Heidelberg, germany
Attractions Guide

Heidelberg is a large city along Germany’s Neckar River, which joins the Rhine River in the nearby city of Mannheim. Heidelberg’s Altstadt Old Town is a very popular tourist destination, tucked back into a river valley surrounded by forests behind the modern city. Heidelberg’s University is also located in the Old Town and is the oldest university in Germany, founded in the 14th century.

At the center of Heidelberg’s Altadt Old Town is the Marktplatz (Market Square), a highly photogenic location surrounded by many lovely and colorful historic buildings. The area around Marktplatz is filled with restaurants and cafes. Towering above Heidelberg’s Market Square is the 14th century Gothic-style Church of the Holy Spirit.

On a hilltop overlooking the Old Town is the massive Schloss Heidelberg Palace, a partially-ruined Renaissance-style palace which is extremely picturesque. You can either hike up the hill to reach the palace, or take the funicular railway near Marktplatz from the Heidelberger Bergbahnen station.

The Heidelberg Palace complex is quite large with much to see. Among the top sights at Heidelberg Palace is the lavish facade of the Otteinrich Building, which is a hollow exterior shell above the first floor, with the sky visible behind the windows.

Another highlight of the palace is the giant courtyard, which even hosts a few restaurants and a wine cellar with the largest wine barrel in the world, where you can enjoy a glass of wine. The palace even hosts an interesting historic Pharmacy Museum.

Behind Heidelberg Palace is a large area of terraced gardens and walkways you can explore. At the end of the garden is the Scheffelterrasse terrace viewpoint, which offers breathtaking views overlooking the palace ruins and the Old Town Heidelberg set amongst the Neckar River valley and forests. If you’re looking for views from atop the mountain above Heidelberg, you can either hike of take the cable car up to the top from the palace.

The Alte Brücke (Old Bridge) is Heidelberg’s second most iconic sight, which spans above the Neckar River connecting directly to the Altstadt Old Town near Makrtplatz.

The beautiful Brückentor City Gate guards the entrance to the Old Town from the bridge. Across the bridge from the Old Town you can enjoy some of the most picturesque views of Heidelberg, with the palace and town framed behind the Neckar River and bridge.

In order to reach the best viewpoint of Heidelberg, you can hike up the hill from the Alte Brücke bridge along the Philosopher’s Walk pathway. This extremely scenic walk overlooking Heidelberg was named for the philosophers and university professors who historically walked along the pathway. Part of this pathway is the Philosophengärtchen (Philosopher’s Garden), which provides the most picturesque views over Heidelberg.

It’s also possible to keep hiking through the forests above the Philosopher’s Walkway to the top of the hill, atop which are several interesting sites including medieval tower ruins, an outdoor stone amphitheater built by the Nazis, and the ruins of the 1,000 year-old Monastery of St. Michael. To reach the monastery at the top of the hill from the Alte Brücke bridge it’s about 2.9 miles (4.6 km) round-trip.

In a suburb of Heidelberg you might consider visiting the vast 18th century Schloss Schwetzingen Palace. Inside this palace you’ll find many historic furnishings and decorations, as well as an elegant theatre.

The Schwetzingen Palace is most known for its expansive French-style formal gardens, which hosts fountains, woodland parks, a large pond, and most notable a highly ornate mosque. This beautiful mosque and its turret towers are highly photogenic, especially when seen with its reflection in the pond.