Welcoming Spring in Heidelberg

The picturesque city of Heidelberg along the Neckar River is famous for its romantic cityscape and being a college town with prestigious universities and the oldest university in Germany founded in 1386! What attracted us was its blend of old-world charm and vibrant student life, and we knew we had to visit the city while planning our trip to Germany!

Heidelberg was our fourth and final stop on our Germany trip after Rothenburg ob der Tauber in April 2022.

Where we went

Heidelberg Altstadt (Old Town)

Want to time-travel? Just walk through the narrow cobblestone streets of Heidelberg’s Old Town and it’ll be like being transported back to the past! WJ and I really enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere while we explored the streets, cafes, and boutiques of the Old Town. Fortunately, many of Heidelberg’s buildings weren’t affected by the World Wars and are still well preserved!

Schloss Heidelberg

Perched majestically atop a hill overlooking the city, the iconic Schloss Heidelberg stands as a testament to the city’s historical significance. WJ and I walked through its imposing gate and ascended the cobblestone path, easily imagining scenes from the past as we explored the castle ruins. The view from the castle’s terrace was breathtaking and offered a bird’s eye view of the city below, the Neckar River, and the lush surrounding hills.

There’s also an aptly named Great Barrel within the walls, and at first, we weren’t very impressed coming across a huge barrel with people taking selfies in front of it. Then we walked passed it and realised that the real Great Barrel in the room was at least 20 times bigger than the one we had just passed by and just massive! Can you imagine that it once held 220,000 liters of wine?

Karl Theodor Bridge (Old Bridge)

No visit to Heidelberg would be complete without a stroll across the Karl Theodor Bridge, also known as the Old Bridge. It’s still standing since its construction in the 18th century! While crossing the bridge, we stopped midway to watch the boats gently glide along the Neckar River and the students enjoying picnics on the banks next to the river below.

Philosophenweg (The Philosophers’ Walk)

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city lies the Philosophenweg, or the Philosophers’ Walk. But in order to get there, you have to climb up a winding path of stone steps, and you might get a little breathless on the way up if you’re not very fit (just like us)! Hearing it called the Philiospher’s Walk, we were expecting a relaxing pathway and dumbly didn’t bring water along. We were parched from the climb up!

But once we reached the top, the view was well worth it. We had a stunning panoramic view of Heidelberg from the Philosopher’s Terrace, and would have stayed there much longer if we weren’t so thirsty! The walk back to the city was thankfully downhill all the way.

BODY WORLDS Museum

We decided to visit the BODY WORLDS Museum after a few days of exploring the city for something a little different. The thought-provoking exhibition showcases preserved human bodies and organs called “Plastinates”. There was also a video showing the process of how they preserved the bodies which was fascinating but could be a bit disturbing if you’re easily queasy! 

The section with pregnant bodies was a little depressing because you remember that these were real people who died while they were at different stages of pregnancy, and probably left behind brokenhearted families.