Orientation

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 of the southern bank. The western edge of the Altstadt is marked by Bismarckplatz, home to a bustle of transit activity and the beginning of the Hauptstrasse, Heidelberg’s main commercial artery, which runs east to west along the Altstadt and, at 1600m, is Europe’s longest pedestrian street. Stay off the red bike lanes, used by Heidelberg’s large-and-in-charge cyclist population.