Heidelberg is a city filled with history and culture. It is perhaps most recognizable by the castle ruins that tower over it. But it’s also home to the oldest university in Germany (established in 1386) and one of the oldest in the world. This once made Heidelberg the center of German intellectualism and romanticism. Today, it is still a student city, even if it is visited by millions of tourists each year. The town is made up of beautiful old buildings and bridges, and the river Neckar runs through town.
Our experience in Heidelberg
I visited this city 15 years earlier and it made enough of an impression that I was delighted to have the opportunity to return to Heidelberg on our road-trip to the Romantic Road. I do need to clarify, that while it was on our way to the Romantic Road, it is not on most people’s way. We flew into Paris, as we often do, to get a decent priced flight. And we rented a van, like we often do. However, I could not find a decent priced rental van anywhere in France for this trip. So I ventured outside France and found a great price on a van in Saarbrucken, Germany. Someplace I had never been or heard of. It wasn’t too far off our journey from Paris to Wurzburg, where we would start down the Romantic Road. And we could take a fast train to Saarbrucken and thereby cut out a chunk of drive time. So I figured why not, and it brought us really close to Heidelberg.
I had planned for parking in advance using this parking map. It still took some effort to find a good parking spot, but that is probably because we were driving a van that Hertz referred to as a “minibus.” After we parked, we made a bee-line for the castle above the old town. We rode the Bergbahn, a funicular railway beginning in the old town. However, the castle can also be reached via a 15-minute walk from the Old Town. My first time in Heidelberg, I walked up.
Heidelberg Castle
Heidelberg Castle hails from the 16th century as an excellent example of German Renaissance architecture. There is an view from the castle, over the town and valley. And for a ruin, there is enough there to guide your imagination back in time and experience what it must’ve been like for someone on official castle business. In addition to the castle ruins, visitors can see the gardens, get a snack or ice cream, and visit the German Apothecary Museum.
See the largest wine barrel in the world!
Also at Heidelberg Castle was the largest wine barrel. We really didn’t expect it to be so big. In fact, when we entered the exhibit we saw a large wine barrel and assumed that was it. And then we saw the staircase to the “largest barrel.” We were impressed by its size; but I did wonder how it could ever be practical!
First Big Barrel
World's Largest
Heidelberg Old Town
After our visit to the castle, we explored the old town. Hauptstrasse is the main street and has many side streets with cute shops, cafes, restaurants, and medieval buildings worth exploring. The Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) lies in the heart of the Old Town, and the current structure dates back to 1398-1441. It was a University church until the 19th Century, and was visited by Martin Luther in 1518. Additionally, the Bibliotheca Palatina or the “mother of all libraries” once held the most important book collection in the West (16th/17th centuries), located in the church galleries.
University of Heidelberg
We didn’t see the university on this trip, but I had wanted to. I work in higher education wanted to see the oldest university in Germany. If you have time, you might want to check out the Old University Museum located on the ground floor of the Old University building, which dates back to 1712. Exhibits take visitors through the founding of the university in 1386 through the 20th century. The museum is located at Augustinergasse 2, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm, and costs 4,50 to 6,00 EUR to enter. Located in the back of the Old University is the Student Prison, which was in operation from the 1780’s through 1914. Students were locked up for offences against the university. It is a popular site and tickets can be reserved up to two weeks in advance by phone +49 6221 541 2815. Also, be sure to check out the Great Hall located on the first floor of the Old University building.
Paying for Table Water
We did grab a bite to eat at Lowenbrau, a cute restaurant well located at Hauptstrasse 127 in the Old Town. The food and service was pretty good; I would eat there again. We had been looking forward to eating some German food on this trip. What we weren’t looking forward to was paying for drinking water! We have been spoiled the last few years traveling in countries where restaurants offer free, or very inexpensive, tap water. I asked the waiter specifically for tap water and he told me the pipes were too old and therefore, only bottled water was available. I was a bit skeptical (water was free in Athens and it is old!), but I did see a sign on a main fountain in the square that said not to drink the water. Anyways, this was the first of many meals where we paid up to $5 per glass of water for six people who were very thirsty because it was hot outside. Next time, I will have a better plan for hydrating at meals.
