The Top 10 Attractions of Romantic Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

Heidelberg is a mid-size town, but its compact city centre and surroundings offers so much to the visitor.

The city has a rich and complex history, elegant and distinctive architecture, and is renowned through Germany and beyond for its vibrant student life - it is home to Germany’s oldest university.

It also boasts a magnificent setting, straddling the blue waters of the Neckar River - in itself a great attraction, with its banks dotted by hillside castles and vineyards.

If all this is not enough, Heidelberg’s celebrated Christmas market makes it a perfect winter getaway.

After humble beginnings as a Celtic settlement and a Roman castrum, Heidelberg flourished in the Middle Ages. First, it became the residence of the Palatinate Electors, then in 1381 the seat of Germany’s oldest university.

The Heidelberg Castle (Heidelberger Schloss), a majestic ruin perched atop a hill overlooking the city, stands as a testament to this era. In town, the University Library, with its prestigious collection of medieval manuscripts, shows the cultural importance of Heidelberg in those days.

In the following centuries, the struggle for religious freedom and political power between Lutherans and Catholics, and the vicissitudes of its ruling family, saw Heidelberg change hands a few times. The city was devastated during the Thirty Years’ War, and then was invaded by the French - Louis XIV claimed a dynastic right over it. It was during this invasion that the castle was blown up, becoming the majestic ruin we can visit today. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).