Heidelberg is a city on the river Neckar in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Among other things, the city is known as the home of Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, founded in 1386, which is Germany’s oldest university. The university’s presence affects Heidelberg in several ways. Partly, many young students live in the city, and partly Heidelberg is the seat of a lot of research and development with, for example, several Max Planck institutes.

Today, Heidelberg is also a favorite tourist destination with several attractions, a beautiful location, an old town with a lot of architecture from the Baroque era and the city’s impressive castle ruins. All within pleasant walking distance in the city center on the southern bank of the Neckar.

You can start with an overview of the city from a walk along the Alte Brücke, which is a bridge crossing the river. The Alte Brücke was built in 1788, and it was particularly important as a transport route east of the Rhine, where the bridge stood for many years as the only one over the Neckar. A toll was paid to cross the bridge until 1878, and the payment took place in the Brückentor gate building to the south. The gate with the 28 meter high double towers was in its original version integrated into the city’s fortifications.

In the old town, you can start a tour at the Marktplatz, one of Heidelberg’s oldest squares. To the east is the town hall, and to the west you can see the Heiliggeistkirche, which with its size dominates the town centre. The church was built 1398-1515, and it was intended as a funeral church for the Electors of the Palatinate. After destruction during the War of the Palatinate Succession, many tombs were destroyed, and today only Ruprecht III is buried here. Between the church and the town hall you can see Herkulesbrunnen, a fountain from 1705-1706.

From the Marktplatz, you can walk west along the main street named Hauptstraße, and this is also the road in the direction of the Universitätsplatz, where you can see the city’s university buildings. You can also go east to the beautiful square Kornmarkt and the somewhat larger Karlsplatz, from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of Heidelberg’s grand old castle. Close to the Kornmarkt, you can take the Bergbahnen Heidelberg cable cars, which connect the old town with the stations Molkenkur and Königstuhl on the mountains south of the city with two tracks. From the Königstuhl there is a wonderful view of Heidelberg and the Neckar.

From Kornmarkt you can also choose to go to Schloss Heidelberg and the garden behind it. The castle was originally built around the year 1200, and over time it was the seat of the Electors of the Palatinate. The castle was expanded during the time of Electors Otto Heinrich, Friedrich IV and Friedrich V through the 16th and 17th centuries into a beautiful Renaissance castle that was one of the finest north of the Alps. The castle was destroyed during the War of the Palatinate Succession and again by a fire in 1764. Most of the building is in ruins, but you can also see the Friedrichsbau with the castle’s preserved chapel. And you should also make time for a walk in the romantic castle garden with terraces and monuments.