| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
120km (74 miles) NW of Stuttgart, 20km (12 miles) SE of Mannheim, 88km (55 miles) S of Frankfurt Summertime in Heidelberg, according to the song from The Student Prince , is a time for music and romance. Today, it's also a time when droves of visitors invade this beautiful city. Heidelberg is one of the few German cities that was not leveled by air raids in World War II and therefore still has original buildings from the later Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Modern Heidelberg centers on Bismarckplatz at the foot of the Theodore-Heuss-Brücke; in this part of the city, you'll find many of the best hotels and restaurants. The tall buildings and shopping plazas here contrast with the Altstadt nearby. Across the Neckar are sports grounds, a zoo, and a large botanical garden. Heidelberg is, above all, a university town and has been since 1386. Students make up much of the population. The colorful atmosphere that university life imparts to the town is felt especially in the old student quarter, with its narrow streets and lively inns. This oldest university in Germany is officially named Ruprecht-Karl-University , honoring both its founder, Elector Ruprecht I of the Palatinate, as well as the man who, in 1803, made it the leading university in the state of Baden, Margrave Karl Friedrich. The school was founded after the Great Schism of 1378, when conflicting claims to the papacy created unrest and German teachers and students fled the Sorbonne in Paris.
....
[ read more on Heidelberg.. ]
Get another perspective from.. |
| History (Source: WCities) | Top | Traces of human existence around Heidelberg date from the dawn of history: 500,000 years ago the Homo heidelbergensis lived in this area and from the Stone Age potsherds and stone weapons have remained. About 800 BCE, the Celts settled on the Heiligenberg . Later the Romans were here and some important archeological artefacts from this period have been found (providing knowledge about the viniculture). They were driven away by the Alemannic tribe in 260 CE. A lasting settlement was only founded in the 6th Century and the villages Neuenheim and Bergheim developed quickly, followed by Handschuhsheim (765 mentioned first), Rohrbach (766) as well as Wieblingen and Kirchheim (both 767 first mentioned). The title of the Count Palatinate at Rhine was first granted to Konrad of Hohenstaufen, a brother of Emperor Friedrich I of Barbarossa, in 1155. The name Heidelberch was mentioned for the first time in 1196, in a deed of the Cloister Schönau. The history of the castle starts in 1225, when the Wittelsbach Ludwig I., Count Palatinate 1214-1231, gained a castle as a feudal tenure from the Cloister Lorsch, with the aim that he might protect the trade road into the Neckar valley. In 1356, the electoral title is embodied in the constitution: from that date on, the Count Palatinates held one of the seven titles as Imperial Electors. In 1386, Ruprecht I. founded the University and even in 1392, Heidelberg extended as far as the present-day Bismarckplatz, and in 1400 the buildi
....
[ read more on Heidelberg.. ]
|
| When To Go (Source: Fodors) | Top | If you plan to visit Heidelberg in summer, make reservations well in advance and expect to pay top rates. To get away from the crowds, consider staying out of town and driving or taking the bus into the city. Hotels and restaurants are much cheaper just a little upriver. A visit in late fall, when the vines turn a faded gold, or early spring, with the first green shoots of the year, can be captivating. In the depths of winter, river mists creep through the narrow streets of Heidelberg's Old Town and awaken the ghosts of a romantic past.
....
[ read more on Heidelberg.. ]
|
| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting There Air Heidelberg is approximately 80 kilometers ( 50 miles ) south of Frankfurt, which is where the most convenient international airport is located. Frankfurt am Main International Airport +49 69 6900 http://www.franfurt-airport.com/ The Frankfurt Airport provides domestic and international service from airlines including: Air Berlin ( http://www.airberlin.com/ ) Air Canada ( http://www.aircanada.com/ ) Air China ( http://www.airchina.com/ ) Air France ( http://www.airfrance.com/ ) American Airlines ( http://www.aa.com/ ) British Airways ( http://'www.british-airways.com/ ) Continental Airlines ( http://www.continental.com/ ) Delta Air Lines ( http://www.delta.com/ ) Lufthansa ( http://www.Lufthansa.de/ ) Singapore Airlines ( http://www.singaporeair.com/ ) US Airways ( http://www.usairways.com/ ) Vietnam Airlines ( http://www.vietnamairlines.com/ ) From the Airport Train: A train leaves directly from the Frankfurt Airport. You will have to switch trains at the Frankfurt main station or Mannheim in order to get to the Heidelberg main station ( Hauptbahnhof ). The trip can take anywhere from 45-80 minutes. Bus: The Lufthansa Bus leaves from Terminal 1 outside Hall B and provides service to Heidelberg every hour during peak times. The trip takes around 75 minutes and stops at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is located about 5 minutes from the city center. Taxi:
....
[ read more on Heidelberg.. ]
|
| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Museums & Art The museums of Heidelberg are mostly located along or close to the Hauptstraße so that they are within walking distance. Germany's oldest university has some small museums like the collection of antique exhibits the Antikenmuseum , the University-Museum , the Studentenkarzer (a historic prison especially for students), and the Universitätsbibliothek (university library). The famous castle also offers two museums; one is the Deutsches Apotheker Museum (German Apothecaries' Museum) that shows the history of pharmacy. The Schlossmuseum, however, consists of different rooms that are all shown as part of the Guided Castle Tour. Further on the Schlossberg you will find the Carl-Bosch-Museum , located in the former house of the Nobel Prize winner. For those who are interested in art the Heidelberger Kunstverein and the Museum Haus Cajeth offer contemporary art, whereas the Museum der sakralen Kunst has specialises in religious art. A wide thematic range from archaeology to the history of the town, paintings and sculptures arts and crafts is presented in the Kurpfälzische Museum . Heidelberg also boasts an ethnological museum the Völkerkundemuseum . Quite a unusual museum in Heidelberg is the Deutsches Verpackungsmuseum , where you can see classical German packing. For those who are interested in science the University offers a Botanischen Garten (botanical garden) in the Neuenheimer Feld. Also a little outside the town you will find the
....
[ read more on Heidelberg.. ]
Get another perspective from.. |
| |
