Sightseeing in Heidelberg - what to see. Complete travel guide

Heidelberg is one of the oldest cities in Germany. It is also famous as the place where archaeologists discovered the Heidelberg Man, the eldest archaic human in Europe. This finding makes it possible to assume that Europe started growing and developing from this region. In modern days, numerous tourists visit Heidelberg in order to see old castles and fortresses. Opposite to other German cities, Heidelberg has retained its major landmarks. They survived even bloody battles of World War II. Despite the honorable age of the city, Heidelberg has a youthful and lively atmosphere because of thousands of students that study here.

First mentions of Heidelberg in documents date back to 1196. These are the archives in Schonau Abbey, although, people lived in this region already in the 6th century. At that time, there was a fortress that had the same name as the city. Pfalz counts liked the area and decided to build a residence here. During the Thirty Years’ War, Count Tilly captured the city and became the owner of the famous Bibliotheca Palatina (Palatinate Library). Later, he gave it to the Pope as a present. The French attacked the city in the 80s of the 17th century. They completely plundered Heidelberg.

In 1720, another important event happened in Heidelberg. Because of Protestant inhabitants of Heidelberg, the Roman Catholic Prince Charles III Philip had to move his residence to another German city, Mannheim. After this event, Heidelberg lost its former political power. At the beginning of the 19th century, the ruling deputies decided to merge the regions. Heidelberg became a part of the Grand Duchy of Baden. The first railroad appeared here in the 40s of the 19th century. It connected the old German town to Mannheim. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Heidelberg Castle is the main landmark of Heidelberg and the first attraction that tourists usually visit. This is a gorgeous building that was the symbol of German romantics. The castle stands on the Königstuhl hill. The height of the fabulous building is eighty meters. In different years, such famous people as Friedrich V and Princess Elisabeth Charlotte lived in the castle. Unfortunately, the castle is now in ruins. It suffered much damage in the 17th century, during the attacks of the French troops who tried to destroy the castle.

Heidelberg’s authorities tried to restore the castle several times, but they didn’t succeed in doing that due to lack of financing. The castle remained unfinished until the 19th century. When Count Charles de Graimberg from France visited the castle, he was so impressed by the beauty and size of the castle that he decided to dedicate his life to taking care of the building and saving it from complete demolishing. Nowadays, tourists can walk among the ruins and explore the castle.

Do you want to visit a very unusual museum? In this case, you need to visit the Bonsai Zentrum Heidelberg. This interesting establishment opened in the 80s of the previous century. The bonsai museum in Heidelberg became the first museum of this kind in the world. Currently, there are approximately one hundred tiny bonsai trees here. The trees have unusual shapes and unique curves. Some trees are younger and some are very old – their age exceeds one hundred years.

Young guests of the city will find it interesting to visit a fairytale park with all kinds of entertainment for kids. This is a true paradise for children of all ages because the venue has everything for never-ending fun and excitement. Your young adventurer can take a ride on the children’s railroad and try various slides and merry-go-rounds. Fans of vehicles will find it interesting to drive a cart. A big number of amusements simply can leave neither kids nor adults bored.

If your little one likes fairytales, don’t forget to take him/her to a pavilion with scenes from many popular stories. There are huts, castles, and dense forests where kids can meet Little Longnose, Baron Munchausen, and even beautiful and kind Snow White. Every morning, at 10 am, the park opens its doors in front of boys and girls and stays open until 6 pm.

To get to Heidelberg, simply drive on highways A5 or A656 that start in Mannheim. However, tourists usually take on a train to reach this city. This is the most popular intercity transport. There is a network of trains that connects all parts of Germany, so every traveler can easily find the most suitable route. Currently, Rhein-Neckar trains go to Heidelberg, as well as long-distance trains from Zurich, Stuttgart, Salzburg, and Karlsruhe.