Botanischer Garten (Botanical Garden)

This Botanical Garden, established in 1593, is one of the oldest gardens in Germany. It was initially used for the purpose of cultivating medicinal herbs, given the university's strong reputation in the medical field. However, it has evolved into today's concept of "conservation of plant diversity". It is maintained for academic and recreational purposes, a great place to stroll through on a warm sunny day!

Die Altstadt (Old City)

 Hauptstraße is the main street in the old city, lined with hotels, shops, and cafes. This brick road has been well-preserved and maintained by local residents since the 1700s. The old city is mainly pedestrian oriented , there are endless touristic attractions, historical sites, great restaurants/bars etc. one can visit. There is always some sort of entertainment here, whether it may be street performers, cultural events/vendors, student activities (concerts, movies, comedy nights) etc. If you are a history buff, you should visit the Old University Museum- provides the history behind the university when it was first founded and how it has evolved to where it is today; the Student Prison; church of the Holy Spirit and so much more.

Night Life

While Heidelberg is a smaller, more historic city, that does not mean there is no night life. This college town is filled with bars and clubs. However, Heidelberg is more low key when it comes to the club scene. Bar hopping is a popular trend in this old town, in the evening the main street is flooded with college students.

Tuesday nights is student night at Brass Monkey, erasmus and exchange students gather here to socialize/ watch major soccer games and take advantage of the great student deals! There are plenty of other bars that offer fun activities, such as trivia night, karaoke, live shows etc.

@ O'Reilly's for St. Patricks day!

The university has a lot to offer as well, make sure you check out the Marstall Mensa too. They play weekly movies for only 1 euro, and some weekends there are open mic nights and live bands performing. If you are into live music, make sure you check out Karlstor bahnhof regularly. Every weekend there is live music/DJ for different genres of music, anything from drum and bass, to dubstep, to rap!

Traveling to the surrounding towns...

What's great about the semester ticket is that you have the opportunity to travel to the surrounding towns of Heidelberg. You should definitely take advantage of this, your semester ticket works on the bus, tram, and bahn. A great place you should check out is the Schwetzigen Castle/Gardens, less than an hour outside of Heidelberg. This castle was built in the early 1700s as a summer get-away for the Electors Palatine Karl III Philipand Charles Theodore. These French influenced gardens are a sight to see; the best time of year to visit is within the month of April when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. These enormous gardens are lined with marble statues, fountains, and beautiful blossoms. There is also a theater in the castle- still in use today, and this is where the electors would come to enjoy operas and concerts. Every summer from May to early June, numerous events are held at the palace, also known as "Schwetzigen Festival". People gather here every year to attend opera shows, piano concerts, orchestras etc. Schwetzigen is quaint town, much smaller than Heidelberg, it's a cute place to travel for sightseeing at the castle/castle gardens, and enjoying a typical german meal in town!

Universitätsbibliothek (University Library)

The university library, also known as the "uni-bib" was built over 100 years ago and has been growing ever since. It started out with only 600,000 books and now it has over 10 million books and is growing rapidly. The building was modeled after the Heidelberg Castle, and has been enlarged several times to create more space. During the 16th Century, the Bibliotheca Palantina was greatly valued by scholars in all of Germany. The library was founded by elector Ottheinrich, which included several book collections of his own, and eventually the library grew and surrounding countries would donate or sell their collections to the Bibliotheca Palantina. Devastatingly, in 1622, during the Thirty Years War, a majority of the archive was stolen when the Catholic league conquered Heidelberg, and it was brought to the Vatican in Rome. A few books and manuscripts are all that remain of the collection, and these can be found at the University Museum.

Marktplatz (Market Square)

The center piece of this square is the statue of Hercules built in 1703; this strong, heroic figure is supposed to symbolize Heidelberg's non-stop efforts in rebuilding the city after it was destroyed in the 1700s. Markplatz is the main square located at the end of Hauptstraße, next to the Rathaus. Many pedestrians and tourists gather here to dine in the outdoor cafes and enjoy the warm weather. During the summer, local farmer's markets are held here twice a week- best spot to buy fresh fruit and vegetables!

Karlstor (Carl's Gate)

This triumphal arch was built in honor of Prince Elector Karl Theodor in 1775-81by Nicolas de Pigage. He incorporates Roman elements in this neo-classical structure with the use of Roman triumphal arches crowned by four lions. Nearby is the Karlstor Bahnhof.. where there are often live bands performing. A great club for dancing, different types of music every week.

Heuscheuer (Hay Barn)

This hay barn located next to the Marstall was used to store hay for horses after it was destroyed in 1693. Prior to destruction, the initial purpose of this building was to defend the city against attackers, it was also known as the "Coat Tower" or the "Women's Tower". Present-day, this window-less building is utilized for university lectures.

Fireworks

Only three times a year (first week of June, July, and August), the town of Heidelberg holds a fire show at the castle. Crowds of people gather together along the Neckar to watch the castle illumination fireworks. There are many vendors selling all sorts of wurst and delicious snacks nearby! After the show, people are ready to hit the town for a night out!

Michaelskloster (St. Michael’s Monastery)

These ruins is all that is left of St. Michael's Monastery that was built in 1023 by Abbott Reginbald. This place became a pilgrimage after Reginbald's death in 1070. In 1503, the steeple collapsed, killing the last three monks. Ever since that incident, the monastery has been abandoned and left to ruins. Then in 1589, the university tore down the stones and tried to sell them, which turned out to be an unsuccessful attempt. Now it is a tourist attraction to see the remainders of the ruins.

Michaelskloster is located at the top of Heiligenberg, you can reach it by hiking up Philisophenweg, the site is located behind Thingstatte.

Abbott's grave, 1070

Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit)

The Church of the Holy Spirit, constructed in 1344-1441, is the biggest regional Gothic church and a famous burial place for 55 Prince Electors. After years of changing religions, it is now a Protestant church.

"During the 30 Year´s War, however, the complete collection became the booty of Heidelberg´s conqueror, commander Tilly. Following orders of the Catholic Prince Elector Maximilian of Bavaria, the library was given to the Pope of Rome. Of the collection which once included more than 5000 books and 3524 manuscripts, only 885 manuscripts were returned to Heidelberg in 1816. During the following centuries, the church frequently changed its religious denomination and was used at different times by Catholics as well as Protestants. Even a partition barrier was erected in 1706 because both denominations wanted to hold service here. For 230 years, the barrier stayed in its place until it was removed in 1936. Today, the Church of the Holy Spirit is a Protestant Church."

http://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/content/tourism/sights/churches_monasteries/church_of_the_holy_spirit/index_eng.html

Schlossgarten (Castle Gardens)

The Castle Gardens, was developed in 1616 by Prince Elector Frederich V for his wife, Elizabeth. However, the garden was destroyed during the War of the Palatine Succession in 1693. Before the garden was destroyed, it was one of the biggest attractions back then; lined with beautiful flower beds and mazes, fountains, greenhouses with orange trees etc. You can still climb up to the castle today to check out the "garden" free of charge!

Karlsplatz (Karl’s Square)

 Karlsplatz, named after Grand Duke Karlfriedrich of Baden is a spacious square where the Prince Electors used to reside. A monastery existed here up until 1803, now it is just a big open space with an open view of the castle. 

Zum Ritter

Hotel zum Ritter st. George is one of the few houses still standing after the Wars of Succession. This Renaissance monument was erected in 1592 by Charles Belier and his wife. He created this ornate and lavish hotel to lure pedestrians in as they walk along the main street towards the castle during medieval times. It is one of the most well-known buildings in Heidelberg, definitely a main attraction when walking on Hauptstraße! This historic hotel is still well-preserved after countless renovations. Although a  new addition has been built behind the old hotel, you still feel like you are in the Renaissance period with a modern twist. There are two restaurants here, the Ritterstube and the Beiler. The Ritterstube is located in the old building, you can't help but notice the romantic ambience given off by the lavish carvings and ornate architecture that surrounds you when you enter- it resembles much like the king's parlor.

Philosophenweg

Philosophenweg is a scenic path that winds through the Heidelberg forest that extends for 2 steep kilometers, also known as Schlangenweg (Snake's path). You can get the best view of the castle from Philosopher's Way, many people walk their dogs/ jog here- definitely a major tourist attraction.


This is definitely one of the wealthier places to reside, the extravagant homes are surrounded by wineries, gardens, historical landmarks and more. The name dates back to the 1900s; two renowned physicists, Hans Jensen (nobel prize winner) and Hugo Merton resided here in the early 1900s, and now their homes are used as buildings of the Faculty of Physics for the University present-day. Philosophers, scholars, and musicians used to stroll here to gather peace and quiet to write poems and songs and thats how students derived the name today.

Exotic plant life- bamboo, lemon trees, American cypresses!

Rathaus (Town Hall)

The Rathaus was destroyed in 1689 by the French troops, and the foundation stone was laid here in the early 1700's. Due to a fire, the building was resurrected in 1908, and surrounding houses on the main street were torn down in order to replace the town hall. The Prince Elector's Coat of Arms and initials are located on the balcony.

Alte Brücke (Old Bridge)

The old bridge was re-constructed in 1786 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor. Theodor was the first ruler to construct a stone bridge, as it was built from wood before and was destroyed numerous times from natural causes. On the bridge you will find four statues, each representing the four major rivers in the region, the Rhein, Neckar, Mosel, and Donau. Located on the bridge is a "Tränktor", also known as a drinking gate, cattle were driven through this gate to their drinking places, it also served as a part of the town wall during the French Palatine War.