GERMANY
Heidelberg: The city of romance
eidelberg was the last stop in our 6-day long trip through Zurich and St. Moritz, Lucerne, Bern, Basel, Colmar and Strasbourg. I had never visited Germany before, mostly because I have unexplained reservations for its bigger cities, so this one was the perfect opportunity.
With one walk around Heidelberg you will understand why it has developed a reputation as the city of romance
Located on the Neckar River, about 78km south of Frankfurt, the city has the Heidelberg University, one of Germany’s oldest (founded in 1386) and one of Europe’s most reputable universities. One of the first things that will catch your eye is, without a doubt, Karl Theodor Bridge (commonly known as Old Bridge), spanning the Neckar River. The Romans built the first bridge in the region of today’s Heidelberg in the 1st century of the Common Era.
This wooden pile bridge, located between what are now the districts of Neuenheim and Bergheim, was rebuilt in stone around the year 200. After the Roman bridge collapsed Heidelberg was without a bridge for nearly a thousand years.
At the city’s entrance you will meet the Monkey. The current statue was erected in 1979, holding a mirror in one hand, with a poem by Martin Zeiler below it. Local legend has it that rubbing the mirror brings good luck, rubbing the fingers ensure a return to Heidelberg, and the little bronze-cast mice nearby bring fertility.
In the old marketplace you will find the Church of the Holy Spirit, constructed between 1398 and 1515 in the Romanesque and Gothic styles. It was closed for maintenance so we couldn’t see inside, but we took the opportunity to move over to Jesuit Church, an entirely different style of church. Officially known as Parish Church of the Holy Spirit and St. Ignatius, the main church of Roman Catholic Holy Spirit. Built between 1712 and 1759 in the Baroque style.
What’s so interesting about this church is that it’s not oriented eastwards like most, but southwards, explaining Peter Anselm Riedl’s saying that it is «as remarkable as it is unusual». This feeling is even stronger once you step it and realize that the interiors are completely white.
Now, with one walk around Heidelberg you will understand why it has developed a reputation as the city of romance. You will find yourself between colorful houses with flowers on their mantels, nice architecture and cute, picturesque corners, in addition, of course, to the famous Student’s Kiss.
Chocolaterie Knösel is in the heart of the Old Town and houses Heidelberg’s oldest confectionery. Established in 1863, it soon became a popular meeting place for the residents and the students. The students of the university used to visit the place, to catch the attention of the female students of Heidelberg’s finishing school. Fridolin Knösel created a chocolate delight, named Studentenkuss (or Students’ Kiss), which when given as a present, representing a token of affection.
We also planned on visiting the castle but the cable cars was not working and transfers were made by bus, which took a bit longer for less people and time was running out. Either way, it was a great introduction to this tourist-friendly but quiet town of a bit over 150,000 people in southwestern Germany.