![]() ![]() The best places to view the fireworks are on the river itself ( perhaps aboard a solar-powered boat of Heidelberg’s White Fleet), on the North bank of the Neckar on the famous Philosophers’ Walk (but get ready for a climb) and from the terrace of Heidelberg Castle.Īs you might guess, the illuminations are quite popular and draw crowds. Check with the tourist office for the dates and times of the Illuminations. Coming right after that is a spectacular fireworks display over the Neckar River. It visually recreates the French burning of the castle in 16, leaving behind today’s famous ruins.ĭuring the illumination, Heidelberg Castle is in a bath of red firelight, as if the ruins are on fire once again. If you’re visiting Heidelberg, to see something visually spectacular, time your visit for the Heidelberg Castle Illuminations. The entrance fee is €7, which also includes the fare for the Bergbahn.Ĭastle Illumination / photo: ©Tobias Schwerdt You reach the terrace the castle’s central courtyard, after showing your ticket at the gate. While the castle dominates the skyline when viewed from below, the view from its terrace down over the Old Town is even better. The rest of us should opt for the Bergbahn (cogwheel train) from Kornmarkt station near the Marktplatz down below. To reach the castle you walk up a steep trail that’s apparently for the physically fit. Although mostly in ruins, it is still occupied and continues to impart a fairy-tale look to the scene. Heidelberg Castle is one of Germany’s most famous landmarks and is the symbol of German Romanticism. Above it looms a romantic-looking Gothic/Renaissance castle, the symbolic heart of the city, looking down on a sea of red roofs. It sits on a riverbank surrounded by forest, with a beautiful old bridge crossing the river to its city gate. Hands down, Heidelberg is one of Germany’s most picturesque cities. You may want to put it in your travel plans this year.Ī Picturesque City, and Romantic Heidelberg Castle And I kick myself for not having visited sooner. If you wonder whether Heidelberg is someplace special…in a word, yes. ![]() ![]() And in annual tourism polls, overseas visitors continue to vote Heidelberg’s Castle as the best destination in Germany. ( Many of them, I’m sure, discover that Heidelberg is an easy and fast day trip by train from Frankfurt). That includes 3 million day-trippers, a record in Germany. Twain, in fact, spent three months cavorting here as he began penning his cynical “A Tramp Abroad.”Īlthough little Heidelberg has a population of only 120,000, more than 11 million people visit it every year. Turner, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Mark Twain and many other notables were also entranced by the city. It appears I’m in some pretty good company. Now, in only the past few years, I’ve visited it twice and look forward to returning a third time. ![]()
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