# Heidelberg - Nightsky’s trip to central Germany



## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*Heidelberg is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in Germany withs its natural setting between the River Neckar and green mountains on both sides of the beautiful city center, that has many wellpreserved historic buildings, the famous castle, elegant stores and impressive churches.*

I visited Heidelberg as part of my Frankfurt visit. I dropped off the train in Darmstadt on my way to Heidelberg.

Unfortunately the sky was very grey during my visit, but I still I think it must be the most beautiful city in the whole Germany, at least among the ones I have visited. I visited most parts of the old town, and the more modern side of central Heidelberg and I walked up the hill to the castle. Heidelberg has a more relaxed student city feel to it, unfortunately it has become a bit too touristy in some parts, with souvenir shops built in the church for example. As a true student city you can feel that the bikers are absolutately crazy in Heidelberg!

Altstadt (Old Town):

Heidelberg's old town is among the most well preserved ones in Heidelberg. Here you can find the university, Heiliggeist kirche, old lanes and a nice 
pedestrian street, Hauptstrasse, with historic buildings and elegant shops. The nice Marktplatz is also here. Next to Alstadt, the beautiful river Neckar 
flows with its famous old bridge and above it is the green mountain where the Heidelberg castle lies.









Hauptstrasse, the main shopping street of Heidelberg, it Europe's longest car free zone (1.6km). The picture shows the west-east direciton.




























Providenzkirche.



































































































Peterskirche (St Peter's Church) is the oldest church in the Old Town. It was built 1485-96 in neo gothic style.













































The old university building. Heidelberg's university is Germany's oldest and was founded in 1386.


















Jesuitenkirche. This Baroque Jesuit church was completed in 1723.































































Heidelberg Castle. See more pictures, click on the castle section, that will be posted later.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Marktplatz, the market place square in the heart of Heidelberg's old town. Here you can find the Town Hall, the Church of the Holy Spirit, old buildings, restaurants, 
pubs and statues.










Heiliggeistkirche, Church of the Holy Spirit, is the tallest and most famous church in Heidelberg.









Note how commercial they have turned the church with all the souvenir shops!



























Rathaus, the Town Hall of Heidelberg is the building to the right. A lot of open air restaurants and cafës at Marktplatz.



























Markplatz seen from Hauptstrasse with the mountains in the background.




































Kornmarkt with Heidelberg Schloss in the background.













































A shop dedicated to Christmas, in the middle of April!




































Karlstor is the square i the east end of the city center, next to River Neckar. It is surrounded by heavy traffic.










The photos with more comments can be found at:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Heidelberg_Altstadt.html

More to come…


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

this city is indeed a beautiful one..
I'd been there once and I fell in love with it.
climbing up the old castle was tiring but really rewarding
as you can see the panoramic view of the city.


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## juliaroberts (May 14, 2010)

wahoo , really good 7


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Really very nice photos from Heidelberg, Nightsky


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Brilliant shots of this lovely city! I'm very interested in that castle structure up on the hill above the city.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Let’s continue with the castle then. Just wait 10 minutes.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Heidelberg Castle - and its views

The ruins of Heidelberg Castle lies on a green hill above downtown. It is among the most important Renaissence structures North of the Alps.It was demolished in the 17th-18th centuries, but has only partly been rebuilt. It is located 80m up the Königstuhl hillside. Königstuhl is 567m high! The first castle was built in 1214. Unfortunately all the castles on the site have been destroyed by several lighting bolts, wars and fires, but large parts of the 
ruins remain today. I didn't have time to go inside, but I walked at the foundations and enjoyed the views of the city.









Close up of the castle (schloss), above Altstadt.




































Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) in Altstadt seen from the castle.


























































































The vaults of the castle.


















The way up and down is very steep. The feet were really aching when reaching the top!


The photos with more comments can be found at:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Heidelberg_castle.html

More to come…


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## kato2k8 (May 4, 2008)

Small note on the Karlstor gate (for the comment at your link) - the trams never went through it, but around it. Originally on both sides as a loop, later on (after the continuing tram line to Neckargemünd was demolished in the 60s) only on one side in a rather quirky S-curve terminus.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

^Are you sure? Look at this photo:


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## Chadoh25 (Dec 28, 2007)

WOW! I'm speechless! Amazing!


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## kato2k8 (May 4, 2008)

Nightsky said:


> ^Are you sure? Look at this photo


That's the old horse tram in 1895, which was demolished in 1901 or so 

The electric tram at first went through it, iirc till about 1926, possibly 1936 (line opened in 1910). There was a complicated loop at that point which went through the Karlstor with a single track, and had a second track looping around it.

Gotta retract the "never" therefore, and replace with "not in a very long time" :lol:


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Yes, the photo is very old.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Central Heidelberg, outside Altstadt:

This part is about the part of central Heidelberg that lies between the railway station and the old town, and thus is a bit modern and large scale then the 
old town. Bismarckplatz is where the long pedestrian street Hauptstrasse and Altstadt begins.









Hauptbahnhof, main railway station. Pretty ugly compared to most other Heidelberg's buildings. Note the crowd of bikes!


















Print Media Academy, Heidelberg's most famous modern building, was built in year 2000 together with the famous sculpture that stands in contrast to the geometric 
shapes of the building. The atrium is visible through the transparent glass exterior.









The futuristic atrium of Pring Academy, a woman was running towards me and said "no photos" at the same time as I took this picture. Luckily she was too late!









The "S-printing horse" in front of the PMA is 13 m tall. The sculpture has many symbols, like pointing towards the relationship between thinking and printing.



























The nice modern fountain at Bismarckplatz, looking towards the mountains.






















































Bismarckplatz is a major transportation hub for trams and buses, as well as home of 2 large department stores: Galeria Kaufhof with its panorama elevator, and Woolworths.










Views from the panorama elevator of Galeria Kaufhof:



































Print Media Academy again.


The photos with more comments can be found at:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Heidelberg_central.html

More to come…


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## kato2k8 (May 4, 2008)

Mmm, most of what you have as _Bismarckplatz_ is actually _Adenauerplatz_, formerly _Seegarten_. Bismarckplatz is only that square with the large tram station.

Oh, and that pedestrian tunnel is one of only two remaining in central Heidelberg - the other one is at Karlstor. There used to also be one at Bismarckplatz, but that one was closed in the 80s. 

PMA being the third-tallest... hm, would have pegged it as fourth. Tallest is the MLP building in Emmertsgrund, second the Mengler-Bau downtown (in the 14th pic), third the SRH Science Tower in Wieblingen.


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## [email protected] (Jan 17, 2004)

Nice photos of my former hometown


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

@katok2k8: I changed the details on my website.


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Great pics, I found it an interesting place though you wernt mising anything by not going inside the castle (the view being the best thing about it). Seemed a very touristy place but with the exception of the castle not much actually for tourists other than to admire its built form.


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## kato2k8 (May 4, 2008)

Depends on "where inside the castle". The standard stuff is just the Great Barrel and the German Pharmacy Museum.

The guided tours of the castle can be worth it though. Especially the ones where you visit the old casemates and everything.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

I only spent a half day in Heidelberg, so it was almost time to get home when I reached the castle.


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