Germany is a country that still remains with many stones unturned, as our European Roadtrip took us from The Netherlands to Switzerland with only a short stop in Germany. Berlin, Hamburg, Munich — all the big cities are as of yet untouched, but, like PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE ELSE in the world, they’re on my list. We did get a chance to see another part of Germany on our way to the Swiss Alps, Heidelberg, a much smaller city which still has plenty to offer, including castles, beautiful bridges, and a massive wine vat (!!!).
Where It Is
Heidelberg is located in southwest Germany about an hour directly south of Frankfurt. It is also nicely situated on the route between Amsterdam and Switzerland, so it just happened to be a good place to stop. We also spent the night in Frankfurt after our time in Heidelberg (although we got there late and spent most of the time on the rooftop bar, and then left early in the morning for Lucerne, so Frankfurt also remains on the list of places to go for real).
Why It’s Worth a Visit
Heidelberg is a sort of hidden treasure of Germany. It is charming and beautiful and full of friendly people (I know it is a stereotype that German people are grumps, but I certainly could not draw this conclusion in any way).
Schloss Heidelberg
This castle ruin is one of the main landmarks of the city of Heidelberg. Its history dates back over 800 years, and parts of it have been rebuilt over time due to vicious attacks of lightning (which makes sense, since it is high up on top of a hill overlooking the city; you have to take a lift to get up there). So maybe don’t go visiting this massive castle in a thunderstorm, if you know what I mean.
It is worth the climb, as the view from the top is not too shabby, if I do say so myself. And by not too shabby I mean I spent 20 minutes just staring out over the edge, taking pictures and in disbelief that I am so lucky to get to experience these sorts of things.
Heidelberg Tun
The largest wine vat in the entire world is located right inside the Heidelberg Castle. Its current capacity is nearly 58,000 gallons, which is just honestly an absurd amount of wine. Imagine drinking even 0.001% of that wine. Imagine swimming around in 58,000 gallons of wine. Sounds like my heaven (except for the havoc it would certainly wreak on my mess of hair, and actually the smell might make me queasy to the point of never wanting to touch wine again. So never mind).
Colorful streets & buildings built by talented architects
AHH! The epitome of European right here. It is so peaceful to just walk around and enjoy the views, the locals, the architecture, and the food. Stop at Café Gundel and scoop up a slice of quiche and I promise you will not regret it.
Old Bridge
Old Bridge crosses over the Neckar River and connects Old City (where the Schloss is situated) and the newer part of the city. Standing on it gives you an amazing panoramic view of both old and new, and the water of course, which I love, especially on a day as gorgeous as the one we had. Get a little bit bluer, skies, I dare you.
Bridge Monkey
At one end of Old Bridge, there is a monkey sculpture, installed in 1979, but the bridge monkey concept dates waaay back to the 1400s (it can be seen in ancient drawings of the city). This is a cool little guy: legend has it that he is holding a mirror to remind everyone that he or she is no better than everyone else and to always remember this. If you touch that gold mirror, it will supposedly bring you wealth, and if you touch his fingers, it will ensure you a trip back to Heidelberg. His head is also shaped like a mask in case you’re not two feet tall and wearing an unflattering sweaty bus outfit and want to try to stick your head in there for a cutesy tootsy tourist photo.
Lovely is a word that I’m not sure people of my generation necessarily use very often, but it is an appropriate word to use when describing Heidelberg. I’m sure the big cities of Germany are incredible and have earned their place on many travelers’ bucket lists, but Heidelberg is a pit stop you should be sure to not overlook.
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