I must be honest with you from the start. Thinking back to the days spent in Germany, my very first memory goes straight to the weather: pouring rain, fog and cold. However, it couldn’t hijack us from visiting, and bring you the most objective Heidelberg travel guide.
Now that you already know this, you must understand and excuse my foggy and grey pictures. Before visiting, I read consistently how romantic this city is, and despite the ugly December weather, I have to confess this is true. Even if sometimes, we had to use our imagination to see beyond the clouds, this is an impartial Heidelberg travel guide.
Travel to Heidelberg, Germany! Beautiful and romantic city alike, it has a superb geographical position and lots to see and do! Famed for its castle and old university, this touristic city in south-western Germany is a well-worth two-days destination!
Taste Heidelberg! Yes! Maybe not as famous as Mediterranean food, German cuisine is truly hearty and delicious. From schnitzel or bratwurst to beer and mouth-watering ice cream, Heidelberg is a culinary heaven.
Feel the city! Besides visiting Heidelberg’s top attractions, take your time for a stroll on the main street, go clubbing at the weekend to see how the inhabitants live or enjoy outdoor activities in the scenic Neckar valley!
Good to know
Our trip to Heidelberg
How many days for Heidelberg
When visit Heidelberg
Basic Heidelberg travel guide
Where to eat in Heidelberg
Good to know
Here are some facts to consider before visiting. Or, some facts to put Heidelberg on your list.
- Heidelberg is part of top 3 cities to visit in Germany, classification made by the German board of tourism;
- The city welcomes almost 12 million visitors per year;
- Has around 150.000 inhabitants and is more peaceful and relaxed than its bigger neighbours: Frankfurt or Stuttgart;
- Is mainly a city of cyclists and walkers;
- Situated along the Neckar River, Heidelberg is surrounded by vineyards and woodlands;
- Heidelberg enjoys a culturally diverse and international atmosphere;
- The city is located in Baden-Württemberg state and is part of Germany’s famous “Castle Road”. Known for its historical charm, Heidelberg remained largely untouched during World War II;
- The fascinating Old Town, known as ‘Altstadt‘ in German, is situated at the foot of the castle hill and has been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Our trip to Heidelberg
I visited Heidelberg with my teen daughters before Christmas and had a pleasant experience. We unanimously agreed on some aspects: the city is chic and romantic, the long walking street is totally worth it and the ice cream amazing. The castle is very well situated and the pharmacy museum stunning, however we expected more from the guided tour.
Transportation in Heidelberg was flawless and we had plenty of trams and buses to take us fast to our great accommodation to Bibi’s place. We were lucky to indulge in food beyond our expectations and learned to reserve every time to find the right dining spot.
How many days for Heidelberg
We spent almost three full days in Heidelberg, which was enough in winter. I am pretty sure that summer weather can offer more exciting outdoor places. Although you may visit Heidelberg as a one-day trip from Frankfurt, I suggest setting aside two days to enjoy this fabulous place that is part of top 3 German cities recommended by the German board of tourism. They must know something, right?
When visit Heidelberg
Definitely not in December as we did, I should say. You know the saying about sour grapes, of course. If we were not too lucky with the weather, we compensated with the Christmas markets and festive decorations.
To fully take advantage of the city, you should visit in late spring, summer or early autumn. Contrary to the common Italian heatwave, the weather in Germany is more temperate. So, any month will do from May to September.
Basic Heidelberg travel guide
This is a list of the things not to be missed in Heidelberg. We tested all these must-see places in the city of Baden-Württemberg, so these are my impressions.
The Old Bridge and Monkey Statue
As the city goes hand in hand with the Neckar, I will begin with the Old Bridge of Heidelberg. You’ll instantly recognize it when you head to the Old Town; it is the red bridge spanning the river. The actual Old Bridge was built 250 years ago and is the timeproof version of the original wooden ones that were damaged by wars and floods.
The bridge has a monkey statue with strong significance, but is also a popular tourist attraction. Not to mention the superstitions behind! It is said that if you touch the monkey’s right-hand fingers, you will return to Heidelberg. Touching the monkey’s mirror brings you wealth, and the little bronze-cast mice nearby symbolize fertility. Just sayin’!
Marktplatz (The Central Square)
It is the name of the Central Square in Heidelberg. It is sort of km zero for Heidelberg travel guide. Serving as a marketplace since medieval times, the square has been a focal point for the most important attractions: the Hauptstrasse, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Town Hall.
When we visited in December, the Marktplatz was a huge square smelling like gingerbread and mulled wine for Christmas. The Hercules fountain in the centre of the square commemorates the enormous efforts to rebuild the city after the war of the Palatine Succession.
The Church of The Holy Spirit
It is a large protestant church situated right in the middle of the Central Square. Built in the 15th century, the church houses the grave of the founder of the church, Elector Ruprecht III. The church was also the location of the founding of Heidelberg University.
Hotel zum Ritter St Georg
This advent-like house has the same style as Bruges architecture, and is a totally instagrammable spot. Turned into a hotel, the house was originally built in late Renaissance style at the end of the 16th century. It was erected by a Huguenot merchant for his wife and luckily enough, the red building survived fires and wars. The golden inscription on the top reads “Persta invicta, Venus” – “Always remain unconquered, beauty”, almost prophetically. The beauty of the façade comes also from the busts, cherubs and fruits decorating it.
Heidelberg Castle
There is no Heidelberg travel guide without the utmost recommendation of visiting the schloss. You have a great view of the castle from the Old Bridge, thus you’ll see that it is situated in the middle of green lush vegetation. You can climb up your way or use the funicular, depending on weather and condition.
The ticket can be purchased here and includes the gardens, the Pharmacy Museum and the world’s biggest Barrel of Wine. The gardens are a beautiful sight in itself. The Museum of Pharmacy was my favourite, showcasing several rooms and stories of antique medicine preparation. The wine cellar is memorable considering that it is so large that it can hold up to 228.000 litres of wine. The whole castle looks romantic, even if half of it is just ruins nowadays. To visit the inside, you can take an audio guide or book a guided tour right from the castle (there are several available in English).
Take a walk along Hauptstrasse (Main street)
Hauptstrasse is the main street of Heidelberg crammed with shops, beautiful buildings and restaurants. As we visited at the weekend, we experienced the true German habit of seeing the streets and eateries literally flooded (that is why you need reservation!). We particularly enjoyed the beautifully lit houses and their architecture as well as the amazing shops, be it chocolateries, fragrance shops or Christmas decorations. Being quite cold and rainy, we took our time exploring several stores!
You can also take the small quaint streets or the likewise popular Plöck for other shops and various restaurants.
Philosophenweg (Philosophers’ Path)
This walk is undoubtedly part of Heidelberg travel guide for the history and views it offers. Its name comes from the Romantic period when this rough path was frequented by professors and philosophers who took advantage of solitude. It is said that this path inspired German poets Joseph von Eichendorff and Friedrich Hölderlin in their writings.
The duration from the Old Town is about 20-30 minutes, but consider that you have to climb your way up to see the magnificent views over the city.
Visit Heidelberg University
Before heading to the oldest university of Germany (1386), I thoroughly did my lesson and knew we had to visit the Great Hall, the spectacular library and the student prison. Unfortunately, upon arrival, we found out that being Saturday, they were understaffed, therefore we could not see any of the planned attractions. I have to settle for now with the pictures found on the internet. Hopefully, you’ll be luckier!
If your time allows you and are a fan of castles, pay a visit to the surrounding Schwentzingen Palace – the Prince Electors’ Summer Residence (10 km away). We did, and were impressed by the beautiful gardens. Totally worth a detour!
Where to eat in Heidelberg
This city has on display a large array of restaurants. We opted for the ones with German specific and weren’t let down. At all. But we soon learned a lesson: reservation ahead is mandatory!
Check out the Ultimate guide to cheap eats Heidelberg for more detailed info!
Schnitzelbank is one of the best places in Heidelberg. Always crowded, with unique atmosphere and simple dishes at a fair price, seems to be one of the locals’ dinner favourite. At Essighaus we indulged in a perfect bratwurst and sauerkraut (German sausage with pickled cabbage) in a lovely décor. Watch out: cash only! For another pleasant experience, try Zum Hirsch! I had a lovely dish of the house here!
Nokta offers a hearty brunch right in Marktplatz, but prepare for card only experience! I cannot skip Zeit für Brot, a nice bakery for a small something or good takeaway opportunity! And yes, ice-cream rules in Heidelberg! Being very cold and close to our accommodation, we only tested Ok Cool to discover then another shop in a quaint downtown street. They have exquisite ice-cream, but a rather unfriendly timetable (in winter at least)!
I am totally convinced that the palette of good eateries in Heidelberg is large. We also heard very good things about Palmbräu Gasse, in the middle of the old Town or Qube.
Have you been to Heidelberg before? How did you like it? Do you have any further tips for places or restaurants? I look forward to reading your experiences!
