Three Tips: Heidelberg, Germany

I'm going to start a new "category" of posts called Three Tips... basically, three tips that a reader would give a friend when visiting one of their favorite destinations. We'll start with the first one for Heidelberg, Germany - a famous town on the Rhine River known for its famous castle and its college-town atmosphere. This one was from a poster on the Horn Fans board.

Three Tips on
Heidelberg, Germany

1. Stay in a local guest house. Not necessarily in Heidelberg, but also look in Eppelheim, Schwetzigen, Oftersheim and Plankstadt. All are connected by public transportation, or easy access by rental car.

2. Tour the Heidleberg Castle, visit the altsttadt or old town area which is adjacent to the Castle. Take a short trip to Schwetzigen and see the Palace and the promedade. There are several great restaurants. If you have kids with you, Heidelberg has a wonderful zoo. The summertime brings many ferstivals into the Heidelberg area. Check the web for dates. One highlight is the Rhein on Fire. Castles along the Rhein and Neckar rivers are all illuminated, many have fireworks. Check for exact dates but its usually on a weekend night in July and September.

3. Take a short side trip to the Rhein river. The 30km stretch from Bingen to Koblenz is fabulous. There are numerous Castles to visit. Most towns are also built on old Roman ruins and walls. The Rheinfels castle is a must see. You can wander all over it, along with taking a guided tour. It also has a restaurant which overlooks the river, from about 500 feet over it. That part of the Rhein is the heart of German wine country, many have stands set up right along the road of the valley. Also close by to Heidelberg, within a 30-minute drive is Worms. The Cathederal is about a thousand years old and has ties to the reformation and Martin Luther.

If you visit during December then weinachtsmarkts or Christmas Markets are the main attraction. Key markets from the are include Heidelberg, Mannheim, Schwetzigen, Eppelheim, Bad Wimpfen, Marlbron and if adventurous only two hours from Nurenburg and the granddaddy of all Christmas Markets.

One last hint for the Rhein valley and Heidelberg. If you're into beer then visit local breweries. Most have beer gardens that are normally open May to September.

From Horn_Fan_86 on Horn Fans