Chasing Summer –

I wasn’t very smart because the bus ride from Leipzig and Heidelberg was 7 hour long. I should have found something between the two to stop at. Anyway, it is done.

I had booked my hotel close to public transporation, lol. I’m quiet literally over the railway tracks. The bus stop was a three minute walk. I could not get any closer.

Heidleberg is all about the castle ruins and walking trails.

I spent the morning getting up the mountain to the panaromic lookout and historical funicular. The fresh air and green trees were amazing, and I had missed them more than I had realized. I wasn’t prepared to spend all day hiking, but I wished I was once I was up there.

There is a bus 39 that goes up the backside of the mountain on the hour from town, and hiking trails go in multiple paths from each bus stop.

I took the funicular down the mountain, and it goes part way on the historical train, and then I needed to switch to the modern funicular to get to the castle ruins. The historical one goes slower and has a conductor driving. The newer one is all automated.

The price of a one-way ticket from the panoramic top to the old city stop at the bottom is 10 euros, including entrance to the castle grounds, wine cellar, and pharmacy museums.

The Heidelberg Castle ruins, Schloss Heidelburg, sits above the city and was built and expanded between the 13th and 17th centuries. The Thirty Years’ War and the 1689 war with France destroyed most of the castle, and it was never rebuilt.

Inside the part that still stands is a two story, great cask in the cellar. It is made from 130 oak trees and can hold 58,500 gallons of wine. Holy crap that’s a lot of wine.

There were also 6 recreated apothecaries that I explored in the castle section.

Once done walking the castle grounds, I went down into the old town and wandered up and down most of the streets.

As with every old town, one of the main sights is the Marktplatz or Market Square. In the Market Square, I saw the old Town Hall, Rahaus, and the Church of the Holy Spirit, Heiliggeistkirche.

The main square used to be the spot for public trials, witch burnings, and heresy condemnations. Good times.

On the square is also Haus zum Ritter, which has the distinction of being the oldest standing residential building in the city. It was built in 1592 and survived the 1693 fire and destruction of the French War.

From the square it a short walk to Bruckentor, Bridge Gate, and the Old Bridge, Alte Brucke. The Bridge has some impressive statues on it and is a good place to take a picture of the castle above the town.

At the start of the bridge is a statue of a monkey holding a mirror. It is called Bruckenaffe. It reminds city dwellers and those across the river that neither group was more elite. Apparently, a statue has stood here since the 15th century, but the current monkey has only been there since 1979.

If I was the superstitious type then I need to touch the the sign of the horns and I’ll return to Heidleberg, touch the mirror then I will be wealthy (did it), but if I touch the mice next to the monkey, I’d have lots of children. I did not touch the mice!

At this point, it was lunchtime, and since I had skipped breakfast, I was starving, so I decided it was a good time to order the pig knuckle. It came with saurkraut and what I can only describe as a mashed potato stuffing ball. It is huge meal and even starved, I couldn’t quite finish it all.

After my stuffed meal, I waddled my way to the Jesuit Church, Jesuitenkirche. It was built in 1711.

One block away is the Old University and the New University. Beside the Old University is the Student Prison. As a teacher, I find this hilarious. The university was founded in 1386, and the students were particularly rowdy. By the 16th century, citizens were fed-up with student behavior, so the university set up their own prison to curb bad behavior.

Any one in education can probably guess that this didn’t solve the problem. It became a rite of passage and a badge of honor to spend some time in the prison. One could be sent there for drunken revelry, pig chases or other bad behavior. Studentenkarzer – Universität Heidelberg (uni-heidelberg.de)

The oldest church in Heidelberg is St. Peter’s Church, Peterskirche, was originally built in the 12th century. There were tonnes of young people hanging out around the church and dozens of bikes parked out front. I think it’s safe to say that it is a popular meeting point.

Of course the University Library is across the street so that may have been why there were so many people and bikes. Summer session perhaps.