The Germany travel series has officially started! As some of you may know, I came back a few weeks ago from a summer course and project in Germany. It has been such an enriching experience for my career as a teacher of French as a second language as it has allowed me to discover another education system that is very different from the one in Quebec.
Among other things, this project also allowed me to realize a big dream of mine: traveling to Germany. If you have read my post My Travel Bucket List, you probably know that Germany has always been a destination that I dreamed of. As a language enthusiast, what caught my attention in Germany at first was the language, German, which I find intriguing and unique. Thus, it was the first time I had the opportunity to practice the language with natives, and I even made some new friends!
What is great about Germany and Europe in general is how easy it is to travel to different cities and countries. Thereby, during the three weeks, I’ve been able to explore a few different cities in Germany. This post is about one of the cities that I’ve explored, and that I loved: Heidelberg. So come with me as I share with you how to spend a perfect day in this city and make the most of your next trip to Germany!
Los geht’s ! (let’s go in German)
FREEBIES !
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Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg is situated in southwest Germany in the Baden-Württemberg state. It is known for its magnificent castle, and the Heidelberg University, which was founded in 1386. This makes it the oldest university in Germany!
Heidelberg is easily accessible by train. The national railway company in Germany is the Deutsche Bahn and you can easily buy tickets on their app or website.
Regionalbahn (RB) and S-Bahn (S) are normally the cheapest options, but if you want the fastest option and don’t mind paying a bit more, there is also the high-speed train, which is called the Intercity Express (ICE).
I was departing from Freiburg and took a Regionalbahn (RB) and a S-Bahn (S). It took around 3 hours and cost 23,50 euros. With the ICE, it takes around half the time, but the price is doubled, so it depends on what you prefer!
If you are not familiar with the different types of transport in Germany, take a look at this post which explains well the different systems and the advantages and disadvantages of each of the options.
How to spend a day in Heidelberg
Visit the Altstadt (old town)
Heidelberg is quite a tourist city so I suggest you arrive not too late in the morning if you want to enjoy walking in the little streets before the crowds.
The first thing I suggest you do is to walk in the Altstadt (old town). The architecture of Heidelberg is absolutely beautiful, so take the time to walk around and admire the different buildings. The Hauptstraße (street) has a lot of nice boutiques, cafes, restaurants, bakeries, and cute stands.
Also on Hauptstraße, there is the Marketplatz (picture 5), where you will come across the Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit). This beautiful Evangelical church was built in the 14th century and has a clean and minimalist decor, which I thought was very beautiful.
Also, as a Swiftie, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that the church had organized church services that featured Taylor Swift songs. I thought…should I move here?
Eat a döner at Mahmouds’s
I was lucky to visit Heidelberg with a friend who had lived there for a few months (hi Robin !). Therefore, this was perfect to find the little gems when it comes to restaurants. One of the popular dishes in Germany is called a Döner. It is originally from Turkey, but it has become very popular across all of Germany. It consists of a kebab made wheter of lamb, beef, chicken, or vegetarian (falafel or grilled vegetables). It is made in a Turkish pita bread or in a flatbread (which I preferred), called Yufka.
I did not get the « excitement » related to the dish until I tried the one at Mahmoud’s in Heidelberg. The ingredients were so fresh and the grilled halloumi cheese mixed with the grilled vegetable was worthy of any vegetarian’s dream.
Unfortunately, I do not have any picture of it since it disappeared pretty quickly, but believe me when I say it should be part of your German experience!
Spend the afternoon at Heidelberg Castle
The main attraction in Heidelberg is without any doubt: the castle. Perched on the hill, you will see the castle when you arrive at Karlsplatz, not too far from Marketplatz. To get to the castle you can take the funicular railway or go on foot by taking the uphill path. It takes around 15 minutes to get to the castle and the route to get there is quite a hike, but it is totally worth it. It offers a beautiful view of the city and the Neckar River and, at some point, you are literally in the castle.
The fee to enter the castle grounds* is 9 euros or 4,50 euros for students (have a student ID). This gives you access to the Courtyard, the Great Tun, and the German apothecary museum. For more information to plan your visit and opening hours, click here.
*The castle was destroyed in the 17th century by the French army during the Nine Year’s War. It had also burned down in 1764 due to a lightning bolt, so what you can visit today is the castle ruins and the reconstruction of the Friedrich’s Wing (see picture 1 below) (schloss-heidelberg.de).
The site of the castle has a lot to offer with its ruins, gardens, museum, and viewpoints of the city, so I suggest you take the afternoon for the visit.
On the way down, make sure to pass by the Scheffelterrasse to get a perfect picture of the castle and the city in the background. Then, take the paved path to go down and you will be back in the old town (Altstadt), close to the Old Bridge.
Get the perfect picture on the Old Bridge
Then, to conclude the day, I suggest you go to the Old Bridge (Alte Brücke), which goes over the Neckar River. It is a beautiful pedestrian bridge from the 18th century that offers the perfect view of the castle.
Also, do not forget to touch the fingers and the mirror of the Brückenaffe, which is the monkey statue right next to the entrance of the bridge. The legend says that if you touch the mirror of the monkey, you will have prosperity, and if you touch its fingers, you will come back to Heidelberg ! (heidelberg-marketing-de)
Then, to end this perfect day, you can walk back around the Marktplatz for souvenirs in the little stands and enjoy a gelato in one of the many ice cream shops you can find along the way during summer.
This is it for How to Spend a Day in Heidelberg, Germany! I hope you enjoyed this first post of the Germany series, and that it made you want to add this beautiful city to your travel bucket list. Germany is full of beautiful little towns to discover and I can’t wait to share with you more of my experience in this beautiful country!
À bientôt !
Juliette
References
https://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/en/poi/holy-spirit-church
Simplement Juliette 