked it.
- Aloft Stuttgart-Another apartment style hotel close to where we stayed. Great location and beautiful facilities.
Stay in Tübingen
- ibis Styles-Recommended by another blogger. Close to the train station and affordable.
- Hotel am Schloss-Recommended by a local. Beautiful location in the heart of the old town.
How to Get to Tübingen, Germany
It is easy to get to Tübingen by train from Stuttgart, which is well connected to any major city in Germany.
You can book a regional ticket to get from Stuttgart to Tübingen, which means if you’re doing a day trip, you can take any regional train (and local transportation) at any time (after 9:00 am) that day. This is what we did, and was especially good for adding a stop at Hohenzollern Castle.
The train will take about an hour to arrive at Tübingen HBF (main station). From here it’s an easy walk into the old town where the ChocolART Festival is held.
Check out the Deutsch-Bahn website to check train times and book tickets. You can learn more about regional tickets and public transportation in my full guide to train travel in Germany.
How to Get Around Tübingen
The best way to get around Tübingen, Germany is simply by walking. Although it is a bit uphill from the train station, it is easy enough to walk to all of the main sites in the city.
The chocolate festival is held in the center of the old town, or “Altstadt.”
From the train station, cross the parking lot and turn right until you reach the main road. Then turn left and just follow that up into town. This road will take you across the bridge, where there is an island park along the water, and the famous view of Tübingen’s colorful houses along the river.
After you cross the river, follow the signs for the Altstadt to the left, and that will take you right into the main square. If you’re here for the chocolate festival, there will be plenty of people walking in that direction.
After (or before) you’ve thoroughly explored the festival in the city’s main square, be sure to wander around all the charming streets throughout the area.
Tübingen ChocolART Festival
Of course there are other things to do in Tübingen (see next section) besides the chocolate festival, but this is the main reason we visited! Here is some helpful information if you’re planning to visit Tübingen for ChocolART.
Chocolate Festival Dates & Hours
ChocolART is always held the Tuesday after the first Sunday of Advent until the next Sunday. So it is Tuesday-Sunday, starting the Tuesday after Advent begins.
- Good to Know: If you’re unfamiliar, “Advent” season is the four Sundays before Christmas. For those of us coming from the US, another way to look at it is that it starts the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
The dates for 2026 are December 1-December 6, 2026.
Be sure to check the event website for the most up to date hours, but generally the hours are as follows:
- Tuesday: 1pm-8pm
- Wed-Fri: 10am-8pm
- Saturday: 10am-10pm
- Sunday: 11am-6pm
- Pro Tip: Try to avoid visiting on the weekends, if you can, especially Sunday. The weekends will be much more crowded, and if you visit on a Sunday (like we did) other places in town will not be open.
- Be sure to check out the light display at night, if you can. We paired our visit with the holiday show at Hohenzollern Castle, so we unfortunately did not get to see the square lit up at night.
What to Expect at ChocolART
Mostly what to expect at the Tübingen chocolate festival is… food! And it’s not just chocolate (but there is a lot of that)!
It’s sort of like a Christmas market, with different vendors selling their goods, except it’s ALL edible. You’ll see some typical Christmas market foods, like flammkuchen, and some specialty (chocolatey) things, like the empanada seasoned with chili and cocoa that I had.
You’ll also see a lot of desserts. From schneeballs (famous Rothenburg pastries), to meringues, to waffle cones literally filled with melted chocolate. And so, so many fun shaped chocolates.
In addition to all the food, there are also demonstrations and live music. Here is an overview of what you can expect:
- Food
- Savory
- Chocolatey
- Non-chocolate desserts
- SO much hot chocolate
- Free samples!
- Demonstrations
- Chocolate painting
- Chocolate carving
- Meringue making
- Live Music
Tips for Visiting
Some tips and good things to know to help make your visit go a little smoother:
- Bring Cash
- Almost all the vendors were cash only. There is an ATM available right in the square (we had to replenish our stores).
- There are free bathrooms!
- This is unheard of in Germany, but Tübingen actually has FREE public bathrooms (or water closets) (or toilets) available in the main square.
- Understand the “Pfand”
- If you get a drink at a Christmas market in Germany, it will come in a souvenir mug. You pay a “pfand,” or extra deposit for the mug (also for any silverware or dishes that come with your food).
- You can return said mug (or other dishes) to any food stall (it does not have to be the same one) and get the deposit back (side note: This is a great way to get coins for the bathroom. Except you don’t need them in Tübingen!)
- You can also choose to keep the mug as a souvenir!
- I brought a plastic bag for wrapping up used mugs that I wanted to keep and take home.
Other Things to Do in Tübingen
Unfortunately, when we visited on a Sunday, all of the other shops outside of the ChocolART Festival were closed (or fortunately, if you’re trying to save money…). We were able to wander the beautiful old town and cobblestone streets without crowds though, which was a plus.
For our trip, we just visited Tübingen as a day trip, combined with a visit to Hohenzollern Castle. So our main objective was the chocolate festival, and we didn’t have time to really do anything else.
If you are staying in Tübingen, or looking for more things to do in the town, here are some ideas.
Wander the Cobblestone Streets
Literally the best (and cheapest!) thing to do in Tübingen is to just wander the magical cobblestone streets. You can do this on your own, or you could book a walking tour with a local guide.
Visit the Castle
On the hill overlooking the city is Hohentuebingen Castle. The castle is part of the university now, so you can wander the grounds for free. If you want to go inside, you can visit the University’s Museum of Ancient Cultures, which is housed inside the castle.
Hölderlin’s Tower
Friedrich Hölderlin was a poet who lived in Tübingen in the early 1800s. The “tower” where he lived is now a museum.
Step Inside a Stunning Church
A great spot for a photo opportunity, or just a moment of peace, is inside the Collegiate Church of St. George, located just off of the main square.
Enjoy the Neckar River
Though it’s certainly more enjoyable in the summer months, you can enjoy the walk and views along the Neckar River that flows past Tübingen any time of year. Wander through the island park (you can reach this via stairs from the bridge), or if you happen to be around in the summertime, go punting on the river.
Go Shopping
There are plenty of local shops and restaurants to check out in the cute old town area. If you’re here at another time of year, you can find a local farmer’s market in the plaza where the chocolate festival is held. There are also flea markets throughout the city.
Check out all the local shops and markets in Tübingen.
Other Things to Do Nearby
You will definitely want to add some other stops to your Tübingen itinerary. Here are some ideas of the best things to do nearby.
Hohenzollern Castle
The best place to visit in conjunction with Tübingen, Germany is Hohenzollern Castle. It is on the same train line from Stuttgart, so you can visit both on a day trip from the city, add a day trip to Hohenzollern from Tübingen (if you’re staying there), or just visit each on a separate day.
If you are visiting during December for the Tübingen chocolate festival, the castle will be closed for regular visits during the day. But they are open special afternoon/evening hours for their holiday lights and events. You can read all about our visit to Hohenzollern Castle for their Christmas program.
Lichtenstein Castle
Lichtenstein Castle is another gorgeous castle that’s close by to Hohenzollern and Tübingen. It is difficult to get to via public transportation (though not impossible). However, I would suggest having your own rental car if you want to visit this castle.
Stuttgart, Germany
As I’ve said before, Stuttgart is the closest big city to Tübingen. It’s a good place to base yourself for a visit to the chocolate festival, or you can also day trip to Stuttgart from Tübingen, if you’d rather stay in the smaller city.
Stuttgart is full of museums (even a pig museum!), stunning architecture, a HUGE Christmas market, the longest shopping street in Germany, and so much more. You can read my full guide to visiting Stuttgart, including the best things to do in the city.
Any more questions?
If you have any more questions about visiting Tübingen, Germany’s chocolate festival, or your own tips and suggestions, please feel free to email me or comment below!
Planning a trip to Germany?
Save one of the pins below for future trip planning:
You might also like:
- The Best Things to Do for Christmas in Germany
- Things to Do in Stuttgart, Germany
- 8 Magical Day Trips from Stuttgart, Germany
- The Complete Guide to German Train Travel
Julia is a travel blogger with a Bachelor’s Degree in photography from Indiana Wesleyan University. She worked as a professional photo-retoucher for seven and a half years, before leaving the company to work in the travel industry. She now works at a historic 1800’s hotel. When she’s not working, she’s reading fantasy novels or classic literature, and planning trips to magical destinations.
Leave a Reply