This Euro summer has me heading off to southern Germany with cheeky little jaunts into France (Strasbourg) and Austria (Salzburg). My first stop? Heidelberg!
When deciding where I wanted to adjust to my jet lag, I wanted it to be a smaller German town, a little away from Frankfurt Airport (but not too long after that 8-hour red-eye). I also wanted at least one tourist attraction (a castle) and an easy connection onwards to Strasbourg, where I would be meeting up with my friend Jill. All those roads (and one 1-hour FlixBus) led me to Heidelberg.
Upon finally settling into my hotel (Premier Inn Heidelberg City Zentrum), I had a quick power nap and then headed out for dinner. I knew I wanted to try something local and very German, so I found a restaurant (Krokodil) that served up a delicious dish called Flammkuchen. This is like a very thin white sauce-based pizza, originating from the border areas of Alsace in France and southwestern Germany. It was delicious, and I devoured most of it. I paired it with a Radler because... when in Germany, one must drink beer!
To try and stave off the jet lag sleepiness, I walked to Bismarckplatz, a transit hub close to the Altstadt (Old Town) and the Neckar River. I was super tired, though, and despite my best efforts, was back in bed before 9 p.m.
Heidelberg is mainly known for two things: its University and its ruined Castle. The University plays a major role in this city, being Germany's oldest university and producing numerous Nobel Prize winners and academics (e.g. Dmitri Mendeleev - created the Periodic Table of Elements, Max Born - quantum physics, Max Weber - "the father of modern sociology"). While I didn't have time to visit it, there is also a student prison museum (Studentenkarzer) because the university used to operate its own autonomous legal jurisdiction until 1914 and used to jail students for things like disturbing the peace (often while drunk), playing pranks, or participating in illegal fencing duels... en garde!
I started my day in Heidelberg by wandering down the Hauptstraße (main street) in the Altstadt. It's a 1.8 km pedestrian zone full of shops, cafés, and restaurants.
I had lunch at a unique place called Matcha & TofuTasche where I had these delicious things they called TofuTasche (tofu pockets made out of the same stuff as in Inari sushi and then filled with vegetables and sauces). So good, even if not very Germanic.
I visited two churches in the area, as one does whenever in Europe: the Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) and the Jesuit Church. Both held different beauty inside, and I thought the Holy Spirit one was a bit more impressive.
The Holy Spirit Church used to be physically split by a wall for over 230 years to allow Catholics and Protestants to simultaneously worship until eventually returning to being solely a Protestant church in the 1930s. There was also a beautiful note in the church celebrating acceptance and inclusivity, which my agnostic ideology appreciated.
Speaking of acceptance, there was unfortunately a very terrible homophobic terror attack that took place in Berlin four days before. Outside of the Rathaus (the Town Hall), there was a lovely memorial set up to honour the victims.
I mentioned earlier that Heidelberg is known for two things, and while I didn't go to the university, I did go to the castle! I booked a tour through NiceGuides, and while it wasn't the best tour I've ever been on (hats off to my D-Day Beaches tour guide last year), I did appreciate having someone share information about what I was seeing, as if I did it solo, I wouldn't have learned anything (no info signs anywhere except in the random Apothecary Museum).
Heidelberg Castle was the residence of the Counts Palatine of the Rhine (medieval lords), who later became the Prince-Electors ("High-ranking princes of the Holy Roman Empire who had the special privilege of voting to elect the German king and Holy Roman Emperor."). Each ruler built different buildings and wings until the French destroyed it during the Nine Years' War. It's now maintained as a historical ruin, with one section being more fully restored with interior rooms depicting the bygone age (but that was extra money and a different tour I didn't partake in).
Some highlights I learned:
* The whole castle is primarily built from local red sandstone.
* The moat didn't have water in it and was considered a dry moat where they kept animals to hunt/eat... like a live grazing refrigerator since meat didn't keep well.
* Elizabeth Gate was made by Frederick V for his English wife, Elizabeth Stuart, as a birthday gift. It led to the Princess's private garden. Legend says that the gate was built in one night as a surprise and that for every animal she found carved into the pillars, she would get a kiss.
* Our guide told us the original silver coat of arms on the gate was taken by the French and melted down into memorial coins depicting the burning of Heidelberg, leaving only the outline of the shield today.
* Legend tells of a knight who leapt from a castle window after being discovered visiting a lady-in-waiting, leaving his footprint in the sandstone. Legend says if your foot fits in it, you'll live a happy life. Mine fit... so I'm choosing to believe it. 😏
* There was an Apothecary (Medicine) Museum in the castle that showcased different displays of pharmacies from the medieval to Renaissance periods. If I had a nickel for every time I went to an apothecary exhibit in a small offbeat European town, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right? (See last year's adventure in Beaune, France.)
One of the coolest things in the castle, though, was a world record... the world's largest wine barrel! Built in 1751, the Heidelberg Tun holds 220,000 litres of wine. Winegrowers paid part of their taxes in wine, which was stored together in the enormous barrel. Needless to say, not a tasty vintage. So instead, this became the servants' wine, and they reportedly received three litres of wine per day. There's also a dance floor built on top of the barrel!
After taking the funicular down the hill back to the Old Town and having a delicious apple cinnamon bun at Zeit für Brot (best name! "TIME FOR BREAD"!), I headed to the Old Bridge. Now made of stone, but previously of wood, it provided a gorgeous view of the castle from below.
Despite having to double back, I ended up finding the Heidelberg Monkey Statue. It was meant to mock political rivals across the river and holds a mirror to remind people of their own vanity and human flaws. Somehow that has now morphed into "if you touch the mirror, you will gain wealth." There are also two little mice beside the statue ("if you rub them, you'll be blessed with many children") and a poem from the 17th century that translates to:
Why are you staring at me?
Haven't you seen the old monkey in Heidelberg?
Look around and you probably will see—
more monkeys like me!
After gaining my wealthy superpower and determining that I too am a monkey, I headed back to the hotel for a classic jet lag blunder. My 15-minute nap went on for 45 minutes, and I woke up with a start. This would prove bothersome, as later that night I couldn't fall asleep until 3:30 a.m.!
I stumbled out of the hotel and to a nice local restaurant called Schwarzer Peter, where I tried an Alsatian/southern German dish called Spätzle and, in pure Susan style, ordered the cheese version (Käsespätzle). It was incredibly rich and extremely cheesy. Not the ideal dinner for a tired girl in 37-degree heat. I unfortunately only ate about a quarter of it, but did enjoy what I could eat.
Next up is a bus to Strasbourg, France, where I will be meeting up with my friend Jill.
Tschüss, Germany! I'll be back in 3 days. :)
