Heidelberg Altstadt

Ah yes, I am finally learning German words! My proof? When researching places to see in Heidelberg, I came across Altstadt, which means "Old Town". Alt is old, stadt is town, so voila! Altstadt is the oldest part of the city and located below the castle, down narrow, winding roads.

The main allure of Altstadt is the city square. Open air markets are highly prevalent this time of year and a number of booths were set up outside as we walked through. Everything from tourist magnets to what appeared to be hand-me-downs were available for purchase. Each cafe, bar, and gelato shop had an outdoor seating area set up to enjoy what turned out to be a perfect fall day after the morning rain passed. The stores lining the pedestrian path ranged from higher end, such as Lancome, to hole in the wall places offering an eclectic variety of goods.

Karl-Theodore-Brücke

Heidelberg Castle is hundreds of years old, and their bridge has a history as well. The Karl-Theodore-Brücke, or old bridge was built in the 1700's and is picturesque with the mountain and buildings all around. The only let down? The view. I was very interested in getting a picture of Tom and I on the bridge with the city surrounding us, but as you look out upon the city, the landscape becomes less than desirable. Newer buildings, another less appealing bridge in the background, and construction equipment marred the majestic atmosphere I would have expected. The bridge itself was the true focal point.

Jesuitenkirche

To get to Heidelberg's Jesuitenkirche, or Jesuit Church, use the following directions: walk along the river and head east. I just love that. Yes, there is certainly some room for error in doing exactly as they say, but the simplicity and historical nod to using a river as your navigation point is awesome. Some construction was going on outside of the church, so we did have to do a bit of maneuvering to get there. Built in the early to mid 1700's the church has been standing for quite some time. I wasn't crazy about all of the white inside, it compromised the tranquil quality I expect churches to exude. The alter and ceiling arches were beautifully constructed, as was the church's exterior.

After the castle and some city exploring, we were famished. I, like a prepared traveler, ate breakfast that morning and was still starving as it was nearly dinner time. Tom had eaten nothing and was, for once, more insistent than I was to find food. We chose a pub along the city square and analyzed our menus.

I wanted to try a few different things and I thought, what sound better than a cup of soup and small tart? Perfect! That is not what I got... We ordered a garlic cheese bread to start, which turned out to be the size of a pizza. Then, my small cup of soup was actually a giant bowl, served with garlic bread. THEN, my lovely petite tart I thought I was receiving? It was bigger than the pizza Tom ordered. We went from very hungry to having more food than we could possibly eat in, all within the span of twenty minutes. At least we had delicious local beer and wine to wash it down! Be careful what you ask for, my mental image of menu items rarely match their reality.

My "tart". How is this a tart? I was picturing a small, delicate pastry.

In an attempt to offset our feast, we popped into a few souvenir shops throughout the town. As usual, we looked at clocks and other small treats before leaving each store empty handed. On our walk back through Heidelberg, we made a gelato pit stop where they had Snickers gelato. You would think it might be similar to the Snickers ice cream or even the ice cream bar back home, but no. I would go back to that shop just for that gelato.

Heidelberg was a somewhat spontaneous trip choice for us, I planned it a few days ahead at most. Between the fascinating castle tour and quaint town, Heidelberg was worthwhile and would be enjoyable even without much of an itinerary to follow. 

Germany has the Best Castles: Heidelberg

The most iconic castle in Germany is Neuschwanstein, hands down. Theme parks are centered around the design, and the view from the nearby bridge is world famous. However, Neuschwanstein construction began in 1869, while the building technology we have today was certainly not available, they definitely had the advantage over castles erected in the medieval era. A true age of castles, where the structure, durability, and location of your castle literally were life and death circumstances. Enter: Heidelberg.

The city of Heidelberg is, in light traffic, an hour from us. Our drive there was not ideal, Stuttgart has an excess of road construction in every direction at the moment so the ride was nearly two hours. As we approached our destination, we drove up steep and narrow roads without any clue where we were going to park. I assumed there might be a parking lot a la Neuschwanstein. Nope. We had to navigate our SUV into a small, partially on the sidewalk, space. Satisfied that we weren't completely blocking the sidewalk, we began the walk to the castle.

The foot path up was on an incline, but easy to navigate with stairs and railings. Beautiful houses and ample greenery lined the sidewalks.

We visited the information office to pick up our tickets for the English speaking tour, a very important specification at tourist sites! The day was lightly rainy, nothing significant but it certainly cast a gray hue behind the castle. We waited outside for the tour to begin.

I read up on the castle beforehand, so I knew it was old. The lower portion, or the castle remaining today, is first referenced in 1303, although exact dates are difficult to pin down in the early years. What I failed to realize was that there was no exaggeration behind the term of it being a ruin. Above you can see a main wall with literally nothing behind it. To be fair, the castle not only survived being struck by lightening, but also by numerous attacks and take overs. One such attack was made easier when one king, Frederick, tore down defensive cannons and walls to create a sprawling garden for his wife, Elizabeth. That is old school romance, he doesn't just give flowers, he gives a garden of them. Sadly, with lessened defenses, it was much easier for that side of the castle to be attacked. And it was.

Our tour guide was phenomenal. I know it is a requirement of a tour guide to present information and be knowledgeable about the history of the place they work, but the way our guide conveyed stories and pointed out specific details was humorous and astounding. At one point, as we were standing outside of the previous front entrance, he pointed out where the outhouses used to be (above us) and where the moat was at that time (where we are standing) and stated how moats were truly filled with excrement to deter attackers. Hundreds of years ago or not, I am convinced some of those germs were still etched into the bricks. Our guide drew our attention to the detail that went into the walls. Each brick was made by hand and transported to the building site, if the brick successfully survived being placed into the castle wall, only then was the brick maker paid. For that reason, the makers etched their initials or specified signature into their bricks, markers you can still see today.

The 221,000 liter wine barrel, or Tun, above was filled with required contributions of wine from surrounding villages. Due to the requirement, the wineries often sent their worst batches and the stuff was apparently putrid. Not putrid enough to be off putting though as it was consumed every night at dinner. A jester allegedly drank the entire thing one night after being locked in with the Tun. That may simply be an old wive's tale though... I would like to know where I can get a similar barrel for my own personal use.

View of Heidelberg below

A wedding was taking place that day and the couple was taking pictures just beyond this wall, I could catch a glimpse of them periodically. I can only imagine the expense incurred for such a one of a kind spot, but weddings are already expensive and you could literally say you were married in a castle.

Heidelberg has ties to the current Royal Family. The aforementioned Fredrick and Elizabeth are the distant great-grandparents (by that I mean great x10 or so) of the current Queen Elizabeth II of England. How cool is that?! I love when cities and countries are so deeply entrenched in history because it truly does all come full circle.