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.