Things to do in Heidelberg
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Schiller's Café
Whisper quietly about this half-timbered cafe, housed in one of Heidelberg's oldest buildings, where the film Schiller, produced by ARD, was filmed in 2005. Hot chocolates like cannabis-cinnamon, homemade cakes, quiches, and wines are mostly organic and/or gluten-free.
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Brass Monkey
On the Altstadt, at the entrance to the bridge side, is a statue of a Brass Monkey holding a mirror and surrounded by mice: touch the mirror for wealth, the outstretched fingers to ensure you return to Heidelberg and the mice to ensure you have many children.
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Café Gekco
Far from the madding crowd, this groovy cafe has a palmlike canopy of halogen lights. It's great for brunch, lunch (€6 to €7), tapas and cocktails.
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Mensa Marstall
A well-liked student cafeteria two blocks north of Universitätsplatz.
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Deutsches Apothekenmuseum
Infinitely more fun than science lessons, the Deutsches Apothekenmuseum, off the courtyard, explores chemistry and pharmacology in centuries past. Look out for the hands-on kids' pharmacy (healthy tea anyone?) and miracle cures from opiates to, hmmm, unicorn. With a capacity of more than 220,000L, the 18th-century Grosses Fass (Great Vat) is the world's largest wine cask, shaped from 130 oak trees. Describing it as being 'as big as a cottage', Mark Twain bemoaned its emptiness and mused on its possible functions as a dance floor and gigantic cream churn.
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Studentenkarzer
From 1778 to 1914, students convicted of misdeeds, such as womanising, inebriation or freeing the local pigs, were tossed into the Studentenkarzer, behind the Alte Universität, where they were detained for at least three days and fed only bread and water. Delinquents doing more time could interrupt their sentence for critical reasons (say, to take exams). In certain circles, a stint in the Karzer was de rigueur to prove one's manhood. Judging by the inventive graffiti and inscriptions, some found their stay highly entertaining.
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Ruprecht-Karls-Universität
Despite witty observations about boisterous student duels and drunkenness, Mark Twain points out that 'idle students are not the rule' in Heidelberg in his 1880 novel A Tramp Abroad. Indeed Germany's oldest university, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, established in 1386 by Count Palatinate Ruprecht I, has plenty of gravitas with a student hall of fame starring composer Robert Schumann and chancellor Helmut Kohl. Today it comprises 18 faculties with 32,000 students from 80 nations.
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Schloss
Sticking up above the Altstadt like a picture-book pop-up against a theatrical backdrop of wooded hills, the partly ruined, red sandstone Schloss is Heidelberg's heart-stealer. Palatinate princes, stampeding Swedes, Protestant reformers, raging fires and lightning bolts - this Gothic-Renaissance fortress has seen the lot. Its tumultuous history, story-book looks and changing moods have inspired the pens of Mark Twain and Victor Hugo as well as Turner's prolific paintbrush.
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Philosophenweg
A stroll along the Philosophenweg, on the hillside north of the Neckar River, provides a welcome respite from the tourist hordes. Leading through steep vineyards and orchards, the path offers those great views of the Altstadt and the castle that were such an inspiration to the German philosopher Hegel. It's a well-known lovers' haunt, and many a young local is said to have lost their heart (and virginity) along the walkway.
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Jesuitenviertel
Just east of Universitätsplatz is the Jesuitenviertel, an attractive little square dominated by the city's recently renovated former Jesuitenkirche (Jesuit church), built of red sandstone between 1712 and 1750. On the façade are statues of Christ, Faith (on the rooftop), St Ignatius Loyola and St Francis Xavier. The Schatzkammer (treasury) displays precious religious objects.
reviewed
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Kurpfälzisches Museum
Tucked behind a courtyard, the intriguing Kurpfälzisches Museum condenses regional history. Among the highlights are 15th- to 20th-century paintings, Roman and Merovingian artefacts and a copy of the 600,000-year-old Heidelberg Man's jawbone (the original is stored across the river at the palaeontology centre).
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Rhein-Neckar Fahrgastschifffahrt
Runs cruises on the Neckar. Boats dock on the south bank of the Neckar about midway between the two bridges. It's a nice daytrip upriver to Neckarsteinach and its four castles, built by four brothers between 1100 and 1250 as a result of a family feud. Also offers other excursions to towns on the Neckar and Rhine.
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Heidelberger Zuckerladen
Kiddies be warned: the dentures and dentist's chair in the window of this cult sweet shop reveal what will happen to your gnashers if you overindulge on the Zuckerladen's bonbons, liquorice laces and fizzy sherbet. Marion Brecht is the eccentric candy man who adds magic to the pick 'n' mix with dice games.
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Heiliggeistkirche
The Heiliggeistkirche on the old market square, is a superb old Gothic church (1398-1441). From 1706 to 1936 there was a wall between the part used by Protestants and that used by Catholics; today, it's a Protestant place of worship. You can climb the 204 steps to the top of the church spire.
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Königstuhl
The upper section of the Bergbahn (funicular railway) uses rail cars dating from 1907. From the Schloss, it continues up to the Königstuhl (altitude 550m - over 400m above the Altstadt), where there's a view and a TV tower. The return fare includes a stop at the Schloss.
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Cave54
Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald have played the Cave, Germany's oldest student jazz club which opened in 1954. It hosts jam sessions at 8.30pm every Sunday. The DJ pumps out an eclectic mix of rock, blues and oldies until 3am on other nights of the week.
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Sultana
Keyhole arches, tadelakt -like walls and bursts of hot colour whisk you to Marrakech at this restaurant in the Hip Hotel. The menu is a Moroccan diffa (feast) of tagine, couscous and meltingly tender mechoui lamb.
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Botanischer Garten der Universität
Orchids, ferns and Madagascan succulents thrive in the verdant Botanischer Garten der Universität, part of the university's largest campus area. Take tram 4 or 5 to reach the garden, around 1km north of the Hauptbahnhof.
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Bergbahn
To get up to the Schloss you can either take the Bergbahn, with its spanking new cars, from the Kornmarkt station on Zwingerstrasse; or walk up the steep, cobbled Burgweg (about 10 minutes), right next to the Bergbahn station.
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Café Burkardt
Full of doily-draped nooks and dark-wood crannies, this nostalgic cafe tempts with Heidelberg's scrummiest tarts and cheesecakes. Opt for a table in the courtyard, where Weimar Republic president Friedrich Ebert was born.
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Universitätsbibliothek
A block south of Alte Aula, the Universitätsbibliothek, built from 1901 to 1905, displays rare books and prints from its superb collections in the upstairs corner Ausstellungsraum.
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Sobral
Brazilian designer Carlos Alberto Sobral has brought primary colours and pop-art creativity to catwalks across the globe. Find his jelly-bean bright jewellery and home accessories here.
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Deep
Self-consciously trendy, this lounge-club is on a mission to sex up this city with its virginal white decor, eye-candy crowd and uber-picky doormen. House and techno dominate the decks.
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Nachtschicht
Set in a cavernous old tobacco factory, this is one of Heidelberg's most popular clubs, attracting lots of students. The soundtrack skips from hip hop to house depending on the night.
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Märchenparadies
Children adore the kitschy cuteness of Märchenparadies, a mini-theme park with gentle rides, play areas and fairy-tale characters from Snow White to Rumpelstiltskin.
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