Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [354]
UNIVERSITY
Despite witty observations about boisterous student duels and drunkenness, Mark Twain points out that ‘idle students are not the rule’ in Heidelberg in his 1880 novel A Tramp Abroad. Indeed Germany’s oldest university, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität (www.uni-heidelberg.de), established in 1386 by Count Palatinate Ruprecht I, has plenty of gravitas with a student hall of fame starring composer Robert Schumann and chancellor Helmut Kohl. Today it comprises 18 faculties with 32,000 students from 80 nations.
The most historic facilities are on Universitätsplatz, dominated by the Neue Universität and the 18th-century Alte Universität, the old and new university buildings.
From 1778 to 1914, students convicted of misdeeds, such as womanising, inebriation or freeing the local pigs, were tossed into the Studentenkarzer (Student Jail; 543 554; Augustinergasse 2; adult/concession €3/2.50; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Tue-Sat Oct-Mar), behind the Alte Universität, where they were detained for at least three days and fed only bread and water. Delinquents doing more time could interrupt their sentence for critical reasons (say, to take exams). In certain circles, a stint in the Karzer was de rigueur to prove one’s manhood. Judging by the inventive graffiti and inscriptions, some found their stay highly entertaining.
A ticket to the Studentenkarzer also gets you into the richly wood-panelled Alte Aula (Old Assembly Hall; Grabengasse 1; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Tue-Sat Oct-Mar) and a ho-hum exhibition in German on the history of the university.
A block south, the Universitätsbibliothek (University Library; Plöck 107-109; admission free), built from 1901 to 1905, displays rare books and prints from its superb collections in the upstairs corner Ausstellungsraum (exhibition room; 10am-6pm).
Orchids, ferns and Madagascan succulents thrive in the verdant Botanischer Garten der Universität (University Botanical Garden; 545 783; Im Neuenheimer Feld 340; admission free; outdoor areas open all day, hothouses 9am-4pm Mon-Thu, 9am-2.30pm Fri, 9am-noon & 1-4pm Sun), part of the university’s largest campus area. Take tram 4 or 5 to reach the garden, around 1km north of the Hauptbahnhof.
JESUITENKIRCHE
Rising above an attractive square just east of Universitätsplatz, the baroque, red sandstone Jesuit church was once the focal point of Heidelberg’s Jewish quarter. The Schatzkammer (treasury; admission €3; 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 1-5pm Sun Jun-Oct, Sat & Sun Nov-May) displays precious religious artefacts.
MARKTPLATZ
Second only to the Schloss on the must-see list is the ochre-red Heiliggeistkirche (built 1398–1441) on the Marktplatz, an imposing Gothic church and a Protestant place of worship. See if you can spot the late-medieval markings on the facade, used to ensure that pretzels were of the requisite shape and size. For bird’s-eye snapshots of Heidelberg, climb to the top of the church spire (adult/student €1/0.50; 11am-5pm Mon-Sat, 1-5pm Sun mid-Mar–Oct, 11am-3pm Fri & Sat, 12.30-3pm Sun Nov–mid-Mar).
The trickling Hercules fountain in the centre of the Marktplatz is where petty criminals were chained and left to face the mob in the Middle Ages. Just south, the former royal pharmacy has been reincarnated as a, perhaps not quite as healthy, McDonald’s.
ALTE BRÜCKE
On the Altstadt side of the bridge, listen for the giggles and clacking cameras to pinpoint a statue of a brass monkey holding a mirror and surrounded by mice: touch the mirror for wealth, the outstretched fingers to ensure you return to Heidelberg and the mice for many children. Speaking of fertility, the Karl-Theodor-Statue on the bridge refers to the legend that the prince fathered almost 200 illegitimate children.
KURPFÄLZISCHES MUSEUM
Tucked behind a courtyard, the intriguing Kurpfälzisches Museum (Palatinate Museum;