Heidelberg

Green Zone



There has been an environmental zone in Heidelberg since January 1, 2010. For more information, please visit www.heidelberg.de/umweltzone

 

Klima

The monthly average temperatures for Heidelberg 1971–2000

January 2,5°C
February 3,6° C
March 7,3°C
April 10,5°C
May 15,2°C
June 17,8°C
July 20,1°C
August 19,8°C
September 15,9°C
October 11,1°C
November 6°C
December 3,6°C

According to the studies of the German Meteorological Service, Heidelberg was the warmest place in Germany in 2009.
 

Währung

EURO/€


Sprache

German

Mentalität / Tradition

Poets and artists from all over the world have immortalized in verse and paintings theromantic the atrical backdrop of Heidelberg. Classical and widely extolled is the view from the elevation of "Philosopher's Way" onto the Old Town and the Neckar, with the majestic castle ruin seated enthroned above it all. Where Goethe, Joseph von Eichendorff and Hölderlin once strolled along winding pathways through vineyards, today a hiking trail conducts the wanderer amid a world of small private gardens and lush foliage. 

Since the destruction in 1693 during the Palatinate War of Succession and the subsequent baroque reconstruction in the eighteenth century, the layout of Heidelberg's Old Town has remained unchanged. To the greatest possible extent, Heidelberg was spared destruction in the World Wars, and is today a unique cultural landmark well worthy of discovery. Not only in its geographical and architectural endowments is Heidelberg ideal: this European city of scholarship and economic strength has a direct connection to the Frankfurt airport and is alively gateway to the exploration of Europe.

Within the twisting alleyways of the Old Town reigns an animated bustle of students and university affiliates, tourists and long-established Heidelbergers. The avidly frequented little cafés and restaurants resound with the sounds of merry or intense exchanges. On Heidelberg'spublic squares, annual festivals for classical music, jazz, film, theater, and literature take place. A special highlight in December is the large Heidelberg Christmas Market. In summer, the three evening illuminations of the castle, with fireworks bursting above the dark hills, castle, and town, are a not-to-be-missed spectacle.


 

The castle ruin is also the best known symbol of the city and one of the most significant German cultural monuments. This grouping of regal edifices and palaces, constructed through the intense building activity of the Counts Palatine from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries and destroyed in 1693 by the troopsof the Sun King of France, already fascinated Mark Twain in his classic homage to Heidelberg, "A Tramp Abroad" (1878): "A ruin must be rightly situated to be effective. This one could not have been better placed. (...) Nature knows how to garnish a ruin to get the best effect."
 


The alleyways of Heidelberg's Old Town have (his) stories to tell: In the vicinity of the student-pub-mile "Untere Strasse" are still to be found above doorways the marks of old trade guilds, the interpretation of which is a fascinating and not uncomplicated guessing game. Chiseled into the outside wallof the Holy Ghost Church, on Market Square, is here and there the symbol of a Brezel, a typical bakery specialty of Germany. By holding his purchased Bretzel up to the symbol, the customer could ascertain whether he had received "his money's worth." Already in the Middle Ages, little shop stalls extended between the supporting pillars of the church exterior.

 

Formative for the vivid intellectual life of the city was and is Germany's oldest University, the "Ruperto Carola," founded in 1386. For centuries the University has drawn to Heidelberg significant individuals from all over the world, who from here have gone on to make history. Currently some 26,000 students, approximately one fifth of the population, are matriculated here within twelve faculties and numerous areas of special research. In 2008, Heidelberg was named one of nine "Elite Universities" in the Federal Republic. The international reputation of the “Ruperto Carola” is also reflected in the fact that twenty percent of the student body and ten percent of the faculty are from countries outside Germany.
 

 
Religion

Airports/Transfer

City AirportMannheim (about 15 km away), Information: www.flugplatz-mannheim.de

Transfer: Tram No. 5 gets youfrom the airport to Heidelberg (see www.vrn.de).
 



Frankfurt Airport (about 80 km away), Information: www.frankfurt-airport.de

Transfer:


* Airport ShuttleService TLS: This shuttle service can be booked by individuals prior  
   to departure. Call +49 (0)6221-1422-24/-26 or Fax +49 (0)6221-142222 or make your
   booking online at www.heidelberg-tourismus.de  (Check under the “Tourist Offers”
   section).

 

* Lufthansa AirportBus: Departures directly from Terminal 1 in front of arrivals hall B.
   Pre-booking is recommended. Stops at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Heidelberg.
   Information: www.lufthansa-airportbus.de

 

* Deutsche Bahn: Trains depart for Heidelberg directly from the Fernbahnhof (long-distance
   train station) opposite Terminal 1, with a change of trains in Mannheim.
   Information: www.bahn.de

 

Baden-Airpark at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (about 90 km away), Information:www.badenairpark.de

Transfer: The Baden Airpark Express Shuttle bus stops at the Heidelberg main railway station.
 



Stuttgart Airport (about 120 km away), Information: www.flughafen-stuttgart.de

Transfer: With the S-Bahn direct to the Stuttgart main train station, which is part of the ICE, EC and IC network and connects to Heidelberg, journey time is about 50 minutes.
 


Frankfurt Hahn Airport (about 150 km away), Information: www.hahn-express.de

Transfer: The Hahn Express shuttle bus stops at Heidelberg’s main railway station.
 
Public Transport

Heidelberg is optimally integrated within the European longdistance train network, as well as theGerman Railway’s ICE and IC/EC network (www.bahn.de).
The S-Bahn lines of the Rhein-Neckar public transport system offer highly convenient connections both in the region and to points beyond (www.vrn.de).

You can obtain information about the transport routes and fares in Heidelberg by calling 01805-8764636 (14 cents/min.
for calls made from German landlines) or online at www.vrn.de. Detailed advice on bus and train connections can also be obtained at the customer service center of the Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (RNV) at the main railway station, Kurfürsten-Anlage 62.
 

Taxi


Taxi Zentral: Phone + 49 (0)6221.302030

Taxi Direkt: Phone + 49 (0)6221.739090

Events
November 1, 2010 - February 20, 2011
Exhibition "Codex Manesse in Heidelberg: Heidelberg University Library displays its most valuable treasure"


Germany`s most famous manuscript from the Middle Ages, the Codex Manesse, dates from the early fourteenth century and contains the most comprehensive collection of Middle High German lyrical poetry. The oldest songs or Minnelieder date back to the blossoming of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in the twelfth century. Of particular note are the full-page miniatures of the Minne poets, headed by the depiction of the Staufer emperor Heinrich VI.

The original volume of this treasure of German history will be on display in the University Library from November, 2010 through February, 2011. The exhibition is a contribution to the 625th anniversary of the University, which will be celebrated in 2011.
For more information www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de

 

January 2 - 10, 2011
 Heidelberg Piano Week in the DAI (German American Institute) Literature House and Culture Center


Firmly established on the classical scene is the Heidelberg Piano Week, which right at the start of the year brings internationally celebrated pianists and highly praised young talent to the DAI. Equally great prominence on a national scale is enjoyed by the literary events that place their special concentration in the fall months ( mid-October to mid-December). The all-year DAI program is regularly supplemented by scholarly discourses, symposia, concerts, and poetry slams.
 As one of the oldest Think Tanks inthe region, the German American Institute is the focal point for brilliant thinkers and also for the individual who would like to take part in one of the numerous intercultural services featured at the Institute.


The affiiliated International Kindergarten, the Language School, and the public library complete the DAI's holistic approach towards the promotion of transatlantic dialogue. Further information under www.dai-heidelberg.de
 

January 20 - February 7, 2011 
Carambolage - 9th Cabaret and Revue Festival in the Karlstor Train Station Heidelberg


Again in 2011, the Cabaret and Revue Festival "Carambolage" entices all friends of intelligent entertainment into the Karlstor Train Station. For the ninth time, it's two solid weeks of laughter over comedy, cabaret, music and stand-up. "Carambolage" is a byword for all manner of collisions and encounters- and during this festival, there is a genial encounter of pretty much everything that the revue-cabaret-comedy-sector has to offer: exciting ideas, great names and "absolute beginners." Carambolage - the Cabaret and Revue Festival offers in the grey days of the new year two whole weeks of uninterrupted good moods, and is guaranteed to effectively prevent winter depression. For risks and side effects such as laughter lines, laughter musclecramps or any similar results of a too high consumption of joy, no responsibility can be accepted. Have fun! with Carambolage 2011, and Volker Pispers, Georg Ringsgwandl, Titanic Boygroup, Heinz Strunk, Georg Schramm and a host of others. Further information under www.karlstorbahnhof.de
 



February 4 - March 19, 2011
"schöner lügen" - 11th Festival for new German Chanson

New German chansons and ballads with intelligent humor are presented by the "makers" of "schöner lügen" for the eleventh year in a row. All devotees of the chanson can look forward to poetic, brazen, absurd evenings in the Kulturfenster in Heidelberg-Bergheim and in the Opera Tent in Heidelberg. For six whole weeks, from Friday, February 4 through Saturday, March 19, this festival will be once again a crowd puller. Just eleven years "young" and already one of the oldest! "schöner lügen" is next to Berlin the second oldest, and actually ahead of Berlin the largest, Chanson Festival in all Germany. To the 2011 program highlights belong Tim Fischer in the Opera Tent and the current winner of the St. Ingberter Pfanne, Axel Pätz, as well as Stephan Suhlke, who within the intimate setting of the Kulturfenster's revue stage presents an assuredly very special evening. With "Urknall - dem Platz für Neuentdeckungen" the festival is dedicated on two evenings to many new talents. Further information under www.schoenerluegen.de
 

March 19 - April 17, 2011 
15th Heidelberg Spring Festival (Heidelberger Frühling)

In its 15th season the international music festival again will draw more than 25.000 aficionados from all across the world to roughly 80 events with numerous renowned artists.

Yet the "HeidelbergerFrühling" is more than a festival of stars - above all, it is a festival of encounter and dialogue. In addition to the great festive concerts, a mainstay of the program is the furthering of young musicians from all over the world, and intensive interactive concentration on selected themes through master courses, discussion groups, lecture series, composer portraits, school projects and academic symposia. Special emphasis is given to the encouragement of contemporary music and towards making contemporary music accessible to a broader public.
For more information www.heidelberger-fruehling.de

 

April 30 - May 8, 2011 
Heidelberg Market of Plays (Heidelberger Stückemarkt)


The "Heidelberger Stückemarkt" is one of the most important festivals in Germany for advancing young dramatic artists. Outstanding premiere performances by young directors are the framework of the heart of the festival, the authors' competition. At this event, nine playwrights present their texts for discussion. An independent jury awards three prizes, while the audience bestows the spectators' prize; overall, the sum of € 23.500 is distributed among young authors.
For more information www.heidelberger-stueckemarkt.de

 

May 25 - 29, 2011
Heidelberg Literature Days

This literary festival has been a highlight of Heidelberg's cultural life since 1994. The festival's innovative program consists of readings by international writers, talks by authors, and musical contributions. The organizing team of the Heidelberg Literature Days puts special emphasis on wide variety in the program's offerings: in addition to renowned authors, young talent is invited, and a high value is placed on international selection. Very young talent is also encouraged with readings for children and young adults, as well as with a writing workshop.

The event takes place in an art nouveau tent on University Square.
For more information www.heidellittage.de

June 4, July 9, and September 3, 2011, at 10:00 p.m. 
Castle Illumination with Fireworks


Already the "Winter King," Prince Elector Friedrich V, knew about the dazzling effects of a fireworks display in front of the romantic backdrop of the Heidelberg Castle. To welcome his young bride Elizabeth Stuart to Heidelberg in 1613, he enchanted her with just such a stunning spectacle. Each year again, the majestic castle ruin takes its place center stage amidst the castle illuminations and fireworks that by now are steeped in centuries of tradition. When night has fallen, the skylights up!


The Castle Illuminations are seen at their best from the shores of the Neckar River or from Philosophenweg. A special event preceding the illumination and fireworks is the now traditional concert in the Holy Ghost Church.
For more information www.heidelberg-marketing.de

 

June 24 - July 10, 2011
ARTORT 2011

The world is the stage: concerning theater in public spaces. Under the name of "ARTORT," the Unterwegs Theater (Theater In Transit) with international artists turns public areas of the university town into stages. Light, sound, temporary architecture, dance, and installations are the building blocks of a showjumping course that, beginning on ground steeped in history - be it in town squares, churches or gardens - casts a spell over the audience and makes new perspectives possible.
Further information under www.unterwegstheater.de, www.art-ort.net

 

June 24 – July 31, 2011
 Heidelberg Castle Festival (Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele)


Every summer, the Castle Festival is eagerly awaited by Heidelberg's residents and guests. The unique Renaissance buildings of the castle, its dreamy nooks and crannies, as well as the extensive gardens and parks, provide an architecturally and atmospherically fascinating locale for the artistic work of the theatre. It is, indeed, a theatre with tradition: the Shakespeare Globe Theatre group stayed here as a guest when in 1613 the Globe Theatre in London was destroyed by fire. The 2011 open-air theatre program offers a diverse and multi-faceted program that includes the perennial favorite, the famous operetta "The StudentPrince."


Courtyards and open spaces become stages, walls and corners become the backdrops, making every Castle Festival performance an unforgettable experience.
For more information www.schlossfestspiele-heidelberg.de

 

July 21 - July 28, 2011
Bach Festival (Heidelberger Bachwoche) - Bach Week

The concerts of the "Heidelberger Bachwoche" will take place July 21 - 28 in the Holy Ghost Church.
For the past 27 years, the "Heidelberger Bachwoche," celebrated annually on the days preceding the anniversary of Bach's death on July 28, has devoted itself to a theme that relates Bach's works to other areas of music, art, or religion.


On July 27, 2011, the music festival will end with an organ concert at night, beginning at 11:00 p.m. and culminating in a particularly moving moment when the sounds of the last bells of the Holy Ghost Church will fade away shortly after midnight on the anniversary of Bach's death, For more information www.studentenkantorei.de

 

September 24, 2011
Old Town Autumn Festival (Heidelberger Herbst)


Heidelberg's Old Town Autumn Festival, with its Medieval Market and cultural programs throughout the pedestrian zone, includes an arts & crafts market, flea markets, and regional specialties. Musical entertainment of the widest range is offered in virtually every available space.

The great stages start their programs of live music as early as 11. a.m., others commence in the afternoon. By nightfall at the latest, the Old Town has been transformed into a single vast Open Air Concert with a musical program of dazzling variety. For more information www.heidelberg-marketing.de
 

Begin of October - mid of November, 2011 
Enjoy Jazz: 13th International Festival of Jazz and more


For six weeks, the renowned Enjoy Jazz Festival provides for an autumn full of musical highlights. Such international icons as Charlie Haden, Brad Mehldau, Jan Garbarek, McCoy Tyner, and Ornette Coleman have been starring guests of the festival in past years.

The title already suggests the festival's central aim, namely to enjoy jazz to the fullest. Accordingly the festival takes its time and presents no more than one concert a night. It does not, however, restrict itself to the genre limits of jazz, any more than jazz itself can be strictly defined: alternative musical influences are expressly appreciated and integrated into the scintillating program.


More than 60 concerts take place in the varied venues of the aptly called "Festival Region" of Heidelberg, Mannheim and Ludwigshafen. A supplementary program consisting of matinees, master classes and lectures surrounds the concerts.
For more information www.enjoyjazz.de

 

October 6 - 9, 2011
Theater, Polar Bears and Clowns - 15th Children's Theater Festival Heidelberg

Autumn in Heidelberg again has something special on hand for children. From Thursday, October 6, through Sunday, October 9, 2011, the Kulturfenster in Heidelberg will present for the 15th time the KinderTheaterFestival (Children's Theater Festival). Over 48,000 visitors have come to the KinderTheaterFestival since the year of its founding in 1997. Again this year, many thousands of enthusiasts small and large will flock to the Theater Tent on the Neckar Meadow in Heidelberg.


The atrical companies from all over Germany will present a total of thirteen plays during the four Festival days. Visitors will be greeted simultaneously by a fun fair, a fairy-tale tent, anartists' colony, and games activities with the games-mobile of the Kulturfenster. As in all previous years, the organizers of the Kulturfenster anticipate overwhelmingly sold out performances. Further information under www.kulturfenster.de

 

November 2011
60th Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival

The Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival is the sixth oldest international film festival in the world (after Venice, Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Karlovy Vary). It is devoted to the discovery of new talents, and shows only films which have never been played at another big festival before. Not only is the film festival accessible to 1,000 visitors from the branch, and to buyers, directors, and journalists, it is also a widely acclaimed festival for the public, with approximately 60,000 visitors every year.


Many directors who went on to worldfame, such as François Truffaut, Wim Wenders, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Jim Jarmusch, Lars von Trier, Bryan Singer, and Thomas Vinterberg, showed their first movies in Mannheim and Heidelberg.
For more information www.iffmh.de



November 23 - December 22, 2011
Heidelberg Christmas Market

Every year, on the last Wednesday in November at 5 p.m., the Christchild makes a special visit to Heidelberg's Market Square to festively open the Heidelberg Christmas Market. From then through December 22nd, the Old Town is aglow with the enchantment of Christmas. More than 140 special stands fill Heidelberg's large and small squares with an unending variety of all that makes the season unique. With a cup of hot mulled wine to warm the hand and heart, and delicious treats from the multiplicity of the region's gastronomic offerings, a leisurely stroll through the fairytale setting at the foot of the castle ruin is an experience not to be forgotten. From Thursday, December 1, through Sunday, December 4, 2011, the castle itself is decoratively adorned for the season and offers a special Christmas program.
For more information www.heidelberg-marketing.de.

 


 

November 23, 2011 - January 2, 2012 
”Christmas on Ice” at the foot of the Castle


Daily between 10 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on the Karlsplatz, with a spectacular view of the Castle and surrounded by trees glistening with hundreds of stars, residents and guests can skate round one of the most beautiful open-air ice rinks in Germany to the accompaniment of Christmas music.
For more information www.heidelberg-marketing.de

 

Kulinarisches


Forall its romanticism and tradition, Heidelbergis lively and animated. The city offers socialites and night owls numerous enjoyable places to meet both day and night. Starting with old student taverns, night-, jazz- and music clubs to regional and international gourmet restaurants. For more information www.heidelberg-marketing.de
 

Lifestyle

Shopping
Heidelberg’s famous pedestrian street runs directly through the Old Town and is just the place for a leisurely stroll, shopping and relaxing. A wide selection of businesses, boutiques, antique stores, jewelry and art shops, unique cafés, bistros, and restaurants are located along the central Hauptstrasse, the side streets and in the nearby city districts. The city is fascinating for the way it brings together a historic ambience, a rich cultural life and the very latest lifestyle.
 

Sehenswürdigkeiten

Heidelberg Castle
(Heidelberger Schloss)
Schlosshof 1, Phone: +49(0)6221-538421, www.schloss-heidelberg.de
The oldest parts of the Castle date back to the 12th century. During the next five centuries the castle edifice gradually evolved into a princeelector’s residence and with the Otto-Heinrich and Friedrich Wings has two of the region’s most beautiful Renaissance façades. The Castle fortification and its towers were destroyed during the War of Palatine
Succession in 1689. The Castle ruins have dominated the Heidelberg cityscape ever since.
Today visitors to Heidelberg can still look forward to viewing the world’s largest wine cask (221,726 l), which at one time was enough to serve 5,000 guests and castle inhabitants.
The Castle gardens afford visitors a beautiful view of the Old Town and the sweep of the Rhine plain, which once inspired Goethe as well. Created under Prince-Elector Friedrich V
starting in 1616, the Hortus Palatinus gardens were widely known as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

German Pharmacy Museum
(Deutsches Apotheken-Museum)
Schlosshof 1, Phone: +49(0)6221-25880, www.deutsches-apothekenmuseum.de
The museum’s focus on apothecary equipment is attractively presented in regular temporary exhibitions about the pharmacist trade and with numerous special programs. Exhibits range from ancient history all the way to the 21st century and are on display
in the Castle’s Otto-Heinrich Wing.
 
Palatinate Museum
(Kurpfälzisches Museum)
Hauptstrasse 97, Phone: +49(0)6221-5834020, www.museum-heidelberg.de
Erected in 1712, the Palais Morass now houses the Palatinate Museum’s art and cultural history collections. The museum’s exhibitions ranging from paintings, graphic art and sculptures to handicrafts, archaeological and city history present a unique glimpse of what the Palatinate was once like. The collection of Roman artifacts is very popular, especially with children.
 
University Museum and Old Hall
(Universitätsmuseum und Alte Aula)
Grabengasse 1 (Old University), Phone: +49(0)6221-543593, www.uni-heidelberg.de
Pictures and exhibits in the museum’s three rooms depict the history of the University. Now-famous alumni once defended their dissertation theses in the Old Hall. Today the Old
Hall serves as Heidelberg University’s main banquet hall. Visitors can piece together the history of Germany’s oldest university by viewing paintings on the walls and ceilings.


Students’ Prison
(Studentenkarzer)
Augustinergasse 2, Phone: +49(0)6221-543554, www.uni-heidelberg.de
From 1778 to 1914 students were put in the university lockup for “minor infractions". Many passed the time in confinement by carving drawings and sayings into the detention room
walls. These “works of art” can be seen to this very day.

President of the Reich Friedrich Ebert Memorial
(Reichspräsident Friedrich-Ebert-Gedenkstätte)
Pfaffengasse 18, Phone: +49(0)6221-91070, www.ebert-gedenkstaette.de
Friedrich Ebert, the first president of the Weimar Republic, was born in 1871 in the small apartment which, with various exhibitions, forms the centerpiece of the memorial. The
life and achievements of Ebert are chronicled in the context of German history while also presenting the way ordinary citizens lived at the close of the 19th century.
Free admission!

German Packaging Museum
(Deutsches Verpackungsmuseum)
Hauptstrasse 22 (Courtyard), Phone: +49(0)6221-21361, www.verpackungsmuseum.de
Housed in a converted church building, Europe’s only packaging museum features outstanding specimens from the history of packaging. How products are packaged mirrors
the way our society has evolved. The wide variety of uses for packaging is presented as well as its historical development.

The Prinzhorn Collection
(Sammlung Prinzhorn)
Voßstrasse 2, (Psychiatric University Hospital in Heidelberg), Phone: +49(0)6221-564492,
www.prinzhorn.uni-hd.de
This internationally unique collection features the artistic works of patients at psychiatric asylums from around 1900. The works were collected by Hans Prinzhorn, physician
and art historian.

Zoo Heidelberg
Tiergartenstrasse 3, Phone: +49(0)6221-64550, www.tiergarten-heidelberg.de
There is always something new to discover at the zoo – from a bear to a pelican, from a tiger to a seal. The new Elephant House will be opened in 2010. With its wonderful bamboo trees, large playground and animal petting area, the Heidelberg Zoo is a great destination for the whole family.

Funicular Railway
(Bergbahn)
The lower funicular railway is considered the most advanced cable railway in Germany whereas the upper railway is viewed as the oldest electric-powered cable car line. Passengers board at the Kornmarkt station and ride up to the Castle, continuing to the Molkenkur stop and finally to the highest point in Heidelberg, Königstuhl “mountain”.
Get off there to enjoy walking trails as well as a wonderful view of Heidelberg.
The trains are operated on a regular timetable year-round. Tickets are available at every station. For more information, please visit www.bergbahn-heidelberg.de
 
Königstuhl
Heidelberg’s unique skyline would not be complete without its highest point, nearby Königstuhl “mountain”. At an elevation of 568 m (1,864 ft), Königstuhl looms high over the Old Town and Neckar and offers many recreational opportunities. Visitors will discover numerous hiking trails, cafés and restaurants, the Tinnunculus falconry (www.tinnunculusheidelberg.de for daily demonstrations), a “Fairytale Paradise” program
(www.maerchenparadies.de, for children from 3 – 7,) as well as the Heidelberg-Königstuhl observatory (www.lsw.uni-heidelberg.de, tours by appointment). Visitors will also enjoy
one of the finest lookout points over Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley.

Carl Theodor Bridge (Old Bridge)
Karl-Theodor-Brücke (Alte Brücke)
With its bridge gate which once formed a part of the Old Town wall, the stone bridge has always been considered one of Heidelberg‘s outstanding architectural landmarks.
Here the statues of Carl Theodor (who built the bridge and who the bridge is named after) and the goddess of wisdom Pallas Athena hold sway over the Neckar. The statue of
the monkey put back up in the ‘70s on the Old Town end of the bridge is one of the city’s most popular photo opportunities. The first pillar of the bridge records the high-water marks from flooding over the centuries.
 
Philosophers’ Walk
(Philosophenweg)
This famed walking path on the sunny Heiligenberg hillside has inspired many a scholar. The Philosophers’ Walk extends from the Theodor Heuss Bridge up to the small Philosophers’ garden. The many benches along the path offer views of the Castle and city from the “Merianausblick” outlook. The copperplate engraving by Matthäus Merian captured a panoramic vista of Heidelberg from 1620. The sunsoaked hillside is also home to many
Mediterranean plants and sun-loving animals including rare lizards. The path is a recreation trail within easy reach of the city. The path can also be reached from the Old Bridge via the
winding snake path (Schlangenweg).
 
Heidelberg Convention Center
(Kongresshaus Stadthalle HD)
The Convention Center was built in 1903, 100 years after the reform of the “Rupertina” University became Baden State University in Heidelberg. Located directly along the Neckar in the heart of the Old Town, known today as the Heidelberg Convention Center, the building’s neoclassical red sandstone architecture is distinctive in the city’s appearance. The south side of the building features portraits of Heidelberg professors and famous artists. The historic building is highly popular as a unique site for conventions, meetings, and cultural events.
Church of the Holy Spirit
(Heiliggeistkirche)
Marktplatz, www.heiliggeistkirche.de
The Church of the Holy Spirit was built starting in 1400 by Rupert I, the only Prince-Elector who was also King of Germany, as a burial place and collegiate church. Among the
hall-church’s prominent characteristics are the galleries where the “Bibliotheca Palatina” was once housed as a chained library until it was seized and taken to the Vatican
during the Thirty Years’ War. Today the Church of the Holy Spirit is the city’s main Protestant Lutheran church and attracts many visitors with its concerts and worship
services.

Heiligenberg
Nowhere else does the history of Heidelberg reach as far back into the past as it does on the 330 m (1,083 ft) Heiligenberg. Celts first settled here in 400 BC and built a ring wall part of which still exists today. Then, about 500 years later, in around 80 AD the Romans followed and built a temple to Mercury as part of their cultic Mithraic practice. Over the centuries since then the mountain has played an important role as a religious site. Today visitors can walk the many paths leading to the summit of the Heiligenberg and there view the ruins of the St. Michael and St. Stephen abbeys as well as the large open-air amphitheater (Thingstätte) dating from the Nazi regime.