Heidelberg: (Old) town, castle, river - and voilà : you have the perfect, very romantic postcard backdrop. Here are all my insider tips for hotels, restaurants, walks and shopping. Have fun!
There is a song called: I lost my heart in Heidelberg.
You'll probably be singing it at the top of your lungs as soon as you've visited the small town in Germany.
I have been living in Heidelberg for more than 20 years now ... who would have thought it: before that I had moved every year … Here my Insider Tips:
For me, Heidelberg was always just a tourist attraction that I didn't particularly like.
Heidelberg - picture postcard scenery
And of course it has that postcard image, but I've really learned to love it in the meantime. As long as you avoid the morning coach hordes in the old town, the ambience is more like that of a cosy small town. However, plus the castle festival against a grandiose backdrop, wooded mountains where you're almost alone after a 10-minute walk, the gently meandering Neckar (excellent for canoeing in summer), the sandstone-coloured silhouette of the churches and cosy districts like Weststadt, Handschuhsheim or Neuenheim.
Not to mention the famous Christmas market!
Click on the first picture to start the photo gallery:
SLEEP:
Ok ... I have to admit that I have never slept in a hotel in Heidelberg. So far, I've only had a closer look at the boutique hotel Heidelberg Suites when I was looking for a film location. It's super chic, but unfortunately also super expensive ...
2021 the Hotel Königsstuhl has been completely renovated. It is on top of the mountain and offers a splendid view …
EAT:
The CANTINACCIA serves super tasty Italian food, which unfortunately isn't exactly cheap ...
When the weather is nice, the beer garden at Bierhelder Hof is unbeatable. It's only three quarters of an hour's walk from the city, and then you're in another world!
If you want to let the world pass you by in the middle of the old town, Cafe La Fée is the place to go for a coffee or a glass of wine.
And for a quaint atmosphere, good tapas and a huge selection of wines, I can highly recommend the Goldener Anker.
Meat lovers - of which I am not one, but I'm told there are some - will find the rustic atmosphere, the home-style meat mountains and the home-brewed beer at Brauhaus Vetter quite good. There is something similar only a few hundred metres away at the Kulturbrauerei, both in the old town.
SHOP:
At Holgersons, unfortunately, I never leave the shop without taking a bracelet, a mug, a cushion, a candlestick ... with me. The things in the two shops in Sofienstrasse and Märzgasse are simply far too cute.
In Plöck (running parallel to the pedestrian zone), just around the corner from Märzgasse, is the gallery "heidelberg-Images", where you can buy historical and current photos of Heidelberg. You won't find more beautiful pictures of Heidelberg in all seasons anywhere else!
EXPERIENCE:
An unreservedly recommendable hike that is beautiful at any time of year is along the Philosophenweg to the Abbey Stift Neuburg . To do so, simply continue straight along the famous Philosophenweg with magnificent views of the castle and the Neckar River until you see "Stiftsmühle" written on the path stones on the right. When you reach the monastery, you can fortify yourself with coffee and cake for the way back, or simply take the bus down the street (the current timetable is posted in the café).