Sport
On campus, sporting activities are organised free of charge by the Student Association AStA. Both the Local ERASMUS Initiative (LEI) and the International Office have a programme of excursions and social events for international students to places such as the Hanover Industrial Fair or the Munich Christmas Market.
An indoor swimming centre (open in winter only) is located in the city centre. Closer to campus is the outdoor swimming centre at Markwasen (open from May 1st till the autumn). Outdoor running tracks and soccer fields are situated close to campus. Reutlingen and its beautiful surroundings offer the visitor numerous castles, baroque abbeys, rivers and waterfalls as well as excellent opportunities for walking, biking, hiking and winter sports. Reutlingen has an ice rink in winter.
Note: If you intend to join a local sports club or gym, make sure you read the terms and conditions of membership very carefully before signing up, or you may find it difficult to cancel your membership at short notice when you leave Reutlingen.
Culture
Reutlingen with its library and museums, busy shopping precinct, open-air market, cafés, restaurants and bistros, has lots of places where one can relax and meet friendly people. Events, music, cinema and theatres can all be found together in the so-called 'cultural mile' in the town centre. Reutlingen offers a plethora of other cultural activities, often with cheap last-minute student tickets for as little as 5 EUR.
Tübingen, a city intimately associated with its university, is 10 minutes away from Reutlingen by train. With an overall population of 85,000, Tübingen has the highest student density (approx. 20,000 enrolled students) of all German university towns. Like all university towns, Tübingen has plenty of popular nightspots, including venues for regular rock, jazz, blues and reggae concerts, featuring performers and groups from all over the world.
Stuttgart, a one hour train ride from Reutlingen, is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg and numbers more than 2.5 million inhabitants. It is a renowned cultural centre: the State Art Gallery, the Bach Academy, the Opera House and the Ballet Company, as well as the Musical Hall, the Baden-Württemberg State Theatre and the Friedrichsbau Variety Theatre are just a few examples of the wide range of cultural venues to be found in Stuttgart.
