Walking Tour Heidelberg Germany: Top Sights
Heidelberg’s Old Town is truly a gem. My idea of self guided walking tour of Heidelberg Old Town paid off well with great memories. Wandering through its narrow streets, I felt like I had stepped back in time to a medieval era. The historic buildings exude an undeniable charm, each one telling a story of centuries gone by. The atmosphere is alive with a vibrant energy, filled with the laughter of students.
One of the highlights of the Old Town is the magnificent Heiliggeistkirche, or Church of the Holy Spirit. Its impressive presence commands attention. And then there’s the Alte Brücke, the famous Old Bridge that gracefully spans the Neckar River. Walking across it, I was treated to breathtaking views of the river and the picturesque scenery surrounding it.
The Old Town’s architecture is a true feast for the eyes. The Baroque facades of the buildings are adorned with ornate details, showcasing the craftsmanship of a bygone era. The vibrant market square bustles with activities. Locals and visitors indulge in the delights of the market stalls, offering everything from fresh produce to artisan crafts. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and mouthwatering aromas wafted from the numerous shops, cafes, and restaurants that line the streets, tempting me to stop and savor the flavors of Heidelberg.
Heidelberg Man – have you heard of him? No, he is not any famous personality of recent times. An early man, his upper jaw structure was found here in Heidelberg which is an evidence of early life here.
Today Heildelberg is known for its university atmosphere with young crowds all over.
Geographical Location of Heidelberg
Heidelberg is in the Rhine Rift Valley. The town sits cosily in the steep valley in the Odenwald, bordered on either side by the Königsstuhl (568 m) and the Gaisberg (375 m) mountains. The town is on the left bank of the lower part of the Neckar River flowing in an east–west direction.
Picture of Neckar River from the bridge Heidelberg
So much of nature’s beauty all around that you loose all track of time by just gazing at them. A great photo opportunity if you are a sunset lover!
Bridge Gate Heidelberg
Heidelberg Town Walking Tour
I was at Heidelberg last year, my final stop before taking my flight from Frankfurt to Bangalore. We had 3 to 4 hours to explore Heidelberg town, not much could be done, just got the feel of the atmosphere there.
Walking through the streets I hunted for sights to capture in my lens but least expected to see this colorful stool! This stool displayed outside a shop, it was chained to the door of the shop.
It was so beautiful, many passersby stopped to give it a second look. I had to simply take a picture of it and bring it back with me. Had the owner of the stool charged for taking pictures he could have made a neat amount.
The most sought after and visited site is the Heidelberg Castle, we had time either to ‘take a cab and visit just the castle’ or ‘do a walking tour of the old town’.
The castle has seen and experienced the wrath of wars and nature’s fury. Yet the ruins look amazing and I read it is good place for destination weddings. Pity, I missed the perfect views of the city from the castle, the sight of the river and the bridge over which I was standing.
My Ds were cooperative and we set off on self guided walking tour (moreover we weren’t sure of the timings of guided tours there). There is no way you can get lost in Heidelberg old town.
Facade of Hotel Ritter, don’t miss it while taking a walk there. This picture is just a portion of the larger beautiful, detailed facade.
Facade of Hotel Ritter Heidelberg
Heidelberg self guided walking tour
The walk was refreshing; some of the facades are mind blowing! The Medersches Haus (house of the Meder family) is of baroque style and is one of the most beautiful town houses of Heidelberg. It was constructed in 1721.
Heidelberg is one of those few cities in the world to have been honored with many poems and songs. Lonely Planet mentions: Mark Twain began his European travels in 1878 with a three month stay in Heidelberg, recounting his observations in “A Tramp Abroad”.
I would love to spend more time here if luck permits!
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This is a fantastic job within such a short time. I feel nervous to cover something within 3-4 hours. I hope at this place there is nothing like traffic jam as in london. Once I was about to miss the flight on the way to Hithrow from gatwick.
Looks like an amazing city.
The description and the pictures made me plan a trip to Heildelberg.
Hotel Ritter is fascinating to look at…though the colorful stool.. is the unconventional hero for me.
Lovely place , Europe has many such great places. This one is too. Great photos with post. Liked them a lot.
Looks like it has been taken out of a fairy tale
terrific captures of Germany Indrani !!!
The colourful stool is oh so pretty. What a captivating click.
Thanks for sharing info about a time-honored city. Like the pictures; they're lovely.
i have always admired that red colored Heidelburg castle. I would love to visit the place someday. The colorful stool is a cool idea!
Nice lace. You have captured it well.
Great shots – thanks for sharing them with us. I have never been there, but looks like a great place to visit.
Thanks for stopping by and nice comment.
That is superb Indrani, the building of learning and the little stool, fantastic.
Such a pretty town and I so love the stool !
What a great old city.
Looks like a wonderful place!
Thanks to you I get to know so many places and see pictures of them that i would have missed.
How meticulous you are in collecting the details, taking pictures and your memoryfor small details.You amaze me
Thanks for the walk through Heidelberg! What an interesting and picturesque city.
Oh WOW! I would love to visit Heidelberg! I really like the Hotel Ritter. 🙂
Amazing post & photos , Thanks for sharing.
Feels like I'm transported back in time looking at your pictures of the beautiful architecture. No, I haven't visited – but just the kind of stuff one imagines from all I have read. The stool is so pretty and so creative!
Heidelberg is a very romantic location! Nice captures and I can see that you had a good couple of hours! Perfect!
So appreciated!
ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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Yeah, the place is beautiful and seems like a hidden treasure!
im loving the stool to!!!
it looks like a nice sity..but then every town and city in europe is pretty right 🙂
http://www.myunfinishedlife.com/
Wow.. it's just beautiful. It amazes me how many incredible places there are to see.. and just how many of them you see. And of course we get to see them through your eyes. Thank you for that.
Wonderful pictures , but the stool looks special .
Nice views of Heidelberg, so interesting!
So pretty!
Amazingly beautiful! A virtual tour through your photos.
Wow, you have been to some amazing photos. Thanks for the tour of Heidelberg. It is a neat looking town. And I love the cool stool, very colorful and artsy. Thanks for sharing your world. Have a happy day!
What an awesome looking city. I must visit one day! Lovely shots.
The Filipino national hero stayed in Germany (in Heidelberg) and penned the poem, TO THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG (http://allpoetry.com/poem/8606443-To_the_Flowers_of_Heidelberg-by-Jose_Rizal)
A beautiful place and simply loved that stool… so attractive 🙂
Great shots of a beautiful city. I love the stool.
Thanks for sharing these beautiful city with us. I taught at Heidelberg College in Ohio here in the U.S., but I never made it to Heidelberg, Germany.
Heidelberg, this beautiful, historic city.
Your post is wonderful.
Regards.
Lucia
beautiful architecture!
A beautiful city, and thank you for introducing it to me through this very interesting post. The photos were very enjoyable too.
What an amazing old city and your captures are terrific as always, Indrani! Love that colorful stool!! How fun! The facade of Hotel Ritter is amazing! Another city I would love to visit! Hope you have a great week!!