Heidelberg

Germany's oldest university town, where red-sandstone castle ruins overlook the Neckar and the Old Bridge; with the Philosophers' Walk and its Romantic air, it's the top pick near Frankfurt.

Heidelberg lies in Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany, where the Neckar emerges from the Odenwald hills just before entering the Rhine plain, about 90 km from Frankfurt. It is Germany's oldest university town (the university was founded in 1386) and a symbol of German Romanticism; its castle ruins, red-sandstone Old Bridge and valley scenery are the landscapes described by Goethe and Mark Twain. The climate is warm by German standards, with almond and cherry blossoms appearing early in spring; Apr–Oct is the best time to visit. In summer (on selected Saturdays in June, July and September) the castle is illuminated with fireworks, and in December there is a Christmas market in the old town, though the castle area is quieter then. Areas to explore: the old town on the south bank stretches along the Hauptstraße; its eastern end has the Marktplatz, the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Old Bridge and the funicular station up to the castle, while the western end has Universitätsplatz and the Student Prison; the castle sits on the hillside, with the Königstuhl at the summit; the north bank has the Philosophers' Walk and riverside lawns. Neckar boat trips run to and from Neckarsteinach, the 'Town of Four Castles'. Getting there: direct buses from Frankfurt Airport take about 1 hour; trains take about 1 hour from Frankfurt and 10–15 minutes from Mannheim. Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof is about 2–3 km from the old town; take a bus or tram to Bismarckplatz or the Bergbahn stop. How long: one day covers the main sights; stay overnight to see the old town at night and the Old Bridge in the early morning. Note: the old town's cobbled streets are often hilly, so wear comfortable shoes; combined castle and funicular tickets are good value; most shops close on Sundays.

Top sights

• Heidelberg Castle – A half-ruined red sandstone Renaissance castle and a symbol of German Romanticism, home to one of the largest wine casks in the world.
• Old Bridge (Karl Theodor Bridge) – A nine-arch red sandstone bridge completed in 1788. Its white twin-tower gate and the bronze monkey at the bridgehead are Heidelberg’s most…
• Philosophers' Walk – A hillside path above the north bank of the Neckar, the best vantage point for a panoramic view of the Old Town, the Old Bridge and the cas…
• Heidelberg University & Student Prison – Germany's oldest university (founded 1386), where the old Aula and a student prison covered in graffiti preserve centuries of campus tradit…
• Church of the Holy Spirit & Marktplatz – The Gothic cathedral in the heart of the old town, once home to the famous Palatine Library, with a tower offering views over the rooftops.
• Hauptstrasse – One of Europe's longest pedestrian streets, about 1.6 km through the old town, lined with baroque buildings, small shops and cafés.
• Königstuhl & Heidelberg Funicular – Ride the century-old mountain railway up to the summit at about 568 m for views over the Neckar valley and the Rhine plain.
• Kurpfälzisches Museum – A city museum in a baroque palace on Hauptstrasse, housing a replica of the Heidelberg Man jawbone and Tilman Riemenschneider's altarpiece…
• Jesuit Church – A baroque Catholic church in the old town center, with a bright, tall white nave and a treasury of religious art.
• Peterskirche – The oldest church in Heidelberg's old town and the university's church, with many gravestones of professors set into its walls inside and o…
• Heidelberg University Library – One of Germany's oldest university libraries, housed in a red sandstone building in the Neo-Renaissance style, with a display hall often sh…
• Heiligenberg & Thingstätte – The Heiligenberg, across the river from the Old Bridge, has a 1935 open-air Thingstätte and monastery ruins, with forest paths leading to t…
• Heidelberg Zoo – A mid-sized zoo on the north bank of the Neckar, with elephants, lions and sea lion shows, ideal for a half-day outing with children.
• Neckarwiese – A large riverside lawn on the north bank of the Neckar, where students and residents picnic and sunbathe, with views across to the old town…
• Stift Neuburg Abbey – A Benedictine abbey on a hillside above the Neckar, with an abbey brewery and gardens, reachable by bike along the river.
• Karlstor – A neoclassical triumphal gate at the eastern end of the Old Town, built in 1775 to honor Elector Karl Theodor.
• Kornmarkt – A small square just below the castle, home to a Baroque Madonna statue and a classic view of the castle, with the funicular station right b…
• Haus zum Ritter – A Renaissance mansion from 1592 whose ornate gables survived the 1693 fire, one of the oldest civic buildings in the Old Town.
• Friedrich Ebert Memorial – Birthplace of Friedrich Ebert, Germany’s first democratically elected president, with a free exhibition on the history of the Weimar Republ…
• Heidelberg Christmas Market – A Christmas market spread across linked squares of the Old Town. Mulled wine and ice skating under the illuminated castle make Heidelberg m…
• Schwetzingen Palace & Gardens – Summer palace of the Palatine Electors, blending French and English gardens. The red mosque in the garden is one of a kind.
• Speyer Cathedral – The largest surviving Romanesque church in the world, where eight emperors and kings of the Holy Roman Empire are buried. A UNESCO World He…
• Dilsberg – A medieval walled village on a hilltop in a bend of the Neckar. Climb the castle tower for views over the valley, and explore a mysterious…
• Neckarsteinach Four Castles – The “City of Four Castles,” where four medieval castles stand side by side on a ridge above the Neckar. You can reach them from Heidelberg…
• Mannheim Palace – One of Europe’s largest Baroque palaces, with a façade more than 400 meters long. Today it houses the University of Mannheim and a palace m…
• Bad Wimpfen – A hilltop town above the Neckar with the largest surviving Staufer imperial palace ruins in Germany. The Blue Tower and the half-timbered O…
• Worms Cathedral – A Romanesque masterpiece and one of the three great imperial cathedrals on the Rhine, alongside Speyer and Mainz. The Old Town also has a L…

Where to eat

• Schnitzelbank – A cozy tavern converted from a 19th-century cooperage, where you can sit at old workbenches to enjoy Saumagen and local…
• Vetter's Alt-Heidelberger Brauhaus – A brewpub near the Old Bridge, famous for its Vetter 33 strong beer (which once held a Guinness World Record), served a…
• Zum Roten Ochsen – A historic student tavern in the Old Town built in 1703, filled with student memorabilia and serving German home-style…
• Chambao – A Michelin Guide-selected restaurant next to the Old Bridge, offering small sharing plates to customize your own tastin…
• Weisser Bock – A Michelin Guide-selected restaurant inside the hotel of the same name in the Old Town, offering three- to six-course m…
• Oben – A one-Michelin-star restaurant in the forest hamlet of Kohlhof outside the city, using exclusively regional ingredients…

Itineraries

• Rhine, Moselle, Saar & Heidelberg – A grand self-drive loop starting from Frankfurt, winding along the Rhine, Moselle, and Saar rivers to Heidelberg.
• Heidelberg, Alsace & Black Forest Railway – A Germany-France border rail loop connecting Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg, Colmar, and Freiburg.
• Southern Germany Grand Loop: Frankfurt to Munich – A grand self-drive route connecting Heidelberg, the Black Forest, Lake Constance, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Zugspitze.
• Germany Grand Rail Loop – Starting and ending in Frankfurt, connect the Rhine, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Rothenburg, and Munich by train.