Highway to Heidelberg: a Must-See Stop on the Way Through Germany
2022 European Adventure: Part 3 of 6
Heidelberg is red-roofed, green rolling hills, river running through it magical.
The next stop on my European Adventure is Heidelberg, Germany! I picked this place–I’ve been dying to go for ages. Actually, there are very few places in Germany that I don’t want to go. However, this one has been on my list since my Study Abroad program. And the reason I wanted so badly to visit Heidelberg is because of the beautiful castle looming above this town.
However, this post isn’t about the lovely castle at all (the next one, here, is entirely about the castle!), but about the other amazing things I found to do in this town.
The fact that I found other things to do in town is purely because I was traveling with my friends who are less castle-obsessed than I am (so sad for them), so I wanted to make sure that Heidelberg would be as interesting for them as it was going to be for me. Because a castle it usually all it takes for me. I did spend an entire weekend exploring the castle in Carcassonne and doing literally nothing else (read about it here). Carcassonne castle was exceptionally amazing however. I have learned that not all castles are that amazing. So, while I loved Heidelberg Castle, I was also glad to have other things on the agenda.
To pick up where we left off: Amsterdam. 6:00am. Train station.
The journey to Heidelberg was, all told, over six hours long. This is because we learned something very important about German train (and perhaps all trains in Europe, but I don’t have first hand experience so I don’t know). Anyway, here is the incredibly important thing we learned: Sometimes, German trains split.
And we learned this the hard way. Half of our train continued on to Heidelberg, and half went to Mannheim. Guess which half we were on?
The good news is that, right before it happened, the announcer said in English that the trains were about to split, so we grabbed our things and ran through the train cars. Finally, we went onto the platform (because if there is a lead train car, you can’t run through it) only to see the Heidelberg half in the distance. But at least we didn’t go to Mannheim!
We did spend an hour at the train station (with no bathroom, and really no station at all to speak of) until the next train arrived. At least it was only an hour. And now we know!
After our later than planned arrival, we spent our first afternoon in Heidelberg exploring the old town or Aldstadt. Heidelberg was busy and full of tourists, including a ton of bridal parties and bachelorette groups.
The first place we went was the Church of the Holy Spirit because I was dying to see a glimpse of the beautiful castle and the church has a tower that we could climb for one Euro.
Church of the Holy Spirit
This church in the Aldstadt is home to… Lego Martin Luther.
Martin Luther is famous for having published his 95 Theses and helping to kick off the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. He visited Heidelberg to defend his theses in what was called the Heidelberg Disputation. This church (as you may have guessed from the name) was originally a Catholic church. For a while, both Catholics and Protestants worshipped there, though today it is purely a Protestant church. Which explains why it features a Protestant idol. Though I have no idea why he is in Lego form.
After a brief stop to appreciate Lego Martin Luther, we hurried up the tower to get our first view of the red-roofs and the gorgeous Heidelberg Castle up on the hill.
Red stone among stark green hills, reigning above the town as though a lord or king still sits there–a chill ran down my spine.
I don’t know why I love castles so much. Perhaps its that they last so long. Perhaps its that they were built for important things, like defense (because palaces were not built for defense and I really couldn’t care less about those).
I think, if I had to take a guess, it’s because things happened there. Things happen in churches too, but usually baptisms and marriage. In castles, there was politics and trickery and betrayals and love and war. They hold prominent places in ballads and epics. They are the perfect fodder for the kind of stories I love. That’s why I write, because I love stories, and I love imaging and learning about the stories that castles hold in their stones, upon their walls, and within their rooms.
After gazing and dreaming and photographing (but not drooling!), we headed back into the Aldstadt with plans to go to the castle tomorrow.
The Student Prison
Yes, you did read that right.
This was the next stop on our whirlwind Heidelberg tour of the Aldstadt.
From the beginning, when Heidelberg University was founded in 1386 (it’s Germany’s oldest University), it exercised legal jurisdiction over its students, meaning that the students couldn’t be punished by the city authorities. Thus, the university sentenced students even when they committed infringements both on and off school property. Thus, the Student Prison, or Studentenkarzer.
Punishments were usually time in the school prison (anywhere from 24 hours to 4 weeks). Doing time became a badge of honor. From 1712 to 1914, the student prison occupied the top floor of a university building called Beadle’s House. (Before it had been a damp, underground room that was detrimental to students’ health).
The new place wasn’t so bad. The first two days students only got bread and water but after that they could have meals and beer brought to them. They couldn’t leave the building for any reason other than lectures, which they reached through a hallway. During this time it became popular for students to write and draw on the walls, first with soot from the fireplaces, but then they began bringing in paint. They also inserted photos into the walls.
I wished really badly while visiting this hot, cramped space that I could read German. The pictures were intriguing, but I wish I could read the stories and the jokes (and probably the swear words) painted across the wood. I’m sure there was a lot of the 18th century equivalent of “name was here,” (college students probably haven’t changed that much in three hundred years) but there had to be some good stuff in there too.
Even though we couldn’t read German (and I’m guessing you can’t either), it was great to spend some time looking at the drawings and the photos imbedded in the wall, and wondering what it would have been like. I have this idea of university during the 17th-19th centuries, and I don’t know if it is correct in any way, but it goes something like this: first, it was almost entirely men (I don’t know when women were first permitted to attend), and surely all white men (although boys is probably a better term). And they were all wealthy. So, I imagine they pretty much could get away with murder and just get a slap on their wrist. Perhaps that’s partially why the university was allowed to met out their punishments. I mean, this prison, while not lovely or homey, is not that bad. They still got to go to classes and drink beer and they were probably in here with pals. It seems like a boys club, fun and games and joking around.
After the Student Prison, it was edging toward evening, so we walked across the Old Bridge, lingering and strolling and people watching. It was warm, sun shining in our hair and lightening our spirits. We meandered onto the Neuenheim side of the Neckar River, and walked along the water for bit, enjoying the greenery and a quiet evening.
The next morning, we headed out into the town to be at the castle gates when it opened.
Heidelberg Castle
As I said, there is far too much to say about the castle, so I made it a separate post. Read all about Heidelberg Castle here!
Philosophenweg (Philosopher’s Walk)
After the castle and a much needed lunch in town (i kept everyone at the castle way past lunchtime!), we decided to head across the river to the Neuenheim part of Heidelberg and do a hike. We were craving green spaces. Besides, there are some fragments of history on the Neuenheim hill, and they can be reached from the Philosopher’s Walk.
The hike was named the Philosopher’s Walk because of all the students who would walk there.
When I was researching for this trip, I had some difficulty finding directions and information for how to find the Philosopher’s Walk, much less how to find all the cool historical ruins on the hill. Luckily, we were able to navigate with Google Translate and Apple Maps because Matt and I had service (I used an e-sim with Airalo). But I created this map to show the routes to the Philosophenwag and also the cool waypoints on the hill.
How to reach the Philosophenwag – Option 1:
Cross the Theodor-Heuss Bridge to Neuenheim (the opposite side of the river from Heidelberg). You can walk or take a taxi, but it’s easy to find the start of the Philosophenwag. After you cross the bridge, turn right onto Brückenkopfstrasse. Go one block, then left onto Bergstrasse. The next right (marked) is the Philosophenweg. You have to walk up neighborhood street, then you arrive at the beginning of the walk. Hundreds of paths emerge from there.
How to reach the Philosophenwag – Option 2:
Cross the Old Bridge and the street beyond (Neuenheimer Landstrasse). Take a quick left, then an immediate right on Schlangenweg. This is a steep climb with stone walls and cobbled paths, but it takes you straight to the Philosophenweg.
I choose to go to the Philosophenweg via option 1 because my hotel was closer to Theodor-Heuss Bridge, and it’s the less steep option. However, on my way back to Heidelberg, I took option 2 as the views were spectacular and it was easier to go down the super steep path.
If you have cell phone service, Apple Maps and Google Maps worked well for us.
Once we’d reached the Philosophenwag, we entered the different historical locations (see below) into my map. Then, when we were ready to leave, I entered the Heidelberg bridge in my maps and was guided down the option 2 way.
Also, if you aren’t trying to travel Europe on the cheap, you can ask a taxi to take you to the Philosophenwag. You can actually drive nearly all the way to the top of the hill, so you don’t have to hike to the monasteries if you don’t want to. Though I recommend it, because it was lovely.
It was humid (oh, was it humid. I am the wicked witch of the west in humidity–aka, there was some melting going on), but it was so green. The trees had dark trunks, almost black in the shadow of their canopy, and the leaves were a rich emerald. The air was cooler among the park (though even more humid).
The others walking were mostly students and families. We saw several people having picnics, or a little happy hour wine and cheese.
We strolled, leisurely, and made our way slowly to the cool sites on the hill.
All the Cool Things to See
Heathen Hole
German: Heidenloch
This is a hole about 2 meters in diameter and 56 meters deep. Theories say that it was meant to be a well and was dug for the monasteries nearby, but it was abandoned because it didn’t supply much water. However, local myths say that it was dug by pre-Christian pagans so they could listen to the Devil’s false prophecies. Many tools and weapons have been excavated from the hole dating to the 14th and 15th centuries.
No photos…it’s just a very deep hole.
Thingstätte
German: Thingstätte
A Nazi propaganda arena built in 1934-35 by the Reich Labor Service, it was used for only a few years.
The scope of this thing is part of what’s incredible. However, it is also so jarring to see it in this beautiful medieval style town. The green trees, the red roofs, even the castle–somehow these things exert the feeling of storybook magic and calmness. Even though castles were built for war, this one doesn’t hold that viciousness anymore. So, to have this giant arena built by the Nazi’s right across from this idyllic looking town felt so off-putting. It is definitely worth seeing, worth feeling that strange twist in your belly yourself.
St. Stephen’s Monastery
German: Klosterruine St. Stephen
Originally founded in 1090, the monastery grew over the years until it was dissolved in the 16th century. In 1885/86, stones from the monastery were used to build the observation tower.
Despite many stones missing, used in the tower, Julia and I picked out way through the remnants. We Google translated the German sign beside the road and walked through what historians guess to be the cloisters. I stepped through the same doorway, ran my fingers over the altar. There really isn’t anything known about this monastery at all, yet it’s footprints remain.
St. Michael’s Monastery
German: Klosterruine St. Michael
There was a monastery in this spot beginning in 870, but none of those original buildings remain today. Buildings from 1025 still stand today.
St. Michael’s Monastery is the largest of the two monasteries and closes at 7pm. We were not aware of this and arrived at 7pm. The master of the grounds let us run up and take a few pictures, but I was not able to do the ruins justice. I probably could have spent an hour or more exploring this much larger complex.
Ah well, now I’ve got something to look forward to for next time!
Heidelberg surprised me with it’s many pieces of history. The crowning jewel is the castle, but the supporting players have much to bring to the table. I look forward to returning one day to properly explore. Heidelberg, like Delft, feels like another place where I would just like to be for a while.
The Story Continues…
First stop: Detour to Delft: Charming Churches & Canals in a Picturesque Dutch Town
Second stop: Amsterdam for Introverts Like Me: How to Make the Most of a City known for Weed & Sex
This stop!
Fourth stop: The Red-Stone Ruins of Heidelberg Castle (the other post about Heidelberg)
Fifth stop: A Gem in the German Alps: Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Springtime
Last stop: High-Up in the Austrian Alps: 48 Hours in Innsbruck
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