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Information on Tourism in Heidelberg:

What to do in and around Heidelberg

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​​Heidelberger Castle and the Castle Gardens
The castle is built on a medieval fortification overlooking the Old Town of the city. For over 400 years, it was the residence of the prince-electors of the Electoral Palatinate from the House of Wittelsbach. The oldest part of the castle to be preserved today is the ‘Ruprechtsbau’, which was commissioned around 1400 by prince-elector Rupert III. In 1693, during the Nine Years‘ War, the castle and its towers were destroyed. The ruins have come to be a symbol for an entire era, the period of German Romanticism.

Old Town
The Old Town is well preserved and mainly consists of an extensive pedestrian zone. Many churches, like the Church of the Holy Spirit (‘Heiliggeistkirche’), and various baroque buildings can be found here. The main buildings of the university, the university library and the historic university prison (‘Studentenkarzer’), most of them housed in historic buildings, are also located in the Old Town, among the many shops, restaurants and cafés.

Old Bridge
The real name of the bridge is Charles-Theodore bridge (‘Karl-Theodor-Brücke’). It was named after Prince-elector Charles Theodore, who ordered its construction in 1786. Because various bridges have been known to cross the river at the very same place since 1248, today’s bridge is also called ‘Old Bridge’.

Heidelberg funicular railway
The lower section until the station at Molkenkur is a highly modern funicular railway. The upper section until the station at Königstuhl is one of the oldest, electrically operated mountain railways in Germany.

Königstuhl
At 568 m (1,860 ft) altitude, the Köngistuhl (‘King’s Seat’) offers a stunning view of the city of Heidelberg and the Neckar valley leading into the Upper Rhine Plain. It offers a variety of hiking trails as well as other attractions, like the falconry centre Tinnunculus (www.tinnunculus-heidelberg.de), a fairy tale park (www.maerchenparadies.de), an astronomical observatory (www.lsw.uni-heidelberg.de) and the restaurants Molkenkur, Alter Kohlhof and Gasthof Königstuhl.

Philospher’s Walk​

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The Philosopher’s Walk (‘Philosophenweg’) is one of the most beautiful walking trails to be found in Europe. The famous trail leads up the sun-kissed slope of the Heiligenberg and has inspired many thinkers.  Starting at the Theodor-Heuss bridge, the Philosopher’s Walk leads up to the Philosopher’s Garden (‘Philosophengärtchen’). The Schlangenweg, starting at the Old Bridge, also provides access to the trail. The natural sun terrace serves as a habitat for various mediterranean plants and many animals.

Heiligenberg
At 330 m (1,443 ft) altitude, the Heiligenberg (‘Saints‘ mountain’) rises above the Philosopher’s Walk and faces the Königsstuhl on the other side of the river. Celts settled down here as early as 400 BC. Parts of a circular rampart they built are still preserved today. Various hiking trails provide an opportunity to explore the Heiligenberg. At its top, visitors can view the ruins of two monastaries (St. Michael’s and St. Stephen’s) as well as the Thingstätte, a great open-air theatre dating back to the times of national socialism.

Restaurants in Heidelberg
 

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Main course under 10 €

Main course from 10 to 15 €

Main course from 20 to 30 €