Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [353]
Two bridges link the Altstadt with the Neckar’s northern bank: at the western end, north of Bismarckplatz, is Theodor-Heuss-Brücke, while north of the Marktplatz is the Alte Brücke (also known as Karl-Theodor-Brücke).
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Information
Internet cafes are scattered on and around Hauptstrasse.
Ärztlicher Bereitschaftdienst ( 192 92; Alte Eppenheimer Strasse 35; 7pm or 8pm-7am, 24hr Sat & Sun) For medical care when most doctors’ offices are closed. Situated one block north of the Hauptbahnhof.
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut ( 607 30; www.dai-heidelberg.de; Sofienstrasse 12; library 1-6pm Mon-Fri, to 8pm Wed, 10am-2pm Sat) Has concerts, films, lectures and occasional exhibits.
HeidelbergCard (1/2/4 days €12.50/17/22, 2-day family card €30) Entitles you to unlimited public transport use, free admission to the Schloss and most museums, plus discounts on bike rental and tours.
Internet Lounge (per 5min/hr €0.50/6; 7am-midnight) Internet in the Hauptbahnhof.
Main post office (Hugo-Stotz-Strasse 14) To the right as you exit the Hauptbahnhof.
Post office (Sofienstrasse 8-10)
ReiseBank ( 7.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) In the Hauptbahnhof building; exchanges currency.
Tourist office ( 194 33; www.heidelberg-marketing.de; 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun & holidays Apr-Oct, 9am-6pm Mon-Sat Nov-Mar) Right outside the Hauptbahnhof. Out front is a hotel reservation board with a free telephone. Sells the HeidelbergCard.
Waschsalon (Kettengasse 17; per 7kg €8.50; 9am-5.30pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, 9am-1pm Wed & Sat) A laundry where you can DIY or pick up two hours later.
Wetzlar ( 241 65; Plöck 79-81) Specialises in foreign-language books.
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Sights
SCHLOSS
Sticking up above the Altstadt like a picture-book pop-up against a theatrical backdrop of wooded hills, the partly ruined, red sandstone Schloss ( 538 431; www.schloss-heidelberg.de; adult/concession €3/1.50, gardens free; 8am-5.30pm) is Heidelberg’s heart-stealer. Palatinate princes, stampeding Swedes, Protestant reformers, raging fires and lightning bolts – this Gothic-Renaissance fortress has seen the lot. Its tumultuous history, story-book looks and changing moods have inspired the pens of Mark Twain and Victor Hugo as well as Turner’s prolific paintbrush.
The Renaissance Schlosshof (courtyard) is so elaborate it often elicits gasps from visitors, as do the knockout views over Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley from the terrace. The only way to see the less-than-scintillating interior is by guided tour (adult/concession €4/2; 11.15am, 12.15pm, 2.15pm & 4.15pm daily, also 10.15am Sat & Sun, additional tours at 1.15pm & 3.15pm mid-Apr–mid-Oct). An audioguide costs €4.
Infinitely more fun than science lessons, the Deutsches Apothekenmuseum (German Pharmacy Museum; 258 80; admission incl in Schloss ticket; 10.15am-6pm Apr-Oct, 10am-5.30pm Nov-Mar), off the courtyard, explores chemistry and pharmacology in centuries past. Look out for the hands-on kids’ pharmacy (healthy tea anyone?) and miracle cures from opiates to, hmmm, unicorn. With a capacity of more than 220,000L, the 18th-century Grosses Fass (Great Vat) is the world’s largest wine cask, shaped from 130 oak trees. Describing it as being ‘as big as a cottage’, Mark Twain bemoaned its emptiness and mused on its possible functions as a dance floor and gigantic cream churn.
Behind the Schloss, the verdant Schlossgarten (castle garden) is great for a stroll. The Pulver Turm (Gunpowder Tower) was damaged by French forces in 1693.
To reach the castle you can either hoof it up the steep, cobbled Burgweg in about 10 minutes, or take the Bergbahn (funicular railway; www.bergbahn-heidelberg.de; adult/6-14yr one way €3/2, return €5/4; every 10min) from the Kornmarktstation.
KÖNIGSTUHL
For views over hill and dale, hop in one of the century-old rail cars trundling between the castle and the 550m-high Königstuhl. The return fare, with a stop at the Schloss, is adult €8 and child six to 14 years €6.
Children adore the kitschy cuteness of Märchenparadies