Travel Timo: Castle

Heidelberg is one of the rare German cities that were not bombarded in world war II - therefor it have a nice small city center with old looking buildings.

How to get from Frankfurt Airport to Heidelberg

If you fly to Germany - nearest international airport is in the Frankfurt - from Frankfurt airport you have a two choices:

Take a train from Airport to Heidelberg - you have to change at least once - most likely in Mannheim. Check the time schedule from Deutsche Bahn Web site.
Take a direct shuttle bus from Airport to Heidelberg - you can check the schedule from Lufthansa Airport shuttle web page. - if you are flying Lufthansa - you will get few euros discount.

Heidelberg Card

Heidelberg Card is useful - it gives you:

Map of the Wabe "125"
- Click to enlarge -

Free Public Transport in Great Heidelberg Area (Wabe "125") - includes City's VRN metro buses, trams, authorized trains (Deutche Bahn: 2nd class seats on RE, RB, and S-Bahn trains)
One free funicular transport to Molkenkur (via Castle) and back
One free entering into Castle
Discounts for some tours, restaurants, museums and (few) shopping places.

You can buy Heidelberg card from Tourist information at center of city or train station - or from some hotels.

Heidelberg card is available for 1, 2, 3, or 4 days.

City of Heidelberg

Old town

Old town is very nice - small - but nice.

There is only one thing I didn't like:

- Some old buildings had modern logos (as H&M) that didn't fit in the old architecture - it did kinda ruin the old nice building - but this was not too big problem in very center of the old town.

Heidelberg Castle

You cannot miss Heidelberg castle, it's well visible, and well worthy to visit inside.

Note: Heidelberg Card already include Funicular to Castle and Ticket to Heidelberg Castle for once.

Hills near Heidelberg

There is two hills near Heidelberg
- Behind the Castle is funicular to Königstuhl - nothing special in Königstuhl - You can get to Königstuhl via funicular (cost), walking or bus #39 (free with Heidelberg Card).

Funicular to Königstuhl

Königstuhl have also little restaurant with nice view to Heidelberg.

Across the river - there is Heiligenberg - much nicer hill than Königstuhl. Heilinberg have:

Heidelberger Thingstätte
Ruins of the Michaelskloster - Monastery of St. Michael (only open at Sundays),
Ruins of Heiligenbergturm
If you dare to climb up (or down), you might also see Bismarcksäule and nice little resting place.

NOTE: - Summer time only - Bus #38 to goes top of the hill only at Sundays (and public holidays) - other days - you have to walk up by yourself.

Heidelberger Thingstätte

Tiefburg - that smaller castle in Heidelberg

Tiefburg is located at north side of the river - it's nice, but very tiny castle, nothing much to see inside - but quite worthy to see if you have a time or you are around there.

Neuburg Abbey - not very impressive place to visit

Neuburg Abbey

Bus #34 can take you to Neuburg Abbey - but to me - there was nothing much to see, so I would suggest you to to skip this place and go to....

... Neckarsteinach

Neckarsteinach is 15min train travel far away and outside the Heidelberg Area - so you cannot use Heidelberg Card to travel there - but it cost only about 5e to travel to Neckarsteinach via train.

In Neckarsteinach - there is few small castles - and two very nice little castle ruins. - You must do little walk from train station of Neckarteinach to ruins of Hinterburg and Burg Schadeck - both castle ruins are free to go inside.


Hinterburg	Burg Schadeck

Neckarsteinach is also very peaceful place to visit for one day from Heidelberg.

Events in Heidelberg

Heidelberg Castle Illumination and Fireworks

Heidelberg Castle Illumination and Fireworks is held every 2nd Saturday of the June, July and September. If you are not near the city - do not miss it - the fireworks are always awesome.

Best location to watch the fireworks are on opposite river bank of the castle.

The fireworks begin around 22:00 (10pm) on local time.

First things to check

Get a Salzburg card - just getting to Fortress with funicular cost 11,30e (8,00e with footpath), but with Salzburg card you can do it once for free.
Normally - I prefer walking and hiking up - but going up with fortress funicular and walking down with footpath is actually good idea, because funicular and footpath are totally opposite locations in the fortress.
Fortress is large - there is few museums and things to do, if you try check them all, it might take quite many hours, perhaps even full day. Museums are also free with Salzburg card - once.

Landscape views from Hohensalzburg

When you come from Fortress funicular - there is two different landscape view - to old town of Salzburg and to backside view of the Salzburg.


Old town of Salzburg from Fortress	Backside view of Fortress

NOTE: Try to not miss the Old town of the Salzburg view from Fortress, if you see backside view of the fortress first, turn back, and try find the Salzburg view.

Entering into inside of Hohensalzburg

After viewing Landscape views - you get into Fortress, which is very interesting, outdoor streets are straight, wide and take you around the fortress.


In the Fortress	Main courtyard of Hohensalzburg

When you just keep walking around the fortress, you can see the well, cannon view to outside, little church and many other things...


The Well	Cannon view	Church

Museum Hohensalzburg

Fortress Museum is definitely worthy to visit at the same time, there is a lot information about fortress's daily life, weapons, kitchen, royal rooms and even the torture chamber.


Pistols in the Fortress Museum	Shame mask in the torture chamber


Royal toilet	Daily life item	The Private Chapel

Walking down from Fortress

Walking down from the Fortress is an interesting experience - walking down is steep and surprisingly long, the gate is strong and when walking down to outside - the fortress wall is just awesome - high and strong looking wall - impossible to capture.


The gate	Walking down is steep and long	Fortress wall is awesome

Travel Timo

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Traveling to Heidelberg