|
Germany
Travel Guide
Heidelberg Travel Information
Heidelberg Travel Guide - Things to See
Heidelberg Featured Hotels
Heidelberg
Travel Guide - Things to See
Heidelberg
is located in the valley of the Neckar where the rivers mirror an
entrancing succession of feudal castles, vineyards, cathedrals and
palaces. To the east are the low hills of the Swabian Forests, and to the
south is the entrance to the Black Forest. Heidelberg resembles a stage
set, and is even more theatrical in the summer when the bridge and castle
are illuminated along with fireworks. Its castle forms an incredible
backdrop. Everyone wants to spend more time in Heidelberg.
|
The Castle is a ruin, but a
flourishing ruin. There's so much left that it remains exceedingly
imposing, and the architectural styles in which its various parts were
constructed during the 700 years of it building, are still evident. See
the famous Heidelberg Tun, the tremendous vat that is so large there's
a stairway built up one side. Walk through the castle and its gardens.
Try to get there before rush hour. One can reach the castle by foot,
car, a 290-foot long escalator, or by cable railway. The railway will
also take you even further to Konigsstuhl, 2000 feet high, with a
superb view of the Valley.
Bismarck
Monument: A complex of pathways, one of them called Philosopher's Way
leads to the monument. Continue on another path Upper Philosopher's Way
to the Observation Tower... past the remains of a celtic fort to the
ruins of the 9th century St. Michael's Basilica and Monastery.
|
Buy This Allposters.com
|
The
University:
Generally, this is the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of
Heidelberg, because it was the setting for the operetta "The Student
Prince". Founded in 1386, it is Germany's oldest. The very old
buildings are notable and still in use. There's also a new building added
in 1930. It's the old section that visitors find so picturesque. See the
Student Prison... the Student Inns... and the narrow streets of Old Town.
|
Buy
This Allposters.com
|
Kurpfalzisches Museum: Do see the famous Twelve Apostles Altar, an
unexcelled example of the woodcarver's art and a top masterpiece of the
Wurzburg woodcarver Tilman Riemenschneider. It was completed in 1509.
Electoral
Museum:
Contains a relic of the world's earliest man... The Heidelberg Man...
only the bones of the lower jaw.
Miscellaneous:
Famous
people were born here:.. the poet Scheffel, the first president of
Germany, Friedrich Ebert, the astronomer Max Wolf. Everywhere you walk,
look for numerous unexpected vistas in the streets of this Baroque
city. The city looks old... and that's why tourists like it.
|
The
Neckar Valley:
East of Heidelberg is a gorge between high wooded hills on either side,
providing some of the most romantic scenery in Germany. Neckarsteinach (4
castles), Hirschhorn (Town walls and castle-fortress), Neckarzimmern (Hornberg
Castle).
top
About
the Author - Author of this article is Gene Gill. For more information
visit his website: Gene Gill Miniatures.
|
---
Heidelberg is a city in the
state of Baden-Württemberg in the Federal Republic of Germany.
It is
no secret that Heidelberg is a jewel among German travel destinations.
Heidelberg is located in the Neckar river valley right where the dark
Odenwald (Odin's Forest) opens up towards the plains of the Rhine valley.
Heidelberg is home to the oldest university in Germany (est. 1386). With
28,000 students, the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität (or Ruperto Carola, as
the university is called in Latin) is one of Germany's larger academic
institutions and boasts the full spectrum of an ancient academy, from
Egyptian Studies to Computer Linguistics.
The
faculties for Medicine, Law and Natural Sciences are considered to be
among the best in Germany. The university fostered the settlement of
several other world class research institutions such as the German Cancer
Research Centre (DKFZ), the European Molecular Biological Laboratory
(EMBL), Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), Max-Planck-Institutes for
Medicine, Astronomy, Nuclear Physics and others. In a nutshell,
Heidelberg is an academic city with a rich history and shows many
similarities to cities like Cambridge or Oxford (Heidelberg and
Cambridge, UK are twinned).
|
Buy This Allposters.com
|
During WWII, the city was
nearly completely spared by allied bombings which destroyed most of
Germany's larger inner cities. As a result, Heidelberg has retained its
baroque charm of narrow streets, picturesque houses and of course the
world-famous Schloss (castle). After the war, the United States Armed
Forces built large barracks on the southern end of the city. Therefore,
Heidelberg's 130,000 inhabitants include not only the 28,000 students
of the university, but also nearly 30,000 American citizens, almost all
soldiers and their families. Together with the hundreds of thousands of
annual visitors, Heidelberg is truly an internationally and culturally
diverse destination, despite its small size.
Over
the years, Heidelberg has attracted numerous artists, intellectuals and
academics from all over Europe and has sometimes been called a secret
intellectual capital of Germany.
|
People
who have lived and worked in the city include the poets Joseph von
Eichendorff, Jean Paul and Goethe, scientists as Bunsen and Kirchhoff,
philosophers as the founder of the "Illuminati" order von-Knigge,
atheist Ludwig Feuerbach, existentialist Karl Jaspers, political theorist
Hannah Arendt and many more. Mark Twain wrote in A Tramp Abroad:
...Out of a billowy upheaval of vivid green foliage ...rises the huge
ruin of Heidelberg Castle, with empty window arches, ivy-mailed
battlements, moldering towers—the Lear of inanimate
nature—deserted, discrowned, beaten by the storms, but royal still,
and beautiful.
Attractions
and things to do:
- The Altstadt (historical city center)and Hauptstrasse (main
street)
- The Castle
- The Philosophenweg which can be found on
the northern side of the city. It provides a wonderful view across
the oldest part of the city. Here can also be found the Meridan
Stich which is a popular illustration of Heidelberg
- The Heiligenberg mountain which boasts a
wonderful view over the old town
- The Thingstätte on top of Heiligenberg (an
open-air theatre built by the Nazi regime in 1934 to host propaganda
events)
- Also on the Heiligenberg the remnants of a
wall ancient Celts built to keep Germanic tribes out, the
Heidenloch, a deep well with unknown origins,and the ruins of a 10th
century cloister.
- The Kurpfälzisches Museum on the
Hauptstrasse, contains interesting exhibits of items from
Heidelberg's pre-history to modern times.
- The old university on Universitätsplatz in the
old city and the adjacent old armoury which is now a student
cafeteria (but also open to the public).
- Jesuitenkirche has 1712 Baroque construction with modern
touches inside.
The Heiliggeistkirche church
is only one of many large and small churches, but definitely the one with
the most interesting history. During the dark ages, it was the shelter of
the Bibliotheka Palatina, Germany's oldest library. The Bibliotheka was
stolen and brought to Rome but eventually returned in pieces. Today,
parts of it can be visited in the University Library (also the oldest and
probably the most valuable of its kind in Germany), which is situated
close to the old university.
- You can get a great view of the
Heiliggeistkirche, Old Town, and the Neckar river bridge from the
castle (Schloss Heidelberg).
The city boasts more than
twelve cinemas, over eight theaters, including
- Stadttheater the large state-run theater, and
- Zimmertheater on Hauptstrasse, Germany's oldest private theater
There are also many
progressive culture centers, including the famous Karlstorbahnhof in the
east-end of the old city.
top
read more
|
