Munich 335 km
Frankfurt am Main 90 km
Stuttgart 117 km
Nuremberg 225 km |
| 140,000
inhabitants (2005); 116 m above sea-level |
.
It was Prince Elector Ruprecht III (1398-1410), who had
erect the first representative building as a regal
residence in the inner courtyard. The exterior of the
building, divided into a group floor made of stone and
framework upper levels, seems quiet unpretentious today.
Another regal building is located opposite the Ruprecht
Building: The Fountain Hall. Prince Elector Philipp
(1476-1508) is said to have arranged the transfer of the
hall's columns from a decayed palace of Charlemagne to Heidelberg.
The Prince Electors of the 16th and 17th century turn the
fortress into a castle and added two representative palace
buildings to the complex. The two dominant buildings at
the eastern and northern sides of the courtyard were
erected during the rule of Ottheinrich (1556-1559) and
Friedrich (1583-1610). Today, they are considered to be
two of the most important buildings in German
architectural history. Under Friedrich (1613-1619), the
main building of the west side was erected, the so called
"English Building".
The Castle and its garden were destroyed, however, during
the 30 Years' War. Later, it was rebuilt by Prince Elector
Karl Ludwig (1649-1680), only to be destroyed once again
by French troops. Prince Elector Karl Theodor, who reside
in Schwetzingen tried to restore the castle to make it
inhabitable once again, but in vain: Lighting struck the
Castle in 1764. In the centuries that followed, the Castle
was misused as a quarry-castle stones helped to build new
house in Heidelberg. This was stopped in 1800 by Count
Charles de Graimberg, who made any effort he could be
preserve the Heidelberg Castle.
Today, the hall is used for festivities, e.g. dinner
banquets, balls and theatre performances. During the Heidelberg
Castle Festival in the summer, the courtyard is the site
of open air musicals, operas and theatre performances and
classical concerts.
For more info: Heidelberg
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Phone: +49 (0) 6221/14 220
Fax: +49 (0) 6221/14 2222
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| Philosopher's
Walk (Philosophenweg) |
The "Philosophenweg" at the Heiligenberg derives
its name from the fact that Heidelberg's philosophers and
university teachers are said to have once walked and
talked here. Even today, this world famous path offers new
sights and insights. Enjoy a beautiful view of Heidelberg
and a climate that reminds you of Italy's Tuscany. Many
sub-tropical plants flourish in the
"Philosophengartchen".
Josef Freeherr von Eichendorff (1788-1857) is one of the
German poets, who fell in love with
Heidelberg and
dedicated poems to the old town. A commemorative stone
refers to the German Romantic, who studied here 1807-08.
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