Sights
Heidelberg Bergfriedhof (Mountain Cemetery)
The Bergfriedhof in Heidelberg is more than a cemetery - it is a historic park and the city's largest open-air history book. Many figures from science, politics and culture have found their final resting place here, among them Friedrich Ebert, Robert Bunsen, Max Weber and Carl Bosch.
- District
- Südstadt
- Getting there
- Open route
The site and its location
The Bergfriedhof covers around 14 hectares on the western slope of the Königstuhl, south of the Old Town. It opened in 1844, when the inner-city graveyards at St. Peter’s Church and the Church of the Holy Spirit had reached their capacity. That makes it one of the oldest municipal park cemeteries in Germany - planned not as a burial ground alone, but as a landscaped site with avenues, viewing benches and mature trees.
Today the Bergfriedhof ranks among the most important historic cemeteries in Germany. It is a listed monument and is maintained by the city of Heidelberg. Today it has more than 17,000 grave sites.
Famous figures
The Bergfriedhof is the resting place of many people who shaped Heidelberg and German history:
- Friedrich Ebert (1871-1925), first President of the Weimar Republic
- Robert Bunsen (1811-1899), chemist and inventor of the Bunsen burner
- Max Weber (1864-1920), sociologist and founder of interpretive sociology
- Carl Bosch (1874-1940), chemist and Nobel laureate, co-inventor of the Haber-Bosch process
- Max Wolf (1863-1932), astronomer and founder of the Königstuhl observatory
- Wilhelm Windelband (1848-1915), philosopher of the Southwest German School
A detailed list with a site plan is displayed at the entrance, and selected graves are signposted.
Architecture and sculpture
Many of the graves are works of art in their own right. Walking along the main avenue you will find mausoleums in the Classicist style, cast-iron grave crosses from the 19th century, Art Nouveau sculptures and Expressionist headstones from the 1920s. The oldest surviving monuments date from the 1840s.
The crematorium deserves particular attention. Opened in 1891 and modelled on a Greek temple, it is still in operation today and was the second crematorium in Germany after Gotha.
Park character and planting
The Bergfriedhof is a botanical highlight. Native and exotic trees grow here, including mighty plane trees, oaks, chestnuts, giant sequoias and rarities such as the ginkgo. The paths wind along the hillside and open up viewpoints over the city again and again.
Rhododendrons and magnolias bloom in spring; in autumn the foliage turns every shade imaginable. Walkers often use the cemetery as a quieter alternative to the Philosophers’ Walk.
Getting there and opening hours
The main entrance is on Rohrbacher Straße / Steigerweg in the Südstadt district. Tram lines 23 and 24 stop at “Bergfriedhof” on Rohrbacher Straße, a short walk from the entrance. Coming from the Old Town, you can also walk via the Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage (about 20 minutes).
The cemetery is open daily; visitors are asked to leave at dusk. Admission is free. Dogs are permitted on a lead only.
Guided tours
Guided tours on the history of the cemetery and its graves take place regularly. Current dates are published by the city of Heidelberg.
Tours & Tickets
Tours & Tickets nearby
Guided tours and entry tickets around Heidelberg Bergfriedhof (Mountain Cemetery) - book directly.
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