Dunster's Guide to fairytale Heidelberg
- Dunster
- Jan 6, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 7, 2019
Hello Hello! Welcome to my first post of 2019. I'm starting the year with a throwback to one of my favourite places in Germany, the beautiful town of Heidelberg!
I have been fortunate enough to visit Heidelberg three times (so far):
January 2017
My first visit to the town was a solo trip during my year abroad (for my German degree- more about that at another point). Just by luck, the town was sprinkled with snow and made everything look incredibly atmospheric. I met the bridge monkey for the first time (more about him below), went on a tour of Heidelberg castle (in German to test/torture myself) and attempted to wander up the Philosopher's Way but somehow got lost(!)
March 2017
During my second visit, I took along one of my relatives, who was visiting me whilst I was living in Bebra. This time around we met the monkey (he recognised me from my previous trip of course), visited the castle and also wandered up the Philosopher's Way for the first time. This time around the flowers were in bloom and the weather was sunny, warm and bearable (unlike the temperature below).
August 2018
For the latest trip, we repeated the everything again except this time around, the Alte Brücke Gate was covered in scaffholding and a rather dodgy looking sheet with a replica photo on it. That aside, the trip was really good apart from... the 36° heat!!! But we struggled on up the Philosopher's Way and discovered Cactus ice creams which are super tasty and probably the only thing that saved us. Alas we had fun!
Quick Facts:
• Heidelberg is located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg
• Heidelberg is home to the oldest university in Germany
• The town is located on the Neckar River
• The first President of Germany, Friedrich Ebert, was born in Heidelberg
• The town is twinned with Cambridge, England
Things to See and Do in Heidelberg
1. The Bruckenaffe/Bridge Monkey
I had to place this crazy critter at the top of the list since as well as being a funky monkey with whom to snap a picture, he also has hidden 'talents'. When you spot him next to the Alte Brücke Gate, you'll see that he has a few items with him including mice and a mirror. These items including his feet are said to bring the individual good luck depending on which item they rub:
The mice: Fertility
The mirror: Money
The monkey's fingers: A return trip to Heidelberg
The one item that definitely worked for me was the fingers since I have been lucky enough to return twice. If you don't fancy tempting fate, maybe just stick to grabbing a quick snap with him. I would recommend you do this from the front though as there is something you may notice if you
wander up the steps behind him, he's rather cheeky...
2. Alte Brücke/Old Bridge
If you want to experience a 360 view of everything Heidelberg, stand in the middle of the Alte Brücke and do a spin! It sounds rather random but this way you'll be able to see:
The Alte Brücke Gate
Heidelberg Castle
The Neckar River
The Philosopher's Way (peaking through the hills)
The bridge is one of the best places to snap a photo of the Castle from afar. The other great spot is the Philosopher's Way, the starting point of which can be reached by wandering over the bridge from the old town.
3. The Philosopher's Way
Once a place of contemplation for philosophers and professors of Heidelberg University (this may still be the case), The Philosopher's Way is a wonderful winding pathway to follow in order the see Heidelberg from afar. Behind the peaceful Neckar River you will be able to spot the towering but now tiny Alte Brücke gate, the beautiful buildings of the old town and the castle perched on the hill. If you wonder to one of the furthest parts of the route, you will find a small garden with an array of flowers and even palm trees!
Personal Tip: As the path is quite a way up and a bit of a walk, if you have difficulty trying to reach the top, there is a small, secluded view point which still offers a great glimpse over the town and also a seating/resting area before you either continue your treck upwards or head back down to the town.
3. Heidelberg Castle
The jewel in the crown and rightly so! Heidelberg Castle, the former home of many a line of royalty, stands to attention on the hills overlooking the town
Although parts of the castle are defined as being in 'ruins', the architecture remains outstanding despite fires and lightening strikes to name a few misfortunes that have struck the castle (no pun intended).
Inside the castle one can visit the lavish function rooms and living quarters of the former residents. Photos however are prohibited inside.
Once back out in the castle grounds, make your way to the castle terrace for yet move fantastic views over the town and surrounds and the castle's stunning architecture.
The castle gardens are yet another great viewing point to see the castle, river, town and the surrounding hills.
Extra: The Great Heidelberg Tun
Heidelberg Castle also houses something rather curious as well... the world's largest wine barrel! With a capacity of over 200,000 litres, the barrel is found hidden below the castle. Once more you can even stand on top of the it! That's probably not something many people can say they have done so certainly have a go.
General Information:
Location: Heidelberg Castle is preched on a hill and can be reached by two methods:
By the Bergbahn Funicular Train:
Purchase tickets at the Bergbahn Station near the 'Kornmarkt' off the town square. The journey takes a couple of minutes and the ascending and descending trains travel at regular intervals.
By Foot:
From the front of the Bergbahn Station, turn right onto 'Burgweg'. At the end of the street, either turn left to continue on 'Burgweg', following signs to the Heidelberg Castle or turn right onto 'Neue Schloßstraße', following signs for the Castle.
Tickets: Entry Tickets for the Castle Grounds can either be purchased at the funicular railway station (in combination with your train ticket) or at the information building in the grounds surrounding the castle. All tickets provide free access to the German Pharmacy Museum (read more below).
Tours inside of the castle take place frequently in German and English. Make sure to check the Heidelberg Castle Website for exact times and dates.
4. The German Pharmacy Musuem
One thing you might be surprised to find in the grounds of Heidelberg Castle is the German Pharmacy Museum! Inside you will find replica models of old-time pharmacy workplaces, cabinets containing all sorts of odd natural remedies and possibly the biggest flask of pills you will ever see(!)
Other features include the herb storage and weighing room and the laboratory where all sorts of equipment can be found from combustion stoves to distillation flasks.
Entry to the Pharmacy Museum is free in combination with your Heidelberg Castle Ticket
*Most of the displays are in both German and English*
When to visit Heidelberg
General recommendation: All year around + Christmas Market season
Personal recommendation: Spring
From my visits to Heidelberg, the trip I made during the Spring time was probably the best in terms of:
The weather- It should be fairly warm and/or bearable and the trees and flowers should hopefully be coming into bloom.
Crowds- During the spring there should hopefully not be as many visitors to the town as there usually are during the peak summer months when the coaches and flag waving tour groups make an appearance.
As Heidelberg is a wonderful town to visit all year round, there will plenty for you to see and do during each season so the choice is up to you. You may even want to plan ahead to visit in December for the Christmas Markets!
*One quick word of caution: During August 2018, the temperature in Heidelberg reached 36°/100F during my trip and it was utterly unbearable! Although this may possibly have been a meteorological blip, do keep the weather in mind when planning your trip. Palm trees are not a rare sight in Heidelberg for this reason!*
How to get to Heidelberg
Heidelberg can be reached most easily in the following ways:
By Air:
Frankfurt Airport
By Train:
Frankfurt (Main Station)
ICE/IC Train: 50 minutes -1 hour
Mannheim
Regional Train/S-Bahn: 15-20 minutes
ICE/IC Train: 10-15 minutes
Stuttgart
ICE/IC/EC Train: 40-50 mins
To establish exact train timetables for your dates of travel, please make sure to check the Deutsche Bahn Website.
Final thoughts...
Hopefully this has been an interesting and maybe even surprising insight into this wonderful town. Heidelberg is a super gem of a town with a mix of history, greenery and fairytale. If it isn't already, Heidelberg should definitly be on your 'list'!
PS: Don't forget to touch the Bridge Monkey's Hands!
See you soon/Bis Bald,
R. H. Dunster!
Danke Schön Heidelberg! Du bist immer so schön!
Additional Links
If you would like to find out more information about Heidelberg, please click the links below:
Heidelberg Tourism
https://www.tourism-heidelberg.com
HeidelbergCARD Information
https://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/en/search-book/heidelbergcard.html
Heidelberg Castle
https://www.schloss-heidelberg.de/en/home
Heidelberg Castle - Visitor Information:
https://www.schloss-heidelberg.de/en/visitor-information/
German Pharmacy Museum
https://www.deutsches-apotheken-museum.de/en/
Heidelberg Funicular Railway (Information, Timetables, etc)
http://www.bergbahn-heidelberg.de/welcome
Deutsche Bahn Website:
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
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