Youth and beauty capture the spirit of the ancient university town of Heidelberg

Heidelberg Castle peers down at its lovely bridge over the
Nekar River  (wikipedia)

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY — Heidelberg, Germany is among the best destinations to visit for travelers seeking youthful, exuberance surrounded by scenery and shrouded in history.

Thanks to the nearly 650-year old Heidelberg University, Germany's oldest institution of higher learning and one of the world's oldest surviving universities, Heidelberg has had a long-standing reputation as one of the most prestigious universities in Europe.  

City of churches
(Zum Ritter Hotel)

Founded by Pope Urban VI in 1386, Heidelberg is a scientific hub in Germany with several famous research facilities, including four Max Planck Institutes.

Combined with its elevated natural setting where the ancient castle overlooks the Neckar River and the Old Stone Bridge, it is difficult to deny the charismatic appeal of Heidelberg.

Philoweg (Philosopher's Walk) is a popular place to stroll and
meditate  (Heidelberg Marketing)

Heidelberg is a favorite tourist destination thanks to its romantic cityscape, historic castle, the Philosopher's Walk (Philosophenweg in German), its baroque architecture and its panoramic views of the Neckar River Valley.

Across the river, on the northern side of the Neckar, is the famed Philospher's Way where tradition has it that Heidelberg's philosophers and university professors stroll and discuss important issues of the day. Marked by forested views of the old town, the river and its castle, this tranquil setting is an ideal place for scholars to lose themselves in thought.

Old Town Bridge view from
the castle (wikipedia)

The Philosopher's Walk is especially appealing in the fall when it is caressed in earth tones of gold, yellow, amber and rust as the season dissolves into winter.

Running the length of the Old Town for approximately a mile is the Hauptstrasse, or Main Street, which is dominated by the ruins of Heidelberg Castle. Among the most important architectural Renaissance landmarks north of the Alps, the castle has been partially rebuilt since being demolished in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Initially constructed in the early 13th century, it was later expanded into two castles, but the upper castle was destroyed by lightning in 1537.

Heidelberg Castles dominates the hillside and is always a traveler's favorite (wikipedia)

Among the most popular attractions at the castle is an enormous wine barrel, known as the Heidelberg Tun, a massive wine cask for which the city has long been famous.

Mischievous Perkeo is keeper
of the world's largest wine
barrel (wikipedia)

The eternal keeper of the Tun is the unofficial mascot of Heidelberg named Perkeo. The dwarf became famous as a wine drinker of epic proportions. Once a court jester, Perkeo has been linked with a multitude of festivals, songs and cultural institutions as well as hotels and restaurants since the first half of the 18th century.

Heidelberg has been famous for its gargantuan barrels since 1591. Fass, the current Tun, is the fourth in the history of the city, this one dating to 1751.

Mark Twain even wrote about Perkeo's cask in 1880 in "A Tramp Abroad":

"Everybody has heard of the great Heidelberg Tun, and most people have seen it, no doubt. It is a wine-cask as big as a cottage, and some traditions say it holds eighteen thousand bottles, and other traditions say it holds eighteen hundred million barrels. I think it likely that one of these statements is a mistake, and the other is a lie. However, the mere matter of capacity is a thing of no sort of consequence, since the cask is empty, and indeed has always been empty, history says. An empty cask the size of a cathedral could excite but little emotion in me."

Karl Theodor Bridge (Old Town Bridge) spans the Nekar
(rhine-moselle.com)

Today, the Karl Theodor Bridge, better known among locals as the Old Town Bridge, is the ninth to span the Neckar River. As one of the most famous and important landmarks in Heidelberg, the first bridge was constructed of wood before later being rebuilt out of stone around the year 200.

When the Roman stone bridge collapsed, Heidelberg did without a pedestrian crossing for nearly a thousand years until 1254 when the new bridge, built on the site of the modern day structure, was directly aligned with the local market.

The current bridge has been standing on the site for approximately 250 years, although the south gate closest to the city, traces its history back to the Middle Ages.

Zum Ritter St. Georg has been welcoming guests since 1592
(Hotel Ritter Heidelberg

Just opposite the Town Hall sits the magnificent Zum Ritter St. Georg which has attracted visitors since 1592. Except for Heidelberg Castle, the Zum Ritter is the most photographed site in the city.

As one of the few buildings to survive the War of Succession, the Zum Ritter is today an elegant yet rustic hotel located in the heart of the city.

Interior of the Zum Ritter
(Hotel Ritter Heidelberg)

No historic university town would be without structures that have been converted into contemporary facilities. Heidelberg's Marstall, otherwise known as "Stables" in English, is just such a place. The 16th century building serves today as a cafeteria for the university.

As we said at the beginning, Heidelberg is a medieval city with a 21st century atmosphere nd that's part of the magic. Filled with pubs, cafes, museums and captivating restaurants.

You see, Heidelberg is just good old fashioned fun.