Germany has some of the best universities in the world—and some of the oldest. Heidelberg University, for instance, was founded in 1386. Relative whippersnapper Harvard University in Massachusetts wasn’t established until 250 years later.
In addition to being centers of learning, Germany’s institutions of higher education have shaped their respective hometowns for centuries. Travelers reap the benefits by experiencing these cities’ youthful vibe, world-class museums and libraries, centuries-old architecture, and lively pub and café culture.
Southern Germany’s Universities of Excellence
Within its higher education system, Germany has a special distinction for 11 schools deemed “Universities of Excellence.” This distinguished group is recognized for conducting top-tier research, and each institution receives federal and state funding to support its international competitiveness.
Four schools in the Universities of Excellence program are located in the southern German cities of Tübingen, Bonn, Heidelberg, and Aachen. These charming locales are also part of the Historic Highlights of Germany’s Heritage Cities, a grouping of 17 destinations recognized for historic, walkable Old Towns, cosmopolitan lifestyles, vibrant culinary and beverage scenes, and easy access by train or autobahn.
For travelers interested in exploring Southern Germany’s collegiate history and its far-reaching impact on many other aspects of life and culture in the region, we’ve assembled the following syllabus highlighting the four above cities plus Munich, the capital of Bavaria and home to a rich educational pedigree of its own. Not to mention all the beer.
Tübingen
Situated on the edge of the Black Forest approximately 20 miles south of Stuttgart, Tübingen has one of the area’s most charming and well-preserved medieval Old Towns, having survived World War II nearly intact. For picture-perfect views, take a ride on a pole-propelled punting boat along the Neckar River. You’ll see colorful half-timbered houses and Hölderlin Tower, where the poet and philosopher Friedrich Hölderlin spent the last 36 years of his life.
Dating to 1477, the University of Tübingen plays a considerable role in the life of the city—perhaps not surprising when you consider that students make up about a third of the town’s population. The school’s lecture halls, libraries, and faculty buildings are housed in historic buildings in the Old Town; you’ll find students cycling on cobblestone streets, strolling the promenade on an island in the river (Platanenallee), and filling cafés, pubs, and restaurants.
The Museum of the University of Tübingen (MUT) has an impressive archaeological collection housed within the hilltop Hohentübingen Castle. Holdings include ancient Egyptian objects, sculptures, and other finds—as well as a can’t-miss exhibit featuring 40,000-year-old examples of the “world’s oldest figurative art” excavated from caves in the Swabian Jura mountain range to the south.
You can also visit the university’s year-round botanical garden for free (though donations are welcome). The gardens offer public lectures, guided tours, and exhibitions. The 25-acre facility has around 10,000 plant species from around the world, arranged by geography and other themes.
Bonn
Bonn has had an eventful past. The city, set along the Rhine River about 15 miles north of Cologne, was founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago. It’s the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven and, more recently, served as the capital of West Germany before East and West were reunited in 1990.
Established in 1818, the University of Bonn has contributed to the city’s reputation as a center for the arts and outstanding museums. The school occupies several former Baroque palaces, including the Kurfürstliches Schloss (Electoral Palace; pictured above) and Poppelsdorf Palace adjacent to the university’s botanical gardens, which are open to the public.
Likewise for a long list of university-affiliated museums: the Open Museum for Open Science, the Egyptian Museum, the Museum of Academic Art, and institutions dedicated to paleontology, the history of anesthesia, and a lot more. The university archives also offer small group and individual tours (reserve in advance) of the University Museum’s historic palace and cellar.
If you’re up for still more educational sightseeing, stop by the city’s medieval basilica, Beethoven’s birthplace, and the institutions along Museum Mile. If you only go to one, make it Museum Koenig, home to one of Europe’s finest natural history collections.
After all that learning, take it easy in Bonn’s walkable Old Town (rebuilt after World War II), where students fill bustling cafes in cobblestone squares, or at the Rheinaue, a riverside park with trails, cultural venues, meadows, and even a beer garden overlooking the water.
Heidelberg
Heidelberg—with its hilltop castle and Old Bridge spanning the Neckar River, all set in a valley against a backdrop of Odenwald hills—is one of the most romantic and picturesque destinations in Germany.
The more than six-centuries-old (and counting) Heidelberg University is a crucial part of the allure, given that so many of the school’s buildings and facilities are located within the Altstadt (Old Town), close to the Old Bridge, winding medieval streets, and historic architecture.
One part of the university that’s very popular with visitors—though it’s not quite as charming as other places in Heidelberg—is the Studentenkarzer, or Student Prison (pictured above), in the Old University building. The graffiti-covered hoosegow was established in 1823 to incarcerate rowdy students who were out carousing at night or had committed other public offenses. The jail was used for that purpose until 1914.
Travelers can also visit the Heidelberg University Library—one of Germany’s largest academic libraries—and the University Museum for a comprehensive exhibit on the history of Germany’s oldest institution.
Then you can follow in the footsteps of several generations of professors, poets, and, ja, tourists like you by taking the hillside Philosophenweg (Philosopher’s Walk) for excellent views of the Neckar River and the city.
A stroll along the Hauptstrasse (Main Street) should definitely include a stop at a bakery selling schneeballen (snowballs)—delectable sweet treats made of pastry dough that’s been wrapped and fried, then topped with chocolate, glazes, or sugar.
Aachen
Aachen, on the far western edge of Germany, started out as a spa town, thanks to the area’s prized thermal springs. Today, you could just as easily categorize Aachen as a college town; across several universities, more than 60,000 students make up a large portion of the city’s population of 250,000 residents.
The most noteworthy school is RWTH Aachen University, a leading research institution in engineering, science, and technology, regularly ranking among the world’s top 100. Campus buildings—both old and new—are woven throughout the city, and the school’s dedication to cutting-edge technology gives Aachen its modern, innovative feel.
You can learn more about the campus and student life with a free, guided tour of the city, which includes recommendations for popular local bars, cafés, and restaurants. The university also offers guided tours that highlight historic and modern buildings, iconic landmarks, and research—and give you an insider’s perspective on campus life.
While many of the university’s educational programs are geared toward students, there’s also public programming such as art exhibitions, lectures (some in German), and other events.
Significant historical and cultural sites in town are connected via the Route Charlemagne. That medieval Holy Roman Emperor is credited with having the Aachen Cathedral built; he’s buried there, too.
To sample the healing thermal waters that put Aachen on the map, stop by the Elisenbrunnen (pictured above), a 19th-century neoclassical pavilion built over the famed springs.
Munich
Munich is the largest city on this list, with approximately 1.5 million people and as many as 180,000 students attending around 30 local universities and colleges.
The oldest—and one of Germany’s 11 Universities of Excellence—is Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of Munich (LMU), founded in 1472. Campus buildings are spread throughout the city; the school’s most iconic structure would have to be the grand Main Building with its two fountains on Geschwister-Scholl-Platz.
The building is often featured on city walking tours because it was a significant site during the White Rose movement, a nonviolent resistance group led by Munich students during World War II. Tours often stop at the atrium (pictured above) and exterior, mentioning important student leaders of the movement such as Sophie Scholl and others.
For a nature break, the beautiful Munich-Nymphenburg Botanical Garden has close ties to the university for research and student training.
Beyond university life, Munich has offerings to fill several days. Among its most recognizable sites are the twin towers of the 15th-century Gothic cathedral (Frauenkirche), and, in the heart of Munich, the Marienplatz, home to the famous Rathaus-Glockenspiel, a large mechanical clock with 43 bells and 32 life-size figures.
You’ll also want to tour the Residenz palace, ogle the gorgeous Juristische Bibliothek (Law Library) at the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), and down Bavarian beer and other hearty fare at the world-renowned Hofbräuhaus tavern. Prost!
