15 things to see and do in Heidelberg

Located in the beautiful Neckar River Valley, the city of Heidelberg It is known for having the oldest university in Germany, which, in addition, was one of the most prestigious in Europe. But it also stands out for its beautiful old town.

That character of University City makes it abundant in leisure and nightlife venues. However, it is also a perfect location for cultural visits. And all this without forgetting that he was one of the great epicenters of German Romanticism at the beginning of the 19th century thanks to the circle of poets who formed Joseph von Eichendorff, Clemens Brentano y Achim von Arnim, among others. Next, we are going to help you discover Heidelberg, but first we will explain how to get there.

How to get to Heidelberg?

The German city is one of the most important in the state of Baden-Württemberg and is located southwest of Germany. It has a population of about one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants and is well connected to the rest of the country.

However, it does not have its own airport. If you travel by plane from Spain, the best destinations are Frankfurt y Karlsruhe. The first airport is about seventy-nine kilometers away and, once you get there, you just have to take a high-speed train to travel to Heidelberg. For its part, the Karlsruhe airfield is ninety-one kilometers away and you also have Bus to your destination.

What to see and do in Heidelberg?

Once we have explained how to get to the German city, we are going to propose the most interesting visits in her. As you can see, there are many attractions it offers you. Not in vain, it is one of the most visited in the country both for its monuments and for the lively social life it has and which, to a large extent, is due to its character as a university town.

The oldest university in Germany

Founded in 1386 by Rupert I, Elector Palatine of the Rhine, the University of Heidelberg is, as we told you, the first to exist in German territory. But, furthermore, it is one of the most prestigious in Europe. Linked to it are figures such as George Hegel, Karl Jaspers, Jürgen Habermas o Hannah Arendt. We advise you to visit its historic buildings and its oldest classrooms. In this sense, the call stands out High University, a baroque building that houses the spectacular assembly hall. But there are also other curious spaces to see in the institution.

Student Prison

A good example of what we have just told you is the so-called student prison. It is literally what you imagine. In fact, for five hundred years (until 1886) the university had legal autonomy about his students. Hence, as early as 1823, a prison was set up to detain those who committed serious crimes or misdemeanors.

Although, logically, it no longer works, you can visit its cells, whose walls are full of graffiti. However, as a curiosity we will tell you that, while they were sentenced, the students continued attending classes. The difference was that, at the end of these, they had to return to their seclusion.

Haupstrasse pedestrian street

One of the first activities that visitors to Heidelberg do is take a walk along this street, which is the longest pedestrian street in Germany. Specifically, it extends from the Bismarck Square, where transport is concentrated, until that of the Market, heart of the historic center and which we will talk to you about below.

It is a pleasure to walk through it observing the many baroque style buildings that dot it. Among them, they will catch your attention the Meder and Giant houses. Furthermore, with its numerous shops, it is the perfect place for you to do your shopping. There are also some museums in it. For example, in the Palais Morass you have the Palatine of art and archeology and in the Palais Weimar el of Ethnology.

Heidelberg Market Square

As we told you, it is one of the limits of the Haupstrasse and offers you, at least, as many attractions as it. It is the core of the ancient city and its origins date back to the 13th century. Already then it was the place where the surrounding farmers settled to sell their products.

That tradition has not been lost and you can still find all kinds of items there today. In addition, it celebrates the christmas markets and it's the perfect place to sit in a porch and enjoy a coffee watching the animation.

At its center, you have the Hercules fountain, with the figure of the mythological hero adorning it. But, above all, in the square you have three of the best monuments in Heidelberg. These are the Town Hall building, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Zumm Ritter House. Next, we will talk to you about them.

Church of the Holy Spirit

This spectacular temple was built on the remains of a previous Romanesque temple at the beginning of the 15th century. Therefore, it responds to the canons of the Gothic and even its tower is a hundred years later. Its function was to serve as a burial place for electors of the Palatinate, aristocrats who dominated the Rhine region in the Old Regime.

It was Rupert III, one of them, who ordered its construction and, precisely, during the War of the Palatine Succession it suffered a terrible fire (1693). On the other hand, a reform of the XNUMXth century gave rise to the so-called Heidelberg controversy. The stained glass windows commissioned from the artist Johannes Schreiter They sparked a controversy in which everyone from theologians to art critics, including neighbors, participated.

On the other hand, the church housed the Library Palatina, which was the most important in all of Germany during the Renaissance and which, currently, is distributed between the Vatican and Heidelberg University.

Zum Ritter House

Also known as House of the Knight of St. George, is the oldest residential construction in the city. It was built in 1592 by order of Charles Belier, a cloth merchant from Habsburg. It is, therefore, a building of Renaissance style and, currently, it functions as a hotel, although it is protected. As a curiosity, we will tell you that the French writer Victor Hugo He was fascinated by her.

Heidelberg City Hall

It is a construction baroque from the beginning of the 1693th century. It was built after the previous one burned in the aforementioned fire of XNUMX and following its plans. Subsequently, it has undergone extensions. In this way, the north wing is neo-Renaissance from the XNUMXth century and the south wing is neo-baroque from the XNUMXth. In the first of these is the large plenary hall decorated with works of Karl Hoffacker.

Heidelberg Castle

We are now leaving the Market Square to talk to you about what is perhaps the most important monument in Heidelberg. Its about medieval castle, dating from the beginning of the 13th century. However, Renaissance elements were added that made it one of the most important constructions of this style north of the Alps.

Dominate the city from the hillside king chair and you can get there on foot or by funicular. Its profile is unmistakable because it was built with red sand of the Neckar Valley and, after a period of decline, fascinated the thinkers of Romanticism. Already in the 20th century it was partially restored and today it is one of the main tourist attractions of the German town. But it also has a surprise in store for you.

German Pharmacy Museum

In one of the Renaissance buildings of the castle you have this original museum. Inside, you will see What were the pharmacies like? (then called apothecaries) between the 17th and 19th centuries. You will also find a beautiful collection of the containers they used made with colorfully painted earthenware, glass and majolica.

There is no missing laboratory from the pharmacist not even a beautiful garden where plants used to create medicines are grown. Its use is already documented in the 16th century, specifically, by Philipp Stefan Sprenger, apothecary of the Electoral Court at the time.

Philosophers' Walk

As we have already told you, Heidelberg was an important cultural center since the Middle Ages thanks to its university. Therefore, it is not strange that it has a walk dedicated to philosophers. Perhaps many thinkers have devised their works walking along this route on the side of the mountain of Heilingenberg.

Walking through it is one of the most relaxing activities you can do in the German city. Also has several viewpoints offering you priceless views of the Neckar River Valley.

Karlsplatz

La Grand Duke Karl Friedrich von Baden Square It is another of the most beautiful in Heidelberg. In it you have buildings like the Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Rosshirt or Palais Boisseree. The latter is a baroque style mansion built at the beginning of the 18th century by the von Sickingen family.

The aforementioned Rosshirt building belongs to the same period and architectural style, which, in reality, are two houses joined together. Additionally, in the center of the square there is a fountain with a sculpture that pays tribute to the Renaissance thinker. Sebastian Munster, who lived for a few years in Heidelberg.

Old Bridge, another symbol of Heidelberg

Officially named by Karl Theodor, is one of the oldest in Germany, as it is already documented in the year 1284. However, the current one was built in 1788. It was also partially blown up during the Second World War, so it had to be rebuilt.

Like the city's castle, it is made of red sandstone and is Baroque. One of its most outstanding elements is the spectacular door on its south side, with two majestic towers twenty-eight meters high. These were part of the old medieval wall and are Gothic, although their roofs were installed in 1788 and also respond to the Baroque.

Jesuit Church

It is also baroque, since it was built in the middle of the 18th century. Along with that of the Holy Spirit, which we have already mentioned and with which it bears a certain resemblance, it is the most important in the city. As raw material for its construction, red sandstone was used, once again, which makes it more striking. Also, next to it, you have the interesting Museum of Sacred Art and Liturgy.

Schwetzingen Palace

Although there was another previous one from the 14th century, this palace dates back to the 17th century and received later extensions. You will find it on the outskirts of Heidelberg, in the direction of Mannheim, and was the summer residence of the prince-electors of the Palatinate Charles Philip III y Carlos Theodore.

It is a spectacular complex that brings together baroque and neoclassical buildings, as well as some wonderful gardens. Among the first, in addition to the palace itself, there is a theater and different temples. And, regarding the latter, there are French style ones, but also English and even Turkish.

The Neckar River

To finish your stay in Heidelberg, we advise you to do a cruise on the Neckar River. In addition, you have two options: the shorter one allows you to contemplate the impressive surroundings of the city, while the longer one takes you to the town of Neckarsteinach, also riverside and in whose surroundings there are four fairy-tale castles.

In conclusion, we have shown you fifteen things to see and do in Heidelberg, the beautiful city of Germany. As you can see, there are many attractions it has. Come and meet her.