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Exploring Heidelberg, Germany
Cobblestone streets flanked with
intricate Baroque architecture; market squares edged with outdoor
cafes; and picturesque castle ruins overlooking everything.
Heidelberg has it all.
(Questions about
Heidelberg?)
It
was just before 11:00 a.m. when the faint sound of
bells first drifted to my ears.
Forgetting the picture I'd been about to snap, I hurried to the stone wall at the edge of the castle garden and gazed down at the town below. A half dozen church steeples towered above the sea of orange-brown rooftops, and from their belfries rose a symphony of bells. Each one added its own sound to the mix--not simply chiming the hour but clanging loudly and furiously, as if a fanatical altar boy was at the end of each rope.
Heidelberg was every bit as captivating as I had imagined it would be.
I
had arrived in town the previous day with my friend Rich Miehle
for a two-day visit, having chosen Heidelberg as the first stop
on a two-week European excursion. Home to Germany's oldest
university (founded in 1386) and less than an hour south of
Frankfurt, Heidelberg seemed to have everything a romanticized
German town required: narrow, cobblestone streets flanked with
intricate Baroque architecture; market squares edged with outdoor
cafes; densely wooded mountains threaded with trails; and
picturesque castle ruins overlooking it all.
If
you like adventure
and you're enjoying this article,
you'll
love my book,
Two Wheels and a Map.
Mark Twain had fallen in love with Heidelberg, gushing over its splendor in A Tramp Abroad. What better endorsement was there than that of a world traveler like Twain?
What was more, Heidelberg had somehow avoided Allied bombs during World War II. It was not simply a collection of 20th-century reconstructions; this town was authentic.
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Saving exploration of the ruins for the next day, we pursued indoor activities, such as checking out the 600-year-old Church of the Holy Ghost.
Inside, protected from the ravages of weather, lay the 15th-century tomb of the church's founder, King Ruprecht I, and his wife, Elisabeth, their carved likenesses still distinct.
The rain provided a good excuse to try out a few mugs of German wheat beer in a small, smoky bar just off the pedestrian mall. Then we sat down to dinner in a dark, plain restaurant called Perkeo, named after an 18th-century dwarf who once served as both court jester and keeper of the royal wine keg. Perkeo, despite his size, was reportedly quite a prodigious drinker. According to legend, his death came about when he mistakenly drank a glass of water.
Church of the Holy Ghost
We retired soon after dinner, but rose early the next morning. Downing the complementary breakfast at the pension, we headed straight back to the Old Town under clearing skies. Because of the hour, and the fact that it was a Sunday, we had the city to ourselves.
Without the crowds to distract us, the beauty of the multicolored building facades was much more apparent. Tall and narrow, the old dwellings were packed closely together, windows overflowing with colorful flowers, roofs sprouting dormer windows.
Hotel zum Ritter
Some buildings shouted for our attention, like the intricate Hotel zum Ritter, built in 1592, with its Renaissance-era columns, curlicues and carved figures creating a dazzling display. Also interesting was the Giant's House, with its arched gateway and an inset, larger-than-life statue of the builder. Across the street stood an oversized statue of chemist and Heidelberg resident Robert Bunsen--immortalized in chemistry classes everywhere thanks to his famous burner.
Noticing a slow trickle of tourist traffic, we quickly made for the castle. Taking the trail marked "Uberburgweg" we plodded up a hill, paid the two-Mark entrance fee and stepped into the magnificent castle courtyard. Here Renaissance styles mingled with Baroque designs, testifying to the large span of years between additions.
One of the most striking structures is the Renaissance-era Ottheinrichsbau, built by Prince Elector Otto Heinrich in 1556. Its facade is a carnival of ornate pilasters, columns and statues, with two lone figures standing guard high above. Behind the facade, the top two levels of the building are missing; their windows open into thin air, revealing only sky beyond. The structure was intact until 1764 when a lightning-induced fire destroyed most of the castle.
Nearby, the Friedrichsbau, built in 1607, is equally elaborate, bursting with statues of the royal ancestors of Friedrich IV, who had it built.
We strolled through the sunny courtyard, gazing at the mingled architecture from different centuries and exploring quiet passageways lined with crumbling stone walls. In one building we paused to examine an enormous 58,000-gallon wine barrel. Constructed in 1751 from 130 oak trees, the barrel is reportedly the largest wooden barrel in the world ever to have been filled with wine. Unfortunately, it is filled no longer. We checked.
The keg is "guarded" by a statue of the famed Perkeo, a tribute to his years of service there--as well as to his party-animal status. I found it ironic that this court jester was more well known today than the king he served.
Walking alongside the moat, now dry, we entered the Gun Garden through a triumphal arch known as Elisabeth's Gate. It was supposedly built in a single night by Prince Elector Friedrich V in 1615 as a birthday present for his English princess, Elisabeth Stuart. The garden itself, a grassy, flowerless expanse, was bordered by a stone wall, beyond which lie a breathtaking view of the town. In awe I gazed out over its rooftops and tall church steeples, as the air reverberated with the sound of bells.
When Mark Twain visited Heidelberg in 1878 he looked down at this same scene and remarked: "I have never enjoyed a view which had such a serene and satisfying charm about it as this one gives." Nothing has changed.
After walking around the castle, Rich and I investigated the castle gardens, adorned with statues and fountains. Then we descended back to the town via a different route.
The streets of Heidelberg had filled up in our absence, and we congratulated ourselves for having outwitted the masses by getting up early. Hoping to avoid them again, we crossed the Karl-Theodor Bridge and ambled along the water's edge, stumbling upon a regatta festival and spending an enjoyable few hours drinking beer and munching bratwurst with some of Heidelberg's residents.
We eventually wandered back to the Church of the Holy Ghost and made the long, spiral climb to the top of its bell tower. An outdoor balcony let us walk around the structure, enjoying fantastic views in every direction. We could just make out the Alps in the hazy distance.
Garden alongside Philosopher's Road
One item remained on our list of things to do and that was stroll the famed Philosopher's Road, a woodland walking path traversing a hillside across the river.
We crossed the bridge and took the winding Snake Path up a series of stairs until it intersected the road. After a short walk the trees parted, revealing a breathtaking panorama as the entire town spread itself out like a canvas for our appraisal. We stared for a very long time.
Darkness was coming and we hadn't yet eaten so we returned to the town and found an outdoor table in the market square. Fortifying ourselves with yet more bratwurst and beer, we relaxed and let night overtake the town. Then, shrugging off the chill, we made our way onto the Old Bridge one last time. From its center unfolded the glorious sight of the castle bathed in a luminous orange light, glowing as it must have during the fire of 1764. In the darkness it seemed to float above the illuminated buildings of the town.
I thought of Mark Twain's reaction when he first viewed Heidelberg in the glow of twinkling gas lights.
Rathaus (City Hall)
"One thinks Heidelberg by day--with surroundings--is the last possibility of the beautiful; but when he sees Heidelberg by night...he requires time to consider upon the verdict."
Once again, nothing has changed.
This story appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer and in the Newark Star Ledger.
Questions about Heidelberg? | More Heidelberg info | Another visit to Germany