GROW WITH SARAH GRACE

While cities like Berlin and Munich might sound the most appealing when visiting such a culturally strong country like Germany, let me convince you to consider Heidelberg as your next destination instead. Heidelberg is located on the West side of Germany and is an easy three-hour drive from a bordering country, Luxembourg, and a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Metz, France. 

Recently, my family took the drive from Luxembourg to Heidelberg in a rental car. It’s a great way to see some of the countryside and experience driving in a foreign country. If it’s possible for you, I would suggest driving as it’s easier to get around on your own schedule but if you can’t drive, trains are a great mode of transportation throughout Europe. 

My family and I stayed at the Hilton Heidelberg and it was a great location to be just outside of the chaos but close enough to walk to the action. Since we had three German cities to see in a matter of 3 ½ days, we only had one day in Heidelberg. After visiting thee cities of Cologne and Frankfurt, I think I can speak for my family and myself when I say that we wished we stayed just a little longer in Heidelberg compared to the others.

When you imagine a European city, Heidelberg fits the bill as the most picturesque city in Germany, or at least of what I’ve seen so far. Surrounded by hills, this quaint city is full of gorgeous architecture, drool-worthy food and plenty to do. Here is a list of some activities you can accomplish if you find yourself in Heidelberg, Germany for a day.

Hauptstraße Street 

Just a 12-minute walk from the Hilton, you’ll hit a main street called Hauptstraße full of chain stores like TK.Maxx (for some reason unbeknownst to me, they changed the J to a K in Europe and the United Kingdom) and Foot Locker among others. Nestled in between these mainstream stores are thrift stores and bookshops like Antiquariat Hatry. To enjoy some warm, soft pretzels, you’ll find Ditsch at the beginning of the street. Along the way, you’ll find many side streets and alleyways full of local businesses and beautiful sights for the perfect photo and adventures. 

Old Town and Church of the Holy Spirit

Once you walk around 10-15 minutes on this street, you’ll start finding more and more consistently gorgeous buildings and architecture. This is where Old Town, which was built around the 13th Century, begins. It’s a slow transition, one minute you’re looking at a modern Kebab shop and the next you are looking up at a marvelous Church.

The Church of the Holy Spirit sits in the middle of Old Town and welcomes visitors for free. The Church was built between the years of 1398 and 1515. The outside design is a unique mix of Gothic and Baroque architecture. The original purpose of this structure was for a burial place for the electors of the Palatinate but after the Nine Years’ War from 1688-1697, many of those crypts were demolished. Inside, you’ll find brick beams supporting a white structure with stained glass windows and lines of chairs facing a traditional altar.  

Old Gate & Bridge 

When you are facing the Church of the Holy Spirit’s entrance from outside, if you turn left and walk towards the water you will find the Neckar River. There, you’ll see a bridge that outreaches toward the residential-looking side of Heidelberg. This structure is called the “Old Gate & Bridge” and since the 13th Century, there have been nine bridges that have spanned this river. The current one is made of Neckar sandstone and was built in 1788 by Elector Charles Theodore. 

Standing tall at the entrance of the bridge are two white pillars sandwiching a brick archway. This is called the Old Gate and along with it comes a statue of a monkey holding a mirror. The original motive of the tower was to induce fright and respect in those coming into the town. The “Bridge Monkey” statue was placed there to represent mockery but as the legend goes if you rub his fingers, you will return to Heidelberg, if you rub the mirror, it will bring you money and if you rub the little bronze mice nearby, it will bring you fertility.

Funicular Railway (Heidelberger Bergbahnen) 

When you’re done exploring the “lower level” of the city, it’s time to take the funicular railway up the mountain. Here, you’ll find some amazing views and get a closer look at the palace that sits on the hill (“Alexa play ‘Castle on The Hill’ by Ed Sheeran”). The funicular is called Heidelberger Bergbahnen and the tickets range from 7-10 euros depending on what you want to see. The station that will get you everywhere is located in the back of the city and is called “Kornmarkt” and this is where you can get tickets in person if you don’t want to get them online. 

Once at the ticket counter or kiosk, you will have two options: one ticket will take you to the top and another will take you only halfway. The biggest differences between these options are the price and that if you want to go all the way to the top, you will have to exit at a stop, take stairs and enter another cable car to go the rest of the way.

Essentially, in simple terms, if you want to see just the palace and a smaller viewpoint (stations: Schloss and Molkenkur), you can pay 9 euros but if you want to go all the way to the top to see even more beyond Heidelberg (stations: the ones named above and Königstuhl), you can pay 10 euros. 

When my brother, father and I did this, we opted for just the lower part and we were satisfied. Once you have your ticket, the cable cars come around every 10-15 minutes but to be honest, we were never waiting for that long. We decided to take the railway to Molkenkur and then go down to the palace at Schloss. At Molkenkur, we could see the city and a little bit beyond the city. Although this was a gorgeous view and it came with the package, I feel that the Schloss station was better.

Heidelberg Palace

At the Schloss stop, you’ll find the Heidelberg Palace just outside of the station. This structure sits on the hill overlooking the gorgeous city of Heidelberg. You can pay to see the courtyard or even get a tour of the palace but we did not partake in this and we were still entertained. I will say, inside the palace is the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel” among other amazing once-in-a-lifetime sights so if you have the time, I would pay for a tour.

Once you exit the railway station, you’ll walk towards the palace and almost immediately you’ll find a look-out area. Although this one offers some remarkable views of the dark, burnt orange colored roofs of the buildings below, in my opinion, the views from the “Schlossgarten” or palace gardens are far more striking. It not only displayed the colorful roofs of the buildings below but also allowed you to see the palace overlooking the view as well. 

Aside from awe-inspiring views, the palace is a great place to admire ancient architecture and ruins. You can walk along the structure without paying a fee and it’s worth seeing all the nooks and crannies it has to offer. The original palace was built as early as 1214 but in 1537, the upper part of the castle was destroyed by a lightning bolt. Ironically enough, after some refurbishing in 1650, another lighting bolt destroyed parts of the palace in 1764.  

As a whole, Heidelberg has a lot to offer other than what I was able to do during my short visit. Truly, I know I said it before but if I had the chance, I’d spend another day or two in this city to enjoy some great restaurants and more activities. The moral of the story is that Heidelberg is worth the visit and if you only have a day to spare, you’ll still fall in love with the city like I did.