A new series of nipecotic acid derivatives with N-arylalkenyl and N-arylalkynyl substituents has been developed exhibiting noticeably high and selective inhibitory potencies towards the GABA transporter subtype 1. In this context the aromatic part of these residues was additionally replaced by different diaryldiazene units in order to get to various photoswitchable ligands. By this means the first photoswitchable GABA uptake inhibitors with distinctly enhanced potency upon photoirradiation could be obtained.