DESTINATION
HEIDELBERG

On a visit to Heidelberg in 1797 the famous poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe extolled the charms and beauty of the Old Bridge and claimed Heidelberg to be one of the most beautiful cities in the whole of Germany. The Philosophers’ Way offers a delightful view across the Neckar River of the Old Town and the Castle. The strategic geographical importance of Heidelberg was evident as early as 1620, when the Swiss-German copper-plate engraver Matthäus Merian immortalized the view of the Old Town in his famous copperplate Large Town View of Heidelberg. Heidelberg Castle is one of the most significant and important examples of Renaissance architecture. The former Electoral Palatinate residential town is also famous for its University, the oldest one in Germany, and the picturesque Old Town attracts tourists from all over the world.