Tübingen Stocherkahn Race

Once a year, the tranquil scene of leisurely gliding wooden boats on the Neckar transforms into its stark opposite. Over forty boats, each manned by eight people, jostle closely together, waiting for the starting signal of the punting boat race. On Corpus Christi around 2 PM, it suddenly becomes crowded on Tübingen's river for a good hour. The punting boat race begins, marking one of the funniest and wildest spectacles in Tübingen's event calendar. An hour earlier, around 1 PM, all boat crews showcase their extravagant, imaginative, humorous, and quirky costumes during the "Costume Parade," which is a must-see due to its exceptionally high entertainment value, for which there is also a prize. A trophy and a barrel of beer are awarded to the winner, while the most creative costumes are rewarded with a roasted pig. The losers and those who have mishaps face a tough challenge: they must drink half a liter of cod liver oil in front of the public, to the enthusiastic applause of the spectators – one of the highlights of the festival that turns the losers into secret winners. And while the winners procure the free beer for the festive evening, the last-place finishers must already start thinking about organizing the next punting boat race. That is the rule. The loser of 2025 was the Alte Straßurger Burschenschaft Germania, which will host the race in 2026.