Day 12 ~ Heidelberg

This morning we arrived in Offenbach and immediately boarded buses bound for Heidelberg located on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. Another well preserved town, Heidelberg escaped bombing in WWII since it was neither an industrial center nor a transport hub.

The skull of the prehistoric Heidelberg Man living 600,000 – 200,000 years ago was first discovered in the area in 1907. Scientific dating determined his remains as the earliest evidence of human life in Europe.  The Celts occupied this area in 500 BC, then the Romans from 40 AD to 260 AD when they were conquered by Germanic tribes.

The Heidelberg Castle is the most famous landmark in this city. The earliest castle structure was built before 1214 and later expanded into two castles in 1294. From 1300 to the 1700’s, this heavily fortified castle was occupied by prince electors (princes who elected the Holy Roman Emperor or King of Germany) who continually added to its structure making it a mix of both Gothic and Renaissance architecture. After attacks during the Thirty Year War (1618-1648) and the Nine Years War (1688–97), plus lightening bolt strikes causing fires in 1764, the castle remained essentially a ruin. Partial repairs to the castle began in the 19th century, and today it has more than three million visitors a year. 

View of the Heidelberg Castle from Old Town.

The Frederic Building is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.

The Ottheinrich Building is one of the most beautiful and earliest palace buildings of the German Renaissance.

View of the old town from the Heidelberg Castle

Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University is the oldest university in Germany. Some of us attended a student lecture in this beautiful lecture hall.

In 1398, the foundation for the Church of the Holy Spirit was laid. This unique church was used by both Catholics and Protestants simultaneously. In 1706, a wall was built dividing the church so that both congregations could hold their services without any mutual disturbance. In 1936, the wall was removed; and the church is now exclusively Protestant.

Hotel Ritter, built in 1592 in late Renaissance style, is one of the few buildings in Heidelberg that survived the Nine Years War (1688–97).

While I was in Heidelberg, Bonnie wanted to relax and remained on the ship as it sailed for Rüdesheim on the Rhine River.  We reunited around 5:00 and will remain here until morning when we set sail for Koblenz.