IN A NUTSHELL
WHAT: Heidelberg
WHERE: city in southern Germany, 1hr south of Frankfurt
WHY: Heidelberg Castle; bridge over the River Neckar;
university town...
WHEN: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, anytime is a good
time to visit. But the best time could be in the spring or
fall (to beat the tourist crowd) or during the Christmas season
HOW: Arrive in town by car, train, or bus; plan to spend
the day wandering through the castle and town below |
CLICK
HERE FOR MY TRIP DETAILS AND MORE PICTURES
 Heidelberg
is the very image of romantic Germany. This beautiful German
city is the home of one of Germany's most visited castles.
While it may not be the biggest, nor best preserved castle, this
tourist favorite is certainly one of the most magnificent ruins in
all of Germany.
This red sandstone
castle is perched high atop a hill overlooking the cobbled streets
of downtown Heidelberg. From the castle, you can see the city
below spread out in a panorama of red tiled roofs, cathedrals, and
plazas. The city is perfectly situated on the banks of the
Neckar River with an accompanying pedestrian bridge over the waters
below the castle.
CLICK HERE FOR A PANORAMA OF
HEIDELBERG
There are several ways
to ascend the hill to reach the castle. The most popular of
which is to climb up the 315 stairs from the base of the hill up to
the lower castle entrance. You may explore the garden outside
the castle walls, but to enter the castle you must pay 3 Euros.
The castle garden wraps around the castle and provides a spectacular
view of Heidelberg castle hanging on the edge of the hill above
downtown Heidelberg.
From the inner
courtyard of the castle you can see most of the remains of the old
castle halls. Each wall is dotted with equisitely carved
statues and stone facades. In addition, a grandiose balcony
overlooking the city below is a short walk away.
Heidelberg castle
also houses the world's largest wine vat. This monstrosity
takes up an entire room in the castle cellar and has a capacity of
55,000 gallons. For more activities and photos of
Heidelberg Castle, and other castles in Germany, check out the
ultimate
German Photo and Travel Guide .
TICKETS /
ON-SITE TOURS:
Tours are available at the castle in both English and German. The castle is open
year round from 8:00-5:30, except on Christmas Eve and New Year's
Eve, when it is open from 8:00-1:00.
Tickets can be booked in advance by calling (0 62 21) 53 84 14.
MULTIPLE DAY TOURS:
Several companies also
run tours of Heidelberg Castle from Frankfurt and Munich, combining
these tours with trips to other sights such as
Neuschwanstein Castle.
Heidelberg & Romantic Road Overnight Tours from Frankfurt
Heidelberg & Romantic Road Overnight Tours from Munich
HOTELS:
Use our hotel finder to get the cheapest rates for hotels in
the Heidelberg Area:
Heidelberg Hotels from $55
CLICK
HERE FOR MY TRIP DETAILS AND MORE PICTURES
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