Heidelberg

Likes & Dislikes

Likes

Heidelberg - Krista photo

Heidelberg - Alte Brücke - Krista photo

1. The student city character, with cycling, textbook carrying, likable youngsters, the easy-going atmosphere of their cafes, bars, haunts

2. Clean, tidy, green, friendly city, one of my three favorite German cities

3. The Heidelberg Castle, with its spectacular red-colored walls

4. Walk across the Alte Brücke, which is a pedestrian bridge

5. Locals are friendly, helpful

6. Its natural environment (hills, forests, river), Germany's Oldest Botanic Garden

7. Not too small, not too big town - the right size

8. A lot of underground parking garage

9. Cafe Nerd - unique and high quality

10. Kornmarkt - our favourite square in Heidelberg

Dislikes

1. It was hard to walk on the cobbled streets of the old town in sandals (sports shoes required) - I'm the stupid

2. Boisterous and messy German school groups invaded the Old Town streets - we should have scheduled a visit on a weekday.

3. A very long wait in front of the castle toilet

4. Late Friday night, many local students were drunk, lost adequate self-control.

5. We felt stiff after hiking up to the Heiligenberg.

6. In the city center everything is expensive

Opinions

“There are few small towns in Europe where, alongside the hustle and bustle of modern life, the atmosphere of bygone ages can be felt just as intensely. In the historic old town of this university city, the visitor can lose any sense of time, and lose herself in that most gratifying tourist activity: sightseeing.

Oh, and here’s a tip: if you stand facing the bridge, on the left side by the castle walls you’ll see a statue of a monkey. It’s made of bronze, and its face is formed as though it’s wearing a mask. In one hand it holds a mirror, while the other hand is making a gesture to ward off evil – or else maybe he just loves rock music…

You can find the same romantic, old-town atmosphere even across the river, on the far bank of the Neckar. Wonderful villas are dotted around the slopes of the Michaelsberg, and at the end of these elegant lanes you’ll come to the Philosophers’ Walk, which in past centuries was a popular place for university professors to take a contemplative stroll.