Category
Neckar River in Heidelberg
The Neckar is Heidelberg's lifeline. It separates the Old Town from Neuenheim, mirrors the castle and invites you out for walks, boat rides and long summer evenings on the bank. A good share of Heidelberg life plays out along this river.
On the water and beside it
Riverside paths line both banks from the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge) to the Theodor-Heuss-Brücke. Excursion boats leave the Old Town and head upstream through the locks to Neckarsteinach and its "Vier Burgen," the four castles. Rowing and canoe clubs give the water its sporting character.
Banks, meadows and trails
The Neckarwiese in Neuenheim is the most popular gathering spot in good weather. The Treidelpfad, the old towpath on the north bank, is made for jogging and cycling with a constant view of the Old Town. In the evening the city lights reflect in the river, and that is one of the loveliest sights Heidelberg has.
Sights in this category (2)
Old Bridge Heidelberg
At the place where the Karl-Theodor-Bridge has been located for many years now, there were already eight previous bridges. The bridges that stood before it on the spot were made of wood and were destroyed again and again by wars or ice aisles on the Neckar. Therefore, the Elector Karl Theodor ordered the construction of the stone bridge, which stretched from 1786 to 1788. At that time, the bridge was the most expensive building in the Electoral Palatinate after the Mannheim Castle and demanded a special tax from the citizens to make the construction possible.
Neckarwiese Heidelberg
Humboldt once said "Nature must be felt", because it was not only him who was so fond of the green. The Neckarwiese is one of the most visited and important places in all of Heidelberg, both ecologically and culturally. But why is that?
Keep exploring Heidelberg
Every sight in this category has its own page with history, directions and practical tips. The background stories behind them are collected under Heidelberg facts.