Category
Landmarks in Heidelberg
Few German cities offer a historic panorama as complete as Heidelberg's: the castle ruin above the red rooftops, the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge) spanning the Neckar river, and the church towers of the Altstadt (Old Town). These landmarks inspired the poets of German Romanticism, and they still define every postcard shot of the city.
Castle, bridge and Old Town as one ensemble
Heidelberg Castle sits roughly 260 feet above the Old Town, and its half ruined, half preserved Renaissance architecture makes it probably the most famous ruin view in Germany. At the foot of the hill, the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge, officially the Karl-Theodor-Brücke) crosses the Neckar with its unmistakable twin-towered bridge gate. Between the two lies the compact Altstadt with the Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) at its center.
When to see the landmarks at their best
The ensemble looks finest from the Philosophenweg (Philosophers' Walk) on the opposite bank of the Neckar, especially in the late afternoon, when the sun lights the castle from the west. Come early in the morning and you will have the Old Bridge and the Marktplatz (Market Square) almost to yourself. On several summer evenings the castle is lit up for the Schlossbeleuchtung, the castle illumination, complete with fireworks.
Sights in this category (4)
The Heidelberg Castle
The development of the castle complex into a medieval ancestral seat certainly began with the award of the electoral dignity to Rudolf II in 1329. (1306 - 1353), the first Palatine elector. Already Ruprecht I. (1309 - 1390), who also founded the University of Heidelberg, ordered various enlargements of the residential buildings and a considerable strengthening of the fortifications.
Old Bridge Heidelberg
At the place where the Karl-Theodor-Bridge has been located for many years now, there were already eight previous bridges. The bridges that stood before it on the spot were made of wood and were destroyed again and again by wars or ice aisles on the Neckar. Therefore, the Elector Karl Theodor ordered the construction of the stone bridge, which stretched from 1786 to 1788. At that time, the bridge was the most expensive building in the Electoral Palatinate after the Mannheim Castle and demanded a special tax from the citizens to make the construction possible.
Church of the Holy Spirit Heidelberg: the church on the market square
With its red sandstone, the Church of the Holy Spirit dominates the market square of Heidelberg's Old Town. A late Gothic hall church, former burial site of the Palatine electors, once home to the famous Bibliotheca Palatina and today one of the most visited churches in southern Germany.
Hauptstraße Heidelberg
One of Europe's longest pedestrian zones – Heidelberg's Hauptstraße runs 1.8 km through the Old Town, lined with historic buildings, boutiques, cafés and landmarks from the Church of the Holy Spirit to the Hotel zum Ritter.
Keep exploring Heidelberg
Every sight in this category has its own page with history, directions and practical tips. The background stories behind them are collected under Heidelberg facts.