Visiting Heidelberg as a tourist

I am going to heidelberg on the weekend. what should I see ?

Things to see in Heidelberg... well, obviously there's the castle... I suggest taking your time to see the whole grounds... and if you can, don't take the wussy way up by taking the cart... walk up it yourself, though if you're not used to walking such distances, it's a pain in the ass! Down in the shopping area of Heidelberg is also a student's prison. That's interesting to see... and well, if you're up for it, across the river from the castle is another mountain which you can climb to see the old church ruins and an old ampitheatre. We didnt know there was a way to get up there via car, so we trekked for like an hour and a half... next time I'm taking my car!

Hope this helps out some...

Oh, and one other thing I forgot to mention... there is this great little diner to eat at in Heidelberg... It's behind the train station. It's called Mandy's and they have some goooood burgers. It's a little American diner with good food if anyone is interested.

I don't know if it is still there, but in the same building of Mandy's is a little Thai restaurant which has some of the best Thai food I have had in Europe! It is always on the very top of my list when I visit Heidelberg!

I will certainly have to try your Thai restaurant, since it looks like I will be moving there in a few months. We have been to Heidelberg many times and our "must eat" spot is The Schnitzelbank . We think its the best German food in the country. Try the Schnitzel Art des Hauses, Ummmm Lecker!

Also walk up the Philosphenweg to the Thing amphitheatre at the top of the hill. On the way you will pass a place where the oldest human in Europe - Homo Heidelbergensis was found and at the top there's an ancient well, ruins of the monastery, small tower and a beautiful view of the whole city.

Another interesting thing is the alte Brücke - the old Bridge and the student prison in the center of the city. The university library at the Uniplatz looks very impressive too.

Yeah the Thai is still there as far as I know.

I love Mandy's Diner. My fave place to go eat in HD!

I would also suggest the castle, and the downtown area, along with the Studentenkarzer and the Aula of the Alte Uni.

I did the whole tourist program twice this year with two friends who came to visit, haha.

I have lived here since 2002 but I have never actually been up there myself. Gotta put that on my list before I move again (probably in 2009).

if you're into bars then Destille on Unterestrasse is well worth a visit - it's a very interesting bar to put it mildly... a bit full at times especially later on in the evenings - but it's been one of my favourite haunts since 1999. In fact the Unterestrasse has many a good bar - Palmbraugasse (restaurant bit on the Hauptstrasse leading through to the bar bit on Unterestrasse), Reichsapfel / Das Lager, Eckstein (for tacky music but fun atmosphere), Kleinen Mohr, Grossen Mohr...

touristy things - would second previous entries about the Castle, Philosophenweg... or simply wandering round the old town...

have fun what ever you do!

Is Heidelberg worth a day trip? Sounds liek ti is, just need some reassurance...

Heidelberg ...

I took a friend on the "tourist daytrip" tour through the tourist highlights of Heidelberg this week:

- Bus trip from train station (pointing out stuff along the route) and Bergbahn trip (to castle)
- Castle (with vat, museum and photo session on the Altan) and Castle gardens
- Altstadt: some small "classic" side street, "rear" Hauptstraße, Haus Ritter, Marktplatz, Heumarkt, Karlsplatz, Alte Brücke, Heuscheuer, Marstall, Stadthalle
- city center: "front" Hauptstraße, Bismarckplatz, Neckarwiese with pointing out more stuff along the way; tram back to train station

Whole thing took 3.5 hours (hey, we were on a schedule) with some breaks inbetween, and some shopping as well; could have gone a lot faster if we were using public transport some more. Only major touristy thing skipped was the Heiliggeistkirche, and maybe the Old University area.

I'd say you could make it into a whole daytrip (ie 6-8 hours?) by e.g. taking a Bergbahn trip to the top of Königstuhl for some scenery, spending some time in cafes and stuff, maybe a visit to the Palatinan Museum (in Hauptstraße) and so on...

Problem is that a lot of people either don't have the time, or don't know where to go (or what's to see where in some places).

Kurpfälzisches Museum ... English introduction

Electoral Palatinate / Kurpfalz

Just commenting on this old thing...

Homo Heidelbergensis was found in a gravel pit in Mauer, about 15 km southeast of Heidelberg - not on this mountain.

The Heiligenberg mountain has:
- Thing amphitheater (Nazi propaganda site, decrepit)
- Michaelsbasilika (10th Century Cathedral ruins) with outlines of Roman temple at same site
- Stefanskloster (small cloister ruins) with view tower built in the 19th century out of the rubble
- Heidenloch (Roman-/Celtic-time... pit. 56m deep, presumably used for religious practices)
- two Ringwalls (from Celtic city on the hill, barely visible)
- no access by public transport
- zero admission charges unlike the rest of Heidelberg's tourist sites
- halfway decent signs for tourists, mostly dual-language German/English
- a beergarden
- an illegal party with 15,000 ppl once per year at the amphitheater

I don't think it is illegal, just unofficial. They do have police and ambulances in the area during that night if I remember correctly (though I never went myself), so if it was illegal it wouldn't happen every year.
(But illegal certainly makes it sound more interesting. )

It's technically illegal since the owner of the estate (the state) hasn't allowed it - and could have everyone evicted/arrested.

Police always erects stops at the paths leading uphill, to make it more difficult for people to get there (have to walk and have to carry their alcohol instead of driving straight up there), and there's a couple ambulances up there.

Dunno, it's sorta a bit more in the press this year. They might finally try to crack down on it now under the new Mayor. Or not, as it'd be damn pricey.

Certain popular mass events at the Thingstätte were officially tolerated (geduldet) by the local authorities in the past ... so there was nothing "illegal" about them

I actually wonder if I should go next week...

Hey all,

I'm planning to visit Heidelberg with my 4 yr old tomorrow morning, n plan to come back by night.
How much time does it take/is it possible to go no foot frm Heildelberg hbf to the castle.
And an approximate time required to visit the castle (including going up and down the 315 steps.. or the pathway)
Would welcome any mo details u have, to share.

Also any other interesting places within an hr to 2 hrs from Frankfurt besides Hdlberg - may b a nice city downtown etc?? considering its a sunday.
I actually want to use up my german railpass thats expiring. hdlbrg is 1 place i know thats an hour away by ICE, doable in a day - kind of.

Thanks, would appreciate details. food suggestion, events, costs etc.

Have a Schönes Wochenende! (did i spell that rite?)
cheers

Topics merged by admin

There's plenty of information on the forum already, for example in: Heidelberg - tourist entertainments and activities. Amazing what you can find by using the search function!

Thanks Kay for pointing out, I Forgot to add,I had already gone through the search, the places to go there, things 2 do etc., and dint come across how long it takes to reach from the Heidelberg Hbf station to the castle, m missing it I guess, dint find it on search, which is why i posted the query.

Heidelberg is one of those annoying long, thin towns. The station is at one end. Then it's a fair walk to the main drag. Then it's another walk (some of it steep uphill) to the castle at the other end.
The castle grounds are quite spacious and so more walking time within them.

There are options like trams and buses of course.

I have never timed myself but (as a fairly speedy walker) I would reckon 15 mins to the main shopping / cafe area and then a further 10 mins to the castles.

Other places of varying interest:

Fairly close - Aschaffenberg, Speyer, Worms, Weisbaden, Mainz, Darmstadt, Messel, Worms, Mannheim

A bit further - Koblenz (the whole Rhine Valley Bingen Lorelei thing too)

On your two hour limit - Köln, Bonn, Baden-Baden

Since you'd already found the Heidelberg thread it would have made more sense to post your query there instead of starting a new topic.

It's approximately 2.5km from the Bahnhof to the Schloss. How long it would take you with a 4 year old I cannot tell you. I would probably take the bus though, as particularly the part between Hauptbahnhof and Bismarckplatz isn't the most exciting stretch. If you walk from Bismarkplatz it may be 15-20 minutes to the Bergbahn station (without stopping to look at other sights and without a kid), add another 15 minutes to go up (maybe a little more with a kid), seeing as I doubt you will want to go up the stairs.
Alternatively you can just go to the Bergbahn by bus and up by Bergbahn.

50-60 minutes minimum, if you're fast. 15-20 minutes to Bismarckplatz, another 30-35 to Rathaus, and from there 5-10 minutes uphill.
With a kid that age, it'd be more like 90 total.

Fastest way: Hop on Bus line 33, take 16 minutes to Rathaus/Bergbahn station, at most 10 minutes waiting till the next funicular goes up, 2 minutes ride, 2 minutes walking from Schloß station. I did the whole thing in 22 mins two months ago with a friend.

Swimmer: Actually, Heidelberg is more like cross-shaped, with large blobs in the middle and on the ends. Those roughly 5 kilometers are a short distance in HD.

one reason i "hate" going out in heidelberg (i live in mannheim). it takes forever to get to downtown.


her topic got merged.


agree here since i recently walked these distances. i needed a minimum 25 minute stroll from train station to Bismarckplatz (alone, that is). another 15 minutes to Rathaus (but there are usually so many people you have to slow your pace and do lots of weaving in and out of foot traffic), then, dunno, 20 minute hoof up the hill.

Indeed, after it was pointed out.

Forever takes me 15 mins to walk and a bus or sbahn take just over 5!!

Or in other words: Bismarckplatz is the same distance from HD Hbf as Paradeplatz is from MA Hbf

Of course the problem with "going out" in Heidelberg is that the bars and such aren't located in the city center, but further out (although that's the same in Mannheim really - for the good stuff anyway).

well, i guess we could argue the pros and cons of going out in each city, but it's really too long a walk from HD train station to the cool pubs in HD for me - well the ones I like to go to which are close to Marktplatz, anyhow. it doesn't stop me though. i still do it, just have to plan more time. from MA Hbf, it is an easy 10 min walk to the Kapuzingerplanken, where there are lots of bars and outside seating.

that walk from HD train station just stretches out forevah!

There's a direct bus from HBf to Rathaus, you know
(and one to the northern end of the Old Bridge)

We just did this a few weeks back. You catch a bus or U-bahn from the Hbf to the old town (Berlitz?) to save you walking a mile.

Walk down the old streets toward the churches (maybe a mile, maybe less) to CornMarkt and get a ticket for the train up to the castle. I think it was 15 Eurodollars for two adults.

We did the train past the castle to get way up the mountain. That added maybe another hour on our trip and probably doubled our fare.

If you don't go in the castle, you could see the sights and walk around in less than an hour. We did not do the flass or the museum, so I can't comment there.

So total time depends on how easily you catch a bus, how fast you walk, and how many people are in line at the cornmarkt. Probably under an hour, maybe 30 minutes if you are motivated and lucky.

15 Euro? Bit much.

Current fare is 3 Euro per person for the lower Bergbahn, one way; 5 Euro return trip. Two-Person ticket is 8 Euro, return trip for lower Bergbahn.

8 Euro return trip all the way up the mountain, per person, 13 Euro on two-person ticket .