Over the years, this sun-drenched town on the Neckar and its crumbling schloβ have beckoned to much of the world's intellectual elite, from Mark Twain and Victor Hugo, to Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Holderlin, and Robert Schumann. During the summer, scores of tourists also answer the call, and even off-season the camera-touting legions swarm Hauptstrasse, where postcards and T-shirts sell like hotcakes and every sign is posted in four languages. The incessant buzz of tourism, however, does little to detract from Heidelberg's beautiful hillside setting, bustling riverside, and legendary nightlife. In many ways, Heidelberg (pop. 145,000) epitomizes the unique German university town, which combines the crushing weight of history, the fun-loving disaffection of its students, and a ubiquitous effort to market itself to foreigners with pocket-sized souvenirs.
About 20km east of the Neckar's confluence with the Rhein, Heidelberg stretches along the river for another several kilometers, with most of the city's attractions in the Altstadt, the eastern quarter ...more
Steffi's Hostel, Alte Eppelheimerstr. 50 (www.hostelheidelberg.de), Walk up to the third floor of this brick building to enter a hostel haven. At Steffi's, rooms are incredibly clean and come with floor-to-ceiling ...more
Heidelberger Schloß, Heidelberg owes its existence to the imposing castle that towers above the town and overlooks the river. Its construction began in the 14th century but the castle was expanded, destroyed ...more
Being the big student town it is, Heidelberg is no stranger to cheap and tasty food. That said, being the big tourist town it is, Heidelberg also has its fair share of overpriced food (mostly along the ...more
Heidelberg's nightlife scene is rife with students looking for good times, so you can hardly go wrong. Downtown, skip the touristy bars along the Hauptstr. and walk one block north to Unterestr., where ...more
Winter visitors should see the Faschingsparade (Mardi Gras Parade) cavort through the city on Fat Tuesday. In warmer weather, the first Saturdays in June and September and the second Saturday in July draw ...more
Heidelberg's main shopping street, the Hauptstr., has enough stores to fulfill anyone's wildest makeover fantasies. The more scholarly will enjoy the bookstores full of Old World charm and English books ...more
Tourist Offices: Located outside the Hauptbanhof (Willy-Brandt-Platz 1.☎ 06221 194 33. www.heidelberg-marketing.de $ City guide map €1, downloadable from the website. Self-guided ...more
Some 14km upstream from Heidelberg, Neckarsteinach is a small village made famous by its four castles. The castles were built during the 12th and 13th centuries by the Steinachs, feudal tenants of the ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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