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Regional Info

The city Tübingen (Tubinga) located in southern Germany is the geographical center of the state Baden-Württemberg. It's first settlements date back to the year 1100 A.D. and the ancient city core has been built around the year 1500 A.D. Like most other regions the city is near to a water source, the river called Neckar. This is where people used to go swimm, enjoying the good water quality in the area. It was also used as trade route for float transports (e.g. wood from the Black Forest). The city has a lot of history and culture to offer. Called 'the small big city' Tübingen is for sure a nice place to visit. Many famous historic people did the same and it is known for it's very special charm and beautiful sights. A classic university city (but most students never left again). Our symbolic building is the Hölderlin tower, named after Friedrich Hölderlin, a poet that actually lived over 30 years in that building (with lots of stories about him and his Casanova image). Nowadays with up to 30.000 university students from all over the world Tübingen seem to deliver it's spirit into the whole world. This may be the reason why we have record like touristic rates every year. 

Beeing compared to Heidelberg Tübingen presents itself as another great spot in the region of Baden-Württemberg. The city of Stuttgart is not far and offers a big international airport. The city Metzingen, known as shopping paradise for fashion welcomes visitors and Rottenburg, also close to Tübingen was the last border of the roman empire (offering a museum and a historic city core). We could go on and recommend the whole region to you since there are many more attractions to explore around here. :-)

Most important to us stakers is of course the river as it is our favorite place to be. The Neckar is very interesting and such a lovely sight around here.

Season

The Season on the river "Neckar" beginns at 15th of march and ends by the middle of november depending on the weather situation. 
Punting boats need to be taken out of the water in the winter time. 

It all depends on the weather. We can drive while it rains. We prefer and recommend to bring some sunshine.

Who we are

We are a official boat community which is authorized by the real estate office of the city Tübingen to drive the number 9. Our boats are steered by one of our 7 skilled Captains. These guys are excellent trained skippers that can manage the punting boat souvereign and with ease. 

Stocherkahn.de is the oldest domain related to Tübingen's punting boats. With the many tourists today things became more like a business. This website is all about the puntin boats and while we also offer rides it's all about facts and historic data. Our website saw the web first time in the year 1995. Tradition means a lot to us. We welcome any comments and suggestions regarding our website. If you have any pictures showing punting boats around the globe and if you like to share them, please contact us. We are in search for such things and historic facts. We would like to get in touch with our fellow "stakers" all over the world. 

Speaking of our stakers, you only will find excellently trained ones. They know how to manage the boat in each case. (...)

Our drivers (soon with images)

Alexander |  Moritz | Bernward (Bena) | Chris

About the Punting boat

The shape of a "Stocherkahn" is comparable to a "Weidling". Not many years ago it was clearer to recognize. It's the oldest boat shape known to mankind. It consists of a flat floor and planar side walls, which are available by manufacturers of a "Tübinger Stocherkahn" with an angle till 80 degrees measured from outside, inside in relation 100 degrees. The stability depends on the angle, e.g. how the boat lays on the water. Sharp angles lead to a kinda woobly experience.

Front and back are curved towards the inside and screwed to a following floor block at front and back (usually made of hard wood). The whole construction gets stablelized by frames, the amount varies from one boat manufacturer to another.

Punting boat "Stocherkahn" history (compact version)

It once was a transportation vehicle and became a leisure time attraction. 
A Stocherkahn is a flat boat that gets moved by a wooden stake and pure menpower. (...)

The boats shape is that of a so called "Nachen / Zille".

Puntings / staking is the worlds most common movement method in shallow waters because all you need is a boat and a wooden stake.

The opportunity to drive a Stocherkahn was long time only available to students. (...)

Till 1899 raftsman used the Neckar river to transport wood from the black forest to the netherlands. After that time many retaining weirs were built to gain control over the permanent danger of flooding. No floating boat could pass any longer and so the tradition got extincted. (...)

Today many Institutes and Assiciations and private persons own a number that grants the legal use of a Punting boat on the Neckar river. The pioneers by numbers and by views moved into the background. (...) 

Staking, only in Tübingen?

That's why in the continental inner sites staking is often done on rivers, streams, flat lakes, swampland and even at sea lagunes and atoll's. In waters with variable depth the stake turns into a paddle, rudder, etc. Staking is known and gets done worldwide.


Also in Oxford and Cambridge (and in many more places in the UK) staking is a thing. It made it to a sporting discipline. They call it Punting. (...)

Other more box shape like can be found in Mexiko City. (...)

In Germany only a few spots can be found. The most known area for staking is the Spreewald. Beeing on board such a boat only is possible there and in Tübingen. (...)

Uniqueness in Tübingen
What makes Punting boat rides in Tübingen unique isn't the technique, nor the boats. It's the city with it's picturesque scenery which can watched from the river in best case. (...)

Examples, how punting or staking looks elsewhere

Madagaskar             Cambridge (England)           Christchurch New Zealand on the Avon river

Okawango Delta, Hippo hunting         fore of Orient?            Asia             Afrika           Oxford (England)         Spreewald

(...)

Punting Boat Race

Each year in june time the so called Punting boat race takes place. A tradition since 1956 providing lots of fun for the observers and an overdose of adrenaline for the participants.

(...) 

A digital lesson in driving a Punting boat

We start the approach to explain to you how to safely move over the river without getting wet (speaking of not falling into the water). (...)

How to steer a Punting boat?

First off we need to difference if we drive with or against the flow. (...)

What is the artistic part at it?

(...)

Classical punting boat ride

Information:

Relaxed ride while the captain stakes around the Neckar Island alongside many attractions such as the Hölderlin Tower and the castle Hohentübingen. The scenic ambiente of the historic city is the most favorite spot to take snapshots. The staker explains the cities historic details while you enjoy the view. We can teach you how to stake the boat, too. We also offer english and spanish based rides.   

We usually start and dock at the harbour by the Casino near it's Biergarten. You can choose where boarding and de-board should happen. There are plenty of landing stages to choose from (see below). 

Ride details

Duration: 1 hour (including boarding and de-boarding time).
Driving time can be extended for 30,00 Euro each thirty minutes.

Pricing
Monday – Thursday: 50,00 Euro
Friday – Sunday: 60,00 Euro

Passengers
16 passengers can be carried in one boat. In case of bigger groups we can order extra staking boats for you. We need to know how many punting boats your group needs. Please let us know as soon as possible.

Landing stages
Casino, Hölderlin Tower, Youth Hostel, Hermann-Kurz-Street, Bismarckstreet, Neckarmüller, Hotel Domizil.
In the night time de-boarding only at official landing stages. 

Staking boat ride with guided tour of the city Tübingen

Information:

This offer combines a classical punting boat ride with a guided tour of the historic city. Tübingen offers a lot discover. You can order different types of guided tours in many languages. Please choose a tour type so we can book it for you. To view all available guided tours click here and here (we recommend to check out the navigation of Tübingen's Tourist Info Center Website). 

A professional city guide tells you in a 1 and a half hour trip a lot about the calm and turbulent times of Tübingen while you walk around the city.

Right after the city tour you can relax on the punting boat while we take a ride around the Neckar Island. 
Advice: We recommend to the punting boat ride AFTER the guided city tour.

Ride details

Total duration time: 2.5 hours (1.5 hs guided city tour, including boarding and de-boarding time).
Driving time can be extended for 30,00 Euro each thirty minutes. 

Pricing
155,00 Euro

Passengers
16 passengers can be carried in one boat. In case of bigger groups we can order extra staking boats for you. We need to know how many punting boats your group needs. Please let us know as soon as possible.

Landing stages
After the guided city tour usually Hölderlin Tower. We recommend the Casino. Also possible: Youth Hostel, Hermann-Kurz-Street, Bismarckstreet, Neckarmüller, Hotel Domizil. In the night time de-boarding only at official landing stages. 

Barbeque ride

Information:
With our ready-to-build-in Barbeque grill you can experience something of the special kind.
Bring your food (aswell as drinks, cutlery + cups) and design your individual Barbeque event. With the little difference that it happens on the water. Enjoy the nice trip with your friends or colleagues with mouth watering grilled dishes while we move smoothly along the cities backdrop. We can organize the food supply or cutlery for our foreign guests – if theres a need.

Greedy and hungry eyes are everywhere, especially from onboard other punting boats.

Ride details

Total duration time: 2.5 hours (including boarding and de-boarding time).
Driving time can be extended for 30,00 Euro each thirty minutes. 

Pricing
180,00 Euro (including Barbeque Grill, grill coal, Barbeque tongs and so on). Best case is when you bring the food, since we might would not match your taste. 

Passengers
14 passengers possible. In case of bigger groups we can order extra staking boats for you. We need to know how many punting boats your group needs. Please let us know as soon as possible.

Landing stages
Casino, Hölderlin Tower, Youth Hostel, Hermann-Kurz-Street, Bismarckstreet, Neckarmüller, Hotel Domizil.
In the night time de-boarding only at official landing stages. 

 Lantern ride

Information:

When the night time comes, the Neckar river turns from a crowdfilled tourist spot with a lot of different boat types into a much more quiet ambient. When the water sports and rudder boats don't drive anymore, the river is owned by the punting boats again. 

The ride beginns usually when we reach dusk level for at least some remaining light of the day. The punting boat is mounted with lanterns. A beautiful ride with enough time to do some dreaming. It can get a bit cold after sunset, especially in the autumm season. Prepare some warm clothing. 

Ride details

Total duration time: 1.5 hours (including boarding and de-boarding time).
Driving time can be extended for 30,00 Euro each thirty minutes. 

Pricing
110,00 Euro (with a maximum of 16 passengers)

Passengers
16 passengers possible. In case of bigger groups we can order extra staking boats for you. We need to know how many punting boats your group needs. Please let us know as soon as possible.

Landing stages
Casino, Hölderlin Tower, Youth Hostel, Hermann-Kurz-Street, Bismarckstreet, Neckarmüller, Hotel Domizil.
In the night time de-boarding only at official landing stages. From 10:30 pm the Hölderlin Tower cannot be used as harbour. 

Landing Stages 

For an overview of all estate landing stages click here, please.  
By the way: We can drive till we reach this spot, further staking is impossible from that point on.

At the moment we are going to list our two main harbours with pictures. The rest is to follow.
 

The Casino (left)
– has a toilett capable for disabled people
– driving towards the city front
– Biergarten located close to the landing stage
– Parking lot beside the Casino buildung
– Only 500 Meters to the train station

The Hölderlin Tower (right)
– central location directly at the old city underneath the outter city wall
– most fotographed site in Tübingen
– oldest landing stage

Other possible landing stages:
– Hermann-Kurz-Street
– Bismarck-Street
– Youth Hostel
– Neckar Island
– Hotel Domizil
– Neckarmüllerei
– Lido

Our image gallery:
Click here to view some pictures.