IllustrationCome here to move from a tropical rainforest to alpine plants and apple trees in a single outing.
Come here to move from a tropical rainforest to alpine plants and apple trees in a single outing. Start at the main entrance on Auf der Morgenstelle, beside building 5, and choose a couple of sections that catch your interest. The glasshouses make a good first stop, especially with children who want something unexpected straight away.
Inside the Tropicarium, look for ferns beside the entrance, follow the rainforest planting and see how far the giant bamboo stretches upwards. Outside, the Alpinum uses the hillside to show mountain plants, while the Rhododendron-Tal follows a stream through ferns and shrubs. The Swabian Alb section brings you back to regional landscapes, from limestone grassland to woodland.
The arboretum lies north of Nordring and deserves its own unhurried walk. Trees are grouped by their botanical families, with conifers towards the west and the fruit collection towards the east. This is a working university garden with plenty to look at closely. One unfamiliar leaf, a plant label and a good question can be enough to keep everyone interested. Wondering what that bird or insect is? Find out on your visit using the Snappit nature app.
Tübingen’s botanical-garden story reaches back to the physician and botanist Leonhart Fuchs in the sixteenth century. A later university garden near the town centre served teaching and research for more than 150 years. The present Morgenstelle garden opened in 1969. Some glasshouse plants were moved here from the old site, and the collections now support research, public learning and the conservation of threatened regional plants.
For a compact visit, go from the main gate to the show houses, explore the Tropicarium and succulent house, then find the carnivorous-plant case in the ecological section above the glasshouses. Return to the main gate along the garden paths you used on the way in.
For more outdoor time, add the Alpinum and Rhododendron-Tal, returning to the same entrance. Expect slopes and a choice of paths with steps; this is a more demanding option than concentrating on the houses.
For the trees and orchard, use the garden overview to find an open arboretum entrance north of Nordring; ask staff about the pedestrian connection if you are unsure. Explore a few tree groups and the eastern Pomarium, then retrace your approach to the main gate, bus stop or car park. Keep enough time for that return before the garden closes. These are flexible visit suggestions, with no fixed circuit length.
Flowering shifts with the weather, and plants in display cases can be less conspicuous in winter. A damp day can be good for looking closely at mosses, but wet stone, fallen leaves and frost need care. In strong winds or severe weather, follow closures and save the tree walk for another day.
The garden has slopes and steps. The university lists step-free main entrances to the show houses and Tropicarium, but marks the complex as only partly accessible. The tropical crop section is reached by stairs, and the canopy platform by a spiral staircase. Some indoor paths are narrow and surfaced with natural stone. Accessible toilets are listed in the show-house and Tropicarium buildings. For a wheelchair or pushchair, ask the garden which entrance and paths currently give you a workable out-and-back visit; the arboretum includes a sloping orchard. Call 07071 29-78822.
rainforest plants, tropical ferns and a giant bamboo under an unusual hexagonal roof.
compare snap traps, pitcher traps and sticky leaves without touching them.
a stream valley and hillside mountain-plant displays.
explore tree families and the variety of cultivated apples.
From the main entrance, visit the show houses and the carnivorous-plant case above them, then return to the main entrance. Pick two houses rather than trying to inspect every label.
Step-free building entrances do not make every exhibit step-free. Omit the crop stairs and canopy staircase if needed, and ask staff about the approach.
Begin at an open arboretum entrance north of Nordring. Choose a few conifers in the west, broadleaf trees in the central collection and apple trees in the eastern Pomarium. Return to the entrance you used.
For a wheelchair or pushchair, check the gradients and available gates with the garden before choosing this walk.
Start with the rainforest, compare a few succulents and finish at the carnivorous-plant case. Keep the arboretum for a second visit if everyone has already had enough labels and walking.
Give the arboretum most of your time, with stops for leaf shapes and apple labels. Return along your approach before closing; if you still want to go indoors, allow enough time for the glasshouses too.
In the succulent house, choose three plants with different shapes. Look for thick leaves or stems, then compare plants from the Americas with those from Africa. Similar shapes can belong to quite different plant families.
Pick up the free moss-trail map in the glasshouse foyer and choose a few nearby stops. Compare a cushion-like patch with a feathery one from the path. A hand lens makes this more interesting than simply ticking off names.
Book with [email protected] before your visit. The children work through plant riddles to obtain the chest code. Ask about the appropriate age version and arrange material collection before the day.
The succulent house makes a useful contrast to the humid Tropicarium. Spend longer comparing plant structures and leave the hillside collections for drier weather. You still need to cross the outdoor garden on your way in and out.
Compare the shapes and colours of apples when fruit is present, and read the variety labels. One tree can carry several grafted varieties. Take photographs rather than picking or tasting.
Find the giant bamboo label and look from the base of the canes towards the roof. Try a low-angle photograph from the path to show its scale; leave the growing shoots untouched.
Look for paired trap leaves with a fringe around their edges. Compare them with the neighbouring pitcher traps, but do not poke, feed or try to make a trap close.
This small carnivore lives in water. Look for the label and delicate whorls of leaves below the surface; it can be difficult to distinguish in the planting. Photograph through the display without reaching in.
In early spring, look for the drooping white bells of spring snowflake and their coloured tips. A path-level close-up catches the detail without needing to step into the bed.
In late spring, look for white flowers with a coloured line along each segment, carried above narrow leaves. Photograph the whole flower stem as well as a single bloom.
In summer, the orange flower clusters are a good close-up subject. Look carefully at the small individual flowers before taking the wider picture. Enjoy any visiting insects without assuming a particular butterfly will appear.
The Tropicarium’s roof is formed from six hexagons at different heights. Look up from the plants and see how architect Hermann Blomeier brought daylight into the rainforest space.
The garden grows threatened regional plants in partnership with conservation specialists. Some are propagated for return to suitable wild sites. The public habitat displays offer a starting point for understanding why those plants need particular conditions.
Try spring snowflakes early in the year, white asphodel in late spring and butterfly milkweed in summer. Autumn shifts attention to the orchard and tree crowns. Use current plant labels and the Garden Explorer for locations; flowering and display visibility vary.
The glasshouse foyer is where you can collect the moss-trail leaflet. Accessible toilets are listed in the show-house and Tropicarium buildings. Bring drinking water and plan refreshments separately rather than depending on a café.
Take line 5 to Botanischer Garten and head for the main gate beside Auf der Morgenstelle 5. For the return, check the correct stop direction in the journey planner. Until 31 October 2027, subject to changes, the Steinlachallee diversion means line 5 does not serve Hauptbahnhof Süd or Poststraße; use the planner’s current station connection. Drivers can use Ebenhalde car park at Schnarrenbergstraße 158.
When asking about access, say whether you are arriving by bus or from Ebenhalde, and which collections you want to see. Confirm the outdoor route, building entrance and toilet access together. The canopy platform and tropical crop stairs are optional parts of the visit.
Each card links to a full Explore page with photos, traits, and fun facts.
Start with the big picture, then zoom in to explore individual wildlife observations around this place.
Choose the right garden
the Alter Botanischer Garten in the town centre is a separate park. Head for the Morgenstelle university campus.
By bus
line 5 links Tübingen Hauptbahnhof with the Botanischer Garten stop. Check both journeys in the TüBus/naldo planner; roadworks affect its southern route.
By car
use Parkhaus Ebenhalde, Schnarrenbergstraße 158. The car park at the main garden entrance is restricted to university permit holders on weekdays.
Walk, don’t ride
riding scooters, balance bikes and bicycles is prohibited, including children’s bikes.
Look, then leave it
stay on paths and leave plants, fruit and seeds in place. Nothing here is for tasting.
Pack lightly
bring drinking water. Use the Garden Explorer or photograph labels to keep track of plants that interest you.
Plan a group visit
register larger groups and school classes in advance, even without a guided tour.
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.
Maryland, US
You might spot White-Tailed Deer and Eastern Gray Squirrel.
View guide →
District of Columbia, US
You might spot Eastern Gray Squirrel, Duck, and House Sparrow.
View guide →
Illinois, US
You might spot American Robin, Canada Goose, and House Sparrow.
View guide →
Virginia, US
You might spot Spotted Lanternfly and Northern Cardinal.
View guide →
Take the discovery with you
Identify the wildlife you spot, learn as you go, and keep a collection of the adventure.
