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    Heidelberg

    Germany

    Heidelberg

    City

    Heidelberg is situated on the Neckar, precisely where the river exits the Odenwald and flows into the Upper Rhine Plain.

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    9. Heidelberg
    Heidelberg is situated on the Neckar, precisely where the river exits the Odenwald and flows into the Upper Rhine Plain. The Old Town stretches narrowly between the river and the 568-meter-high Königstuhl, topped by the famous castle ruin, which French troops set ablaze in 1689 and blew up in 1693.Founded in 1386, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität is Germany's oldest university and continues to shape the city today. You can stroll along the approximately 1.6-kilometer-long Hauptstraße, one of Europe's longest pedestrian zones, cross the Alte Brücke, and look back at the castle and Old Town from the Philosophenweg on the opposite side of the Neckar.
    Heidelberg, with approx. 155,000 residents, is Baden-Württemberg's fifth-largest city. Its Old Town lies narrowly between the Neckar and Königstuhl, with the approx. 1.6-kilometer-long Hauptstraße as its fully walkable backbone. The interplay of castle ruins, river, and Old Town roofs is best viewed from the Philosophenweg across the Neckar. Beyond the city center (Old Town and Bergheim), Neuenheim (opposite the Old Town) and Weststadt are also worth a visit.

    Sights in Heidelberg

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Old Bridge (Karl-Theodor Bridge)
    Attraction

    1Old Bridge (Karl-Theodor Bridge)

    The sandstone bridge, completed in 1788, spans the Neckar with nine arches, stretching some 200 meters. At the south end stand the Brückentor with its two baroque dome roofs and the bronze Brückenaffe from 1979.
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    Heidelberg Castle
    Museum

    2Heidelberg Castle

    French troops burned the castle in 1689, blowing up its towers and walls in 1693; it's since been arguably Germany's most famous ruin. The Great Barrel is in the 1589-1592 Barrel Building; the east wing's German Pharmacy Museum displays historic pharmacies.
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    Student Prison
    Museum

    3Student Prison

    In the former university prison on Augustinergasse, imprisoned students painted walls and ceilings with names, portraits, and fraternity crests. You can visit it together with the University Museum.
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    Philosophenweg
    Attraction

    4Philosophenweg

    The 2-kilometer path leads from Neuenheim up to Heiligenberg, opposite the Castle and Old Town. The best view is from the Philosopher's Garden; from the Old Bridge, you reach it via the Schlangenweg.
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    Market Square and Holy Spirit Church
    Attraction

    5Market Square and Holy Spirit Church

    The Old Town's historic market square with the Gothic Holy Spirit Church, an 18th-century fountain, and cafés, just steps from the main street.
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    Restaurants in Heidelberg

    1

    Schnitzelbank Wine Tavern

    Quaint, rustic wine tavern in the Old Town with sausages, diverse schnitzels, and draught beer.
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    2

    Min Ramen Bar

    Japanese ramen restaurant in Neugasse, on the western edge of the Old Town.
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    3

    Heidelberger

    Burger restaurant serving American cuisine on the main street.
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    University and Romance

    Founded in 1386, Ruprecht Karls University is Germany's oldest institution of higher learning. You'll find its traces throughout the Old Town, especially at the Students' Prison (Studentenkarzer) on Augustinergasse, where incarcerated students painted their names and coats of arms on the walls until the early 20th century.According to the palace administration, the Castle is considered the world's most famous ruin, welcoming about a million guests annually. The Philosopher's Walk (Philosophenweg) is named after students, as all were once required to study philosophy.

    Nightlife

    1

    Jazzhaus Heidelberg

    Jazz club in a 17th-century vaulted cellar featuring Modern Jazz, Soul, Blues, Rock and cabaret.
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    2

    Schilling Roofbar

    Modern rooftop bar on the seventh floor with creative cocktails and Japanese-Peruvian sushi.
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    3

    959 Heidelberg

    Bar and restaurant on Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage at the edge of the Old Town.
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    On the Road in Heidelberg

    The Main Station is west of the Altstadt; from there, take a tram or bus to the center. In the Altstadt, you're best off exploring on foot: The Hauptstraße is one of Europe's longest pedestrian zones, and via the Alte Brücke, you reach Neuenheim and the Schlangenweg up to the Philosophenweg. On the Alte Brücke, car traffic is restricted weekdays from 11 AM to 4 PM and on Sundays.

    Accommodations in Heidelberg

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    Campgrounds in Heidelberg

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      • 1Old Bridge (Karl-Theodor Bridge)3 days
      • 2Heidelberg Castle4 days
      • 3Student Prison5 days
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    Nearby

    Speyer

    Speyer

    Speyer is located on the Rhine, which here forms the border between Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg, just under 20 kilometers south of Mannheim. The city, with around 51,000 inhabitants, boasts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Imperial Cathedral (Kaiserdom), consecrated in 1061, the largest preserved Romanesque church after the destruction of Cluny, and the Jewish Courtyard (Judenhof) with its synagogue ruins and Germany's oldest completely preserved mikveh.From Cathedral Square, Maximilianstraße, a pedestrian zone, leads to the 55-meter-high Altpörtel, the city's former western gate. Additionally, you'll find the Historical Museum of the Palatinate with its cathedral treasury, and the Technik Museum, where you can see, among other things, a Boeing 747 and the Buran prototype OK-GLI.
    Pfalz & German Wine Route

    Pfalz & German Wine Route

    The Palatinate in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate is Germany's second-largest wine region. Running through its heart since 1935 is the approximately 85-kilometer-long German Wine Route, stretching from the German Wine Gate in Schweigen on the French border to Bockenheim, always alongside the Haardtrand, the eastern edge of the Palatinate Forest.On your journey, you'll combine wine villages with rich history: By the Rhine, in Speyer, stands the Romanesque Imperial Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981; above Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Hambach Castle towers, the site of the Hambach Festival of 1832; and in Bad Dürkheim awaits the Giant Cask from 1934.
    Heidelberg & Neckar

    Heidelberg & Neckar

    The Neckar links two distinct cities in Baden-Württemberg: Stuttgart, the state capital in its valley location, with the river flowing through its northeast, and Heidelberg, where it exits the Odenwald into the Upper Rhine Plain. Heidelberg's castle ruin above the old town attracts, according to its administration, around a million guests annually.Here, experience the romance of Germany's oldest university city, alongside car city Stuttgart with its Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums. Stuttgart's vineyards reach right into the city centre, and Wilhelma in Bad Cannstatt ranks among Germany's most visited zoos.
    Bad Dürkheim

    Bad Dürkheim

    In Bad Dürkheim, the German Wine Route was officially opened with a ceremony on October 19, 1935. Its most famous landmark is the Dürkheimer Riesenfass, which cooper master and winery owner Fritz Keller had built in 1934: 13.5 meters in diameter and with a capacity of around 1.7 million liters.However, wine is not stored in it; the cask is a restaurant in the style of a wine tavern with space for around 430 guests. The cask itself is open mainly during the Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt, while the attached "Bütt" serves guests year-round.
    The Hambach Castle

    The Hambach Castle

    Hambach Castle stands at an altitude of 376 meters on the Haardtrand, the eastern edge of the Palatinate Forest, in the Hambach district of Neustadt. From May 27 to June 1, 1832, approximately 25,000 people gathered here for the Hambach Festival, a six-day "National Festival of the Germans."The permanent exhibition "Up, Up to the Castle" on the fifth floor, since 2008, tells the story of the events of 1832, their background, and consequences. Around 200,000 people visit the castle annually; it also features a restaurant with over 100 seats.