Alte Brücke

Heidelberg


Heidelberg's 200m-long ‘old bridge’, built in 1786, connects the Altstadt with the river’s right bank and the Schlangenweg (Snake Path), whose switchbacks lead to the Philosophenweg.

Next to the tower gate on the Altstadt side of the bridge, look for the brass sculpture of a monkey holding a mirror. It's the 1979 replacement of the original 17th-century sculpture.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Heidelberg attractions

1. Heiliggeistkirche

0.13 MILES

For bird’s-eye views, climb the 208 stairs to the top of the tower of Heidelberg's famous church, constructed between 1398 and 1441. It was shared by…

2. Marktplatz

0.14 MILES

The Marktplatz is the focal point of Altstadt street life.

3. Hercules Fountain

0.14 MILES

In the middle of the Marktplatz is the Hercules fountain; in medieval times petty criminals were chained to it and left to face the populace.

4. Jesuitenkirche

0.22 MILES

Rising above an attractive square just east of Universitätsplatz, the red-sandstone Jesuits’ church, with an all-white interior, is a fine example of 18th…

5. Studentenkarzer

0.23 MILES

From 1823 to 1914, students convicted of misdeeds such as public inebriation, loud nocturnal singing, freeing the local pigs or duelling were sent to this…

6. Philosophenweg

0.24 MILES

Winding past monuments, towers, ruins, a beer garden, and an enormous Thingstätte (amphitheatre) built by the Nazis in 1935, the 2.5km-long Philosophers’…

7. Universitätsmuseum

0.25 MILES

The three-room University Museum, inside the Alte Universität building of Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, has paintings, portraits, documents and photos from…

8. Ruprecht-Karls-Universität

0.26 MILES

Established in 1386 by Count Palatinate Ruprecht I, Germany’s oldest and most prestigious university comprises 12 faculties with 30,000 German and…