Heidelberg Heights
After so many days in small towns it was quite overwhelming to arrive for a brief stay in Heidelberg. Heidelberg has a population of around 170,000 people, about a quarter of whom are students. Heidelberg University is Germany's oldest, established in 1386. The city itself lies in a green densely wooded valley, surrounded by hills clad with trees, and spans the river Neckar.
Our hotel was on the edge of the city, but the tram service stopped two minutes away from the hotel entrance, so it was easy to get to the old town and explore. At first we walked down Hauptstrasse, a mile long pedestrian street full of shops including a number of global brands. At the end of Hauptstrasse after taking a picnic lunch in the main square with the Rathaus (town hall) in front and the main gothic church, the Heiliggeistkirche, behind us, we crossed the Neckar and made the relatively short, but unrelentingly steep, climb uphill to a path that contours gently downhill for over a mile called the Philosophers' Walk. This is apparently where philosophers, poets and university professors would walk and talk (presumably after they had got their breath back).
We enjoyed panoramic views across to the old town but the view was dominated by Heidelberg Castle - one of the great romantic ruins of Europe and beloved by artists and writers. Turner painted Heidelberg Castle.
Walking along the length of the Philosophers Walk returned us to Hauptstrasse, but this time we went away from the main street and wandered through side streets towards the old town and past university buildings. Away from the corporate main street there was more character and a hip, lively, vibe typical of a student city. Our perambulations eventually brought us out in front of the university library - a grand neo gothic building - and then around the corner was the Bergbahn, a mountain railway that has several stops including one at the entrance to the castle.
A combi ticket gave us entrance to the castle courtyard for just €7.00 - which turned out to be a real bargain. The castle dates back around 800 years but following lightning strikes, war and more fires and lightning strikes between the 1500's and 1750 it became a uninhabitable and is now a remarkably beautiful ruin and reminder of the power and wealth enjoyed by the past rulers of this part of Germany.
The short train ride took away some of the effort of visiting - the alternative being another short steep climb on foot. We took the train.
It must have been an impressive palace at its peak, and is widely regarded as the best renaissance palace north of the Alps. In the 19th century it became an icon of romanticism. Goethe visited as did many others on a European 'Grand Tour'.
You can freely walk around the castle grounds, but the Courtyard gives a closer view of the incredible stone carvings that have survived its tumultuous history. The sunlight cast a warm glow on the sandstone and brought into relief some of the architectural details.
In addition to being able to walk around the castle we found that one of the cellars housed an interesting apothecary museum full of strange potions and another cellar had a giant wine barrel, dating back to 1751, with a capacity of around 220,000 litres. The parties in the 1700's must have been quite something to behold! A short flight of stairs leads to the top of the barrel. Adjoining this leviathan of a cask you can, of course, purchase wine.
The views from the terrace and from the grounds looking across to Philosophers Walk are the best in town and one can see how visitors have been drawn here for the past 150 years.
As with other places we visited, our time in Heidelberg felt too brief, but we'd packed quite a lot into a short space of time. Another destination beckoned as we continued our journey westwards. We set off after a good night's sleep (no doubt helped by all that walking) , to drive closer to the border between Germany and France and our last night's stay on German territory.
Our hotel was on the edge of the city, but the tram service stopped two minutes away from the hotel entrance, so it was easy to get to the old town and explore. At first we walked down Hauptstrasse, a mile long pedestrian street full of shops including a number of global brands. At the end of Hauptstrasse after taking a picnic lunch in the main square with the Rathaus (town hall) in front and the main gothic church, the Heiliggeistkirche, behind us, we crossed the Neckar and made the relatively short, but unrelentingly steep, climb uphill to a path that contours gently downhill for over a mile called the Philosophers' Walk. This is apparently where philosophers, poets and university professors would walk and talk (presumably after they had got their breath back).
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| Mrs B in philosophical mood.... |
We enjoyed panoramic views across to the old town but the view was dominated by Heidelberg Castle - one of the great romantic ruins of Europe and beloved by artists and writers. Turner painted Heidelberg Castle.
Walking along the length of the Philosophers Walk returned us to Hauptstrasse, but this time we went away from the main street and wandered through side streets towards the old town and past university buildings. Away from the corporate main street there was more character and a hip, lively, vibe typical of a student city. Our perambulations eventually brought us out in front of the university library - a grand neo gothic building - and then around the corner was the Bergbahn, a mountain railway that has several stops including one at the entrance to the castle.
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| Heidelberg University Library |
The short train ride took away some of the effort of visiting - the alternative being another short steep climb on foot. We took the train.
 |
| Heidelberg Castle Courtyard |
You can freely walk around the castle grounds, but the Courtyard gives a closer view of the incredible stone carvings that have survived its tumultuous history. The sunlight cast a warm glow on the sandstone and brought into relief some of the architectural details.
In addition to being able to walk around the castle we found that one of the cellars housed an interesting apothecary museum full of strange potions and another cellar had a giant wine barrel, dating back to 1751, with a capacity of around 220,000 litres. The parties in the 1700's must have been quite something to behold! A short flight of stairs leads to the top of the barrel. Adjoining this leviathan of a cask you can, of course, purchase wine.
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| Inside the Apothecary Museum |
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| The Großes Fass (Big Barrel) & Mrs B on her way to check out the contents. |
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