Martinimarkt Tübingen

A True Market in the Historical Sense

While most markets in Germany today are thematically focused – Christmas markets, weekly markets, spring markets – the Tübingen Martinimarkt preserves an older tradition: the Krämermarkt (general goods market). Here, they sell what peddlers used to carry on their tours through the countryside: almost everything a family needed for the winter months. This tradition in Tübingen dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Martinimärkte around St. Martin's Day (November 11) were among the most important trading days of the year – the time when farmers paid their rent, farmhands and maids changed jobs, and the last supplies for winter were purchased.

The Assortment – What You Find Where

The assortment of today's Martinimarkt spans seven streets and the market square: Packaged foods like gingerbread, roasted almonds, spirits, honey, and specialties dominate the Marktplatz. Household goods can be found in the Marktgasse – brushes, dishes, pots, hardware, tools. Textiles and clothing are distributed in Kornhausstraße and Kirchgasse: sheepskins, hats, scarves, wool items, knitwear. Basketry and ceramics are on the Holzmarkt. Leather goods, jewelry, and wool are in Neckargasse. Essential oils, natural cosmetics, and soaps are in Neue Straße and Hafengasse. The stalls are carefully curated – no industrial junk, but high-quality crafts and regional specialties.

Tübingen's Old Town as a Backdrop

Tübingen's Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval-early modern townscapes in Southern Germany – a Gothic collegiate church, Hohentübingen Castle, the Hölderlin Tower, the market square with its 15th-century town hall, and half-timbered houses on the slopes around the market square. During the Martinimarkt, all traffic is banned from the Old Town; the streets become pedestrian zones where thousands of visitors move between stalls, cafés, and bars. The mix of historic architecture and lively market activity has a cinematic quality – no wonder Tübingen is often called a 'tourist magnet'.

Tübingen – University City on the Neckar

Tübingen is a university city in the Tübingen district, located southwest of Stuttgart on the Neckar River. With its approximately 91,000 inhabitants and the Eberhard Karls University (founded in 1477, one of the oldest in Germany), the city has a unique blend of academic tradition and Swabian civic life. The Martinimarkt is one of those festival dates where the university and the city mix in the best sense: students, professors, Tübingen citizens, and day-trippers from Stuttgart, Reutlingen, and Sigmaringen stroll through the streets together. A weekend trip to Tübingen for the Martinimarkt can be perfectly combined with punt boat rides on the Neckar (past the Hölderlin Tower) and a visit to Hohentübingen Castle.