Category
Castle & Fortresses in Heidelberg
Heidelberg Castle is the starting point for anything to do with prince electors, the Renaissance and romantic ruins. Terraces, gardens and overlooks line the Schlossberg (castle hill) and the Königstuhl above it, and together they make the history of the Kurpfalz (Electoral Palatinate) something you can walk through.
From electoral residence to ruin
For centuries this was the seat of the prince electors of the Palatinate. The complex was destroyed in 1689 and again in 1693 during the War of the Palatine Succession, and a lightning strike in 1764 sealed its decay. That very incompleteness is what turned the castle into an icon of Romanticism. The highlights are the Ottheinrichsbau (Ottheinrich Building), the Großes Fass (Great Tun, a giant wine barrel) and the Deutsches Apotheken-Museum (German Pharmacy Museum) inside.
Up to the castle and the Königstuhl
The historic Bergbahn (funicular railway) climbs from the Old Town to the castle in a few minutes and continues to the summit of the Königstuhl at around 570 meters, about 1,870 feet. If you would rather walk, the steep Burgweg gets you there on foot. The Schlossgarten (castle garden, historically the Hortus Palatinus) and the Scheffelterrasse deliver the classic view over the city and the Neckar valley.
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.