Heidelberg, Germany

Heidelberg is a city in south-west Germany. The fifth-largest city in the State of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Freiburg im Breisgau, Heidelberg lies on the River Neckar in a steep valley in the Odenwald. Heidelberg is a popular tourist destination due to its romantic and picturesque cityscape.

A major attraction in Heidelberg is the “old town”, located on the south bank of the Neckar. It is dominated by the ruins of the Heidelberg Castle, 80 metres above. The Main Street runs the length of the town and sites of interest include the old stone bridge, the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Karl’s gate and the “The house Zum Ritter Sankt Georg”.

Heidelberg is most famous as the site of the imposing ruins of Heidelberg Castle, a magnificent red sandstone building perched 330 feet above the river and former home of the Palatinate princes until it was partially destroyed by fire in the 17th century.

Things to See & Do

* The Altstadt (historical city center)
* The Castle
* The Heiligenberg mountain – great views over the old town
* The Thingstatte – open air theatre
* The Heiliggeistkirche Church

General Information

Cruise Season – March to Dec
Currency – Euro (€) (EUR)
Language – German
Land Area – 108.83 km²
Population – 147,330 approx.
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code – + 49

Port Location – The river port at Heidelberg is located on the Neckar River.

Travel Links – The nearest intercontinental airport is located at Frankfurt. Domestic flights can be taken from/to Stuttgart. Both Frankfurt and Stuttgart airports have train stations inside the terminal. Frankfurt Airport even is a major ICE-train stop.

There are direct train lines from Heidelberg to Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Frankfurt - and direct long distance trains to Munich, Vienna, Hamburg and Cologne usually running at least every 2 hours.