Heidelberg travel guide

Heidelberg, Germany

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Heidelberg

Introduction

Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany, lying about 78 km south of Frankfurt. It sits within the densely populated Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region, whose centre is in nearby Mannheim. A large share of the people who live here are students, which gives the city its youthful, academic character.

Before you go

Heidelberg sits in the Neckar river valley where the Odenwald opens toward the Rhine plain, and it is above all an academic city with a long history, often compared to Cambridge or Oxford — the two cities are in fact twinned. The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität dominates local life, and the research institutes that grew up around it give the place an international, intellectual character. The city was almost completely spared Allied bombing in World War II, and although the US Army presence that once included thousands of soldiers and their families relocated elsewhere in Germany in 2015, Heidelberg remains a culturally diverse destination that draws artists, intellectuals and academics from across Europe. Knowing this helps you read the city: expect a place shaped by students and scholarship rather than by industry.

Heidelberg is an extremely safe city even by German standards, but take the usual precautions when walking alone at night. Walking along the northern Neckar banks after dark is not advised except in groups, particularly near the Studentenwohnheime, where the shrubs are thick and it is very dark; a taxi is a reasonable fallback. Above all, do not walk on bicycle lanes — they are often painted red and always separated from pedestrian lanes by a white line. The city has more cyclists than motorists, and many do not slow down or move for pedestrians. The southern parallel street to the Hauptstraße, called Plöck, is the main channel for student cyclists between Bismarckplatz and University Square; it is lively enough to be worth seeing during the day, but stay out of the bike lane.

Getting there

Frankfurt Airport is the nearest intercontinental gateway, while Stuttgart handles European flights; both have train stations inside the terminal, and Frankfurt is a major ICE stop. From either airport you can reach Heidelberg by ICE, Germany's fastest train, buying your ticket at the counter or machine after you land — reservations aren't necessary, credit cards are accepted and most staff speak English. You may need to change trains once at Mannheim, Stuttgart or Frankfurt Central Station, but the train is still likely to be faster than the bus. Lufthansa also runs a shuttle bus from Frankfurt to Heidelberg taking about an hour, with a discount if you hold a Lufthansa ticket and reduced fares for students. From Frankfurt-Hahn, a Ryanair hub in the Hunsrück mountains, the Hahn Express bus no longer runs; the best option is a bus to Mainz or Frankfurt Airport and then train, since there is no train to Hahn itself. Baden-Baden also has an airport, mainly for domestic flights.

Heidelberg's main train station sits in the western part of the city, and from there you can take a tram to anywhere in the centre, such as Bismarckplatz — taxis are far more expensive than trams. Direct lines run to Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Frankfurt, and direct long-distance trains reach Munich, Vienna, Hamburg and Cologne usually at least every two hours. For most long-distance destinations it's useful to take the regional train to nearby Mannheim Hbf (S-Bahn, about 15 minutes), where frequent high-speed connections serve all major German cities and some nearby countries such as Paris, Zurich and Amsterdam. Slow trains are much cheaper at weekends, especially with the five-person Länderticket Baden-Württemberg group ticket. Flixtrain also serves the city, though DB tickets aren't valid on Flixtrain and vice versa. By car, the A5 connects Heidelberg directly to Frankfurt and Karlsruhe and is easy to reach from any direction.

Getting around

Heidelberg is compact and set in the Neckar valley, with the old town, the river and the castle close together, so much of what you want to see is walkable. The old town itself is best explored on foot, and the city lies on the European walking route E1. Across the river from the old town, the Philosophers' Walk is a classic stroll. For longer hops, the city runs a small but effective network of trams and buses, with the main station (Hauptbahnhof) and Bismarckplatz as the two main nodal points where lines meet; because the system is compact, you rarely need to change more than once. Buses #32 and #33 connect the main train station with the old city area, and detailed maps, schedules and routes are available online. Ticket machines at most tram and bus stops accept cash and cards and have instructions in English as well as German.

Where to stay

Heidelberg's budget beds cluster in a few distinct spots. Steffi's Hostel sits within walking distance of the station, above a Lidl supermarket, while the large, well-maintained Youth Hostel occupies the eastern bank of the Neckar, reachable by bus from the central station or a walk of roughly half an hour. Lotte Hostel, a small and cozy place with a home-like feel, is next to the castle and mountain railway. Further out, the B&B Hotel near the station is new, efficient and impersonal, with quiet modern rooms and free Wi-Fi in an industrial zone with nothing decent to eat nearby; the Hotel ISG in Boxberg, fitted out in Bauhaus style with excellent bathrooms, leaves you with little to do in the suburb itself; and Hotel Restaurant Scheid offers a quiet, reasonably priced base in Schriesheim, a short tram ride north, though the town is built on a hill and the walk up from the tram stop takes about half an hour.

For a central stay, The Ritter is the oldest building in Heidelberg, right in the heart of the Altstadt, which can make it a little noisy, and the Hip Hotel on the Hauptstraße is a boutique option with each room modeled after a famous city. The NH Hotel occupies an old brewery west of the Altstadt with modernist decor, though rooms facing the main road can be noisy, and the Crowne Plaza just off Bismarckplatz is a standard business hotel where rooms near the lifts are best avoided. The Holländer Hof has a unique view of the Neckar and the Philosopher's Walk opposite the Old Bridge, the Marriott sits on the waterfront, and Hotel Cafe Frisch is a cheaper riverside choice above a cafe and bakery. At the top end, the privately owned Europäischer Hof on the edge of the Altstadt has a pleasant atmosphere and quiet courtyard-facing rooms, while Hirschgasse, the oldest hotel in Heidelberg and once a student dwelling house, occupies a side valley opposite the castle with individually decorated rooms and two restaurants, including the historic Mensurstube.

Food & drink

For a cheap, sociable meal, head to the Neckarwiese, the meadow on the northern bank of the Neckar just west of Bismarckplatz. On sunny summer days it fills with people relaxing, barbecuing and drinking beer, with a view of the castle across the water. You bring your own grill, beer and steaks; disposable grills are sold at the Bauhaus DIY store on Kurfürsten-Anlage, a short walk south of Bismarckplatz. Grilling is only permitted in two zones marked with cobblestones, and one-way grills should never go directly on the grass. For something quicker, the bakeries along the Hauptstraße sell local specialities including Brezeln (pretzels), and the delicatessen stalls known as Markthallen in the department stores let you eat on the spot.

Many cafés set out pavement tables when the weather is fair, and the Marktplatz beside the Heiliggeistkirche is a popular spot for lingering over a summer drink. The Hauptstraße is dense with restaurants covering Japanese, Indian, Italian, Chinese, German and Bavarian food; portions tend to be large, inexpensive and good. American fast food and Döner shops serve the budget-conscious and the late-night crowd. Among the budget options are the Zeughaus-Mensa im Marstall, a historic university canteen with a beer garden where outsiders pay cash, and Café Frisch, a bakery and café across the river from the main station. For modern German cooking with seasonal specials and patio dining in summer, try BrunnenStube in a residential area west of the centre. Beer lovers can seek out Vetter's Brauhaus in the Altstadt, known for brewing one of the strongest beers in the world, or the small Kulturbrauerei next to the Old Bridge.

What to see and do

The Altstadt is the natural starting point, with the Hauptstraße running from Bismarckplatz across the old town as a long pedestrian shopping street. Above the old town, south of the river, the castle can be reached by mountain railway or by a staircase; an audio guide tour of the castle and its grounds is available near the entrance in several languages, including English, and the castle gardens hold a statue to Goethe and offer a great view of the city and river. From the castle you can also take in the Heiliggeistkirche, the Old Town and the Neckar bridge. The Heiliggeistkirche itself carries the most interesting history of the city's churches: it once sheltered the Bibliotheca Palatina, parts of which can now be seen in the University Library near the old university. Other landmarks include the Baroque Jesuitenkirche and the Karl Theodor Bridge, constructed in 1788.

Across the river, the Philosophenweg on the northern side gives a wonderful view across the oldest part of the city and is the site of the famous Merian Stich engraving. The Heiligenberg mountain, also north of the river, boasts a wonderful view over the old town and holds the remnants of a wall built by ancient Celts, the Heidenloch well of unknown origins, the ruins of the 10th-century cloister St. Michael, and the Thingstätte open-air theatre built by the Nazi regime in 1934. For city sights, the Kurpfälzisches Museum on Hauptstraße covers Heidelberg's pre-history to modern times and has a fine-art collection, while the university's own museum on Universitätsplatz lets you view the Great Hall and the former "student jail". The German Documentation and Culture Centre for Sinti and Roma is on Bremeneckgasse. If you want to escape the bustle, the Königstuhl mountain offers a view over Heidelberg and the Rhine Valley, reached by the same funicular that serves the castle with a change to a historical wooden train for the final stretch, or on foot via the Himmelsleiter, a stairway of 1200 steps winding up to the top. The university's Botanical Garden on the New Campus focuses on greenhouse collections of succulents, orchids and bromeliads. For performances, the Stadttheater hosts concerts, music theatre and dance, the Zimmertheater is Germany's oldest private theatre, and the Karlstorbahnhof and Halle 02 stage progressive culture, concerts and exhibitions.

When to go

Heidelberg sits in a sheltered valley with an oceanic climate, which shapes a year that is gentler than much of Germany's. Spring arrives early, usually from mid February, but the weather is changeable and shifts far more often than in summer, so plan for unsettled conditions rather than steady sunshine. Summer, running from June into September, is the most reliable season: stable and warm, with single thunderstorms the only real precipitation. Autumn begins warm in September and cools toward typical winter temperatures by the end of November, with precipitation increasing and fog becoming more frequent from the second part of October as sunlight fades.

Winters are mostly mild, though light nighttime frosts occur in the coldest months. Snow is rare and precipitation normally falls as rain, making this the wettest time of year, with frequent western winds, occasional damaging storms, and flooding of the Neckar. If you want the most settled weather, aim for summer; if you don't mind changeable conditions and want to catch the valley's early bloom, spring from mid February rewards you.

Three days in Heidelberg

Day one: Arrive in Heidelberg and get your bearings along the Hauptstraße, the long pedestrian spine of the old town, before wandering up to University Square to see the Universität and the surrounding Studentenwohnheime that give the centre its student character. Continue to Bismarckplatz, the city's main square and transport hub, and use it as your anchor for the rest of your stay. If you arrive via Frankfurt Airport, the ICE train from Frankfurt Central Station is the straightforward way in; Lufthansa also serves the airport, and Stuttgart is another regional gateway.

Day two: Spend the morning exploring the old town on foot, then take a walking route that gives you a view over the city from above. Heidelberg sits on the Neckar in the Neckar Metropolitan Region, with the Odenwald rising nearby, and the river and hills shape the layout of the centre. Mannheim is close by if you want a change of scene, and the wider region stretches across Baden and Württemberg.

Day three: Use your last day to slow down and take in the city's academic side, which has long drawn comparisons with Cambridge and Oxford. The Ruprecht and Karls are part of that university heritage, and the city's story includes the Allied period and the US Army presence after World War II. Finish with a stroll along the Plöck and back through the Hauptstraße before heading to Frankfurt Airport or Stuttgart for your onward journey.

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