Try these 9 places in Germany’s Romantic City: Heidelberg

Heidelberg is the most romantic city in Germany❤️. It is known so because of the riverside locations, old bridges and the famous Schloss. Heidelberg will remain close to my heart as it was the first city I visited in Germany.  The cobblestone street, the old city, and the outdoor restaurants were all new and exciting for me. I liked the European concept because all major attractions are in the walkable distance making it very easy to cover the city in a day. 

9 things to do in Heidelberg

1. Altstadt

The old town is the ideal place to start the tour. It has many architectural gems with many historic buildings along the cobblestone streets. You can also catch a glimpse of the wonderful fountains along the way.

It was 8.00 am when we reached Altstadt, so none of the shops, restaurants, and outdoor cafes was open. But it was still beautiful to walk and have the entire street for ourselves.

2. Heidelberg Schloss

Heidelberg Schloss is huge and looked very elegant and beautiful. When we visited, it was cloudy and cold. It even started drizzling when we were about to view the city from the hilltop. But still, the view was great amidst the fog. The location was still flooded with tourists.

How to reach

Walking along the Altstadt, we reached Heidelberg Schloss which is located on the hilltop amidst lush greenery. To reach Schloss, we have to take a funicular and it is called the lower-funicular. A funicular is a train that is specially designed for its usage on steep slopes and moves slowly. Our journey lasted for 4-5 mins.

Tickets

The tickets are 8€ for adults and the reduced price is 4€. Don’t forget to carry your student ID card. This ticket price includes the funicular only to the Schloss, Great Tun and German Apotheke Museum. More information regarding group tickets and timings is available on Schloss Heidelberg official website.

3. Great Tun

It is located in the basement of the Heidelberg Schloss which is the largest wine barrel in the world with a capacity of 219,000 liters. If you are lucky enough you can even attend the wine festival which will be held inside the palace.

4. Apotheke Museum

This museum is also located inside the Schloss and included in the entry ticket. It has a collection of more than 20,000 articles and provides an insight into the world of pharmaceutics. Typically one spends an hour in the museum.

I am not a big fan of museums and I was bored looking at the artefacts initially, then as I moved on into the further sections of the museums it got better and it drew my attention. It is worth visiting. 

5. Königstuhl

After spending 2.5-3.00 hours inside the Schloss, we headed towards the funicular station to begin our trek to Königstuhl. There is also a funicular to Königstuhl which is called the upper-funicular. The tickets start at 3.5€. Everything you need to know on the Berghahn website.

Königstuhl has a literal translation to ‘King’s Chair’ as it gives a royal view of Heidelberg along the Necker River. We were confused with the direction in the beginning as there were no proper signboards. After trekking offtrack for a kilometre, we finally found the right path. The trail was narrow and surrounded by trees which formed a canopy.

The route was flat in the beginning, as we went further he saw these steps to climb the steep hill. After reaching 570mts above the sea level and trekking for almost 1.5 hours, we expected that there would be a king’s size chair/seat because the name said so. We walked further in search of a location with a chair. But later realized that Königstuhl is a viewpoint. ”The best views come after the hardest trek.” But it was not the hardest trek but it offered a view which was hard to believe. It was magnificent and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We were cold and completely drenched but who cares, we had fun😜.

6. Hauptstraße

Europe’s longest car-free zone is the most happening place in Heidelberg flooded with people and a variety of shops. It starts from Bismarckplatz and ends at Karlstor. We had an ice-cream and purchased postcards and souvenirs at a local shop. Walkthrough the main street and also explore the unexplored narrow lanes.

7. Carl Theodor Bridge

After Schloss, I believe the Alt bridge (Old Bridge) is the most visited location in the city. This bridge is built on the Necker River which flows from East to West. From the bridge, the Schloss looks pleasing.

Do not miss the bronze monkey structure🐒. This monkey is said to bring good luck. Rubbing the mirror will bring you money💰 and rubbing the fingers will ensure your return to Heidelberg.

8. Philosopherweg

After a walk across the old bridge, we reached the Philosopherweg. The entry is free and it is a 2 km long way that is filled with herbs, shrubs, trees of various heights🌲 and beautiful rare flowers in all possible colours and sizes🌸. It includes plenty of gardens and informational plaques.

We walked slowly and admired the old town, Necker River and the Castle from the top. The beginning of the walk was steep and a little slippery because of the rain. But is a nice place to visit.

9. Neckerwiese

We walked till the end of Philosopherweg and ended up in the residential area. We crossed the road to reach the banks of the river Necker. It is impossible to miss riverside because it is very refreshing. After walking for more than 15kms, we needed a small break to relax and enjoy. We clicked lots of pictures and spent an hour gazing at the ducks🦆 and white swans🦢.

It was 17.30 and it was time to head back to the main station. So we boarded a bus directly to the Hauptbahnhof and it was time to call it a day. We utilized the entire day to visit the main locations in Heidelberg and it was a day well spent.

How to reach Heidelberg

It is a 3.5-hour train ride from Ulm main station. We purchased the Bäden Württemberg Ticket. Read more on the Regional Day Tickets in Germany. We had two changeovers in Stuttgart Hbf and Heilbronn Hbf.

Public Transport

There are 3 ways to reach Altstadt(City centre) from Heidelberg Hauptbanhof. By foot: The 4kms walk takes about 35-45 mins. Enjoy the walk along the river. By train: The 4min train ride is the fastest mode which costs 8€-12€ and takes less than 5 mins. By bus: Board bus number 34 and get down at Altstadt. A single journey ticket cost 1.70€. But if you are going to make multiple trips, then it’s better to opt for ‘Ticket 24’ available for 7€. This pass is valid for 24 hours on trams and buses upon validation. Tickets can be purchased either at the vending machine or directly with the bus driver. A mobile app, VRN is also available to buy tickets online. If you want to visit all the tourist attractions at a lower cost, HeidelbergCARD is very handy. This card gives access to almost all the tourist attractions either free of cost or at a discounted price. It also provides free transport on buses, trams inside the city and a city map are included in the package. Visit the nearest Tourist Info Point to gain more info. More details about this card and other ticket types are available here. Have a safe Heidelberg trip!! 😀 Overall experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 Time of visit: April 2018

”You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.”– Mae West