Heidelberg is one of my favourite cities in Germany to travel and to live. It has a vibe of beauty, tranquility, and romance that never disappear. While Heidelberg is very calm for a city with a lot of students, it’s really a privilege to be able to live in Heidelberg when millions of tourists from all around the world have to spend money to visit this place for one day. I took advantage of a sunny day in February to appreciate the most beautiful sites and the surroundings.
Date of Visit: 28 February 2024
00:00 Intro
00:06 Hotel Ritter
00:29 Church of the Holy Spirit
02:34 Climbing to the Castle
02:47 Heidelberg Castle
04:30 Jesuit Church
06:05 Heidelberg University
08:06 Streets of Heidelberg
08:22 Theodor Heuss Bridge
08:59 Philosophenweg
10:36 Old Bridge
13:06 Untere Strasse
Today we’ll be exploring Heidelberg in a sunny winter. This is Hotel Ritter, my favorite building in town. I’ve never actually stayed here, but I love looking at the exterior. This house was built in 1592 and survived the great fire of 1693. The emblem there is a knight, just like the name.
In front of the hotel is the Church of the Holy Spirit. This church was built between 1398 to 1515, so long huh? Now let’s go inside this church! We’ll be among a million visitors who visit this church yearly. This is the main entrance.
Once this church was used by both Protestants and Catholics, but today it’s only for Protestants. The interior is simply but elegant. There is a mural painting that looks modern here. There are colorful church windows here. It’s from 6 August 1945. Did you notice the E=mc2 there? Let’s go further inside the church.
This is the altar of the church. That’s where the priest used to deliver the sermon. Those coats of arms look really old. There’s also Mother Mary and Baby Jesus on the left. This is what the priest sees from the altar. And this is the tomb of Elector Rupert of Pfalz with his wife.
They had a pet dog… and lion??? They looked really happy with these pets. We’re now outside the church. And now we’re going to climb to the castle. If you’re lazy you can take a funicular, but this option saves you money. Here we are at the castle.
From here you can see the Old Bridge. You can also see the Bismarck Tower built in 1903. It’s right there! It was built to honor the Chancellor who unified Germany The Heidelberg Castle is now in ruins
It was originally built before 1214 and later became the residence of the same guy who was buried in the Church of the Holy Spirit. The castle was destroyed by lightning in 1764 and was not inhabited ever since.
Fun fact: Heidelberg and this castle was captured by the Swedes in 1633 during the Thirty Years War. Those statues are really nice. This tower is really destroyed. Really, really destroyed… But the other one looks more intact. Today the castle is home to the German Pharmacy Museum. Why is there a Trojan Horse here?
There’s also a fountain here, but it’s winter so it’s off. This castle is really massive. Imagine if this castle were still fully preserved. And now we’re back in the old town. We’re going to visit the Jesuit Church. This church was built from 1712 to 1759. Someone is playing the church organ…
It’s really nice to listen to. I feel like listening to a free concert. This must be where the music is coming from. It’s nice to enjoy the painting while listening to music. This is the altar of the church. The style of this church is different because it is a Baroque church.
So it’s not medieval like the other one. I like the white color of the interior, simple but elegant. Such a beautiful church, I love it. That’s a weird puppet though… And now we will visit Heidelberg University. Heidelberg is a famous university town. Heidelberg University is considered the best in Germany.
If you can get to the medicine program in Heidelberg, that means you’re a genius. I think I found the Lion King in Heidelberg. In front of the university there are some nice houses. Let’s go inside this building! In this building there is still the rectorate. But we’re not here to see the rector…
This is why the building is special: the Alte Aula! The original auditorium was built in 1735, but it was redesigned in 1886. The paintings here are really beautiful and intricate. There is also a nice statue there. I would love to graduate and receive my degree here. The roof is also really beautiful.
Tips: you can enter the aula for free without going to the university museum. There is a very studious lion here.. Close to that is the Main Street, where people go for window shopping. This is the most crowded part of the city during the weekend. There are many nice little streets in Heidelberg.
It’s ideal for going on a walk with your loved ones. This is the Neckar River We’re crossing it through the Theodor Heuss Bridge. Here’s the view of the Old Bridge from here. In summer people love to sunbathe here. Hi there little fella. Must be a solo traveler.
On the hill above there is a scenic pathway, we’re going there now. My all-time favourite is “the Path of the Philosophers” or the Philosophenweg. You’ll need to do some climbing, but it’ll be worth it. Spring is definitely coming to town. There are also people keeping bees here.
Here’s the view from the Philosophenweg, amazing… The name probably comes from university students who found this place romantic for a walk. It’s very romantic indeed, you can see the beautiful castle, the old town, and the old bridge. Here’s the old bridge from up close. Let’s take in the view…
It’s best to enjoy the romantic vibe with your loved one. This is really a place not to be missed when in Heidelberg. What a view, I can come here again and again. If you come in autumn, the colors will be very vibrant. There’s just something so special about that old bridge…
Now we’ll be heading there through this shortcut. Fun fact: the name of the castle hill is Königstuhl or “the King’s Seat”. Here’s the Old Bridge of Heidelberg from up close. The bridge was built in 1788 by the Elector of Bavaria, Charles Theodore. The castle looks really beautiful from here.
This place is really really romantic. I could stay here all evening… Tips: come here during the evening so that the sun is not directly above the castle. Here is the bridge from below, the arches are really impressive. There are some nice statues on the bridge.
You could also walk along the river when the water is low enough. This is definitely why Heidelberg is one of my favorite places in Germany. You can see locals crossing the bridge by bike regularly. The evening sun gives a wonderful color to the bridge.
People really love the view of the castle with the Neckar River. Here’s the castle with the old town. There are platforms to enjoy the views and take pictures. You can also see the dam from here. This bridge is really what makes Heidelberg special. Up ahead is the old town.
You can see the Stadttor or “Town Gate” from here. Let’s take in the view of the castle once again. Here’s the Stadttor from up close. Right next to it is the statue of the Bridge Monkey holding a mirror.
The current monkey statue was erected in 1979, but there was already a statue like that from the 15th century. Up ahead is the Church of the Holy Spirit again. Before ending our trip, let’s enjoy the cute streets once again. This street is called the Untere Strasse. Some of the houses are nicely decorated.
Such a nice town, Heidelberg is truly a gem. But it’s getting dark and now it’s time to rest. See you at the next destination!
1 Comment
nice city