Home to the oldest university in Germany and the world renowned Heidelberg Schloss (castle), Heidelberg attracts numerous students and tourist a like. The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität is home to nearly 28,000 students and is one of Germany's largest academic institutions. Previous professors include the likings of Gustav Kirchhof; all of us Electrical Engineers remember the infamous Kirchhof laws and black body radiation! The university remains a leader with academics ranging from Egyptian Studies to Computer Linguistics. Although this would be a great place to pursue a dissertation, we hadn't come to Heidelberg to study.
We strolled around town to find the Altstadt (old city) and the Schloss. All of the Germans we approached were extremely helpful in pointing us in the right direction and after touring the Südstadt we arrived at the Marketplatz, a street full of boutiques and street vendors. We would loved to have purchased a handcrafted stein; however, at 20 plus Euros our budget only allowed us to photograph them. We ate a falafel and pide (authentic German food I know) at a local shop before our 300 meter trek up a slick cobblestone road to the castle. It's interesting how many kabob places there are in Germany that sell falafels and pizzas. There are at least three around the corner from our room in Frankfurt, but before I digress to much, back to Heidelberg.
Originally built in the 13th century, the castle has seen numerous expansions and destruction over the years. The history of the castle runs deep in the Renaissance period, however, not being an expert in the Renaissance I leave you to Wikipedia. The castle was interesting; however, a bit of a let down as there wasn't much to see beside the panoramic vista of the city and a 228,000 liter barrel for wine! So, we headed down to the Old Bridge for a few shots of the city and castle before catching the train back to Frankfurt.The next day will be spent exploring the Black Forest! (actually, we've visited them yesterday, but we have to keep you reading somehow :-P )
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3 comments:
Heidelberg was one of my favorite citys. I actually lived in the Altstadt back during the summer of 1980 when I was there for school. I can almost see my flat in the bridge pictures.
acck!! i love heidelburg--- and the cruise down the rhine is pretty fab!! so fun for you--- love the website- you guys are cracking me up and clearly having a blast!! keep it coming!! be safe and have fun! christine
hey, believe it or not I actually grew up for 13 years of my life in Heidelberg!!!! so glad ya'll were able to make it there!
-frank ramirez (from work)
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