Heideberg ~

Heidelberg is the fifth-largest city in the German state &; home to the oldest university in

 Germany with roughly quarter of its population dense more to the student

Booked this Airbnb due to its beautiful scenery from day till dusk ~

It was getting a bit warm in Heidelberg! 

Sunday in Germany is totally a rest day! Most of the shopping malls, shop are all

close while the tourist attractions are open cater to tourist which includes

 some gift shops and perhaps café and restaurant. 

So Sunday is the tourist attraction day!

Visited the Heidelberg Castle!

Located 80m up on the norther part of hillside, 

either a funicular railway or the traditional climb up steps.

I choose the latter because when you look back, the view is dying for!

The castle has a history almost as old as the city itself.

The castle is a combination of several buildings surrounding an inner courtyard,

 put together with a haphazard look. Each building highlights a different

 period of German architecture.

Just as breath-taking as the castle is from the city, so too is the city from the castle. 

From either the Great Terrace or the gardens, one has an amazing view of Heidelberg.

The Heidelberg Tun, or the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel”, was built in 1751 

by Prince Elector Karl Theodor to house the wine paid as taxes by the 

wine growers of the Palatine. It stands seven meters high, is eight and a half meters wide, 

holds 220,000 liters (58,124 gallons) of wine, and has a dance floor built on top of it.

 The court jester who guarded the cask during the reign of Prince Elector Carl Philip,

 a Tyrolean dwarf nick-named Perkeo, was supposedly known for his ability to drink large 

quantities of wine. Legend has it that he died when he mistakenly drank a glass of water.

Decided to took a funicular railway down since it was included in the way ticket.

Here we are at the oldest part of the city, the Alstadt which just sits below the Schloss

It extends along the river for a mile, with Karlstor on one end, and Bismarckplatz on the other. In between, is a wonderful combination of old and new buildings, narrow streets, market squares, arts, history, science, shopping, eating and relaxing.

The Hauptstraße is the main road through the Altstadt, and is where most of the shopping 

is centered. Other points of interest that can be found in the Altstadt include the Marktplatz, 

the Kornmarkt, the Church of the Holy Ghost, the Palatinate Museum, Synagogue Square,

 The University, Marstall, Heuscheuer, the Friedrich Memorial, and the Old Bridge.

According to legend, the bronze monkey on Heidelberg’s Old Bridge was meant 

remind those who crossed it from either side to look over their shoulders 

at where they’ve come from. Whether a Heidelberg citizen lived inside or outside 

of the city, it reminded them they were no better than their respective counterpart.

The head is hollow with eye holes, which now allows visitors to take selfies while 

using it as a mask.

The monkey is said to be good luck. 

Rubbing the mirror will bring you money;

rubbing his fingers will ensure your return to Heidelberg.

Rubbing the little bronze mice nearby will bring you fertility.

The Karl Theodor Bridge, commonly known as the Old Bridge, is an arch bridge 

in Heidelberg that crosses the Neckar river. It connects the Old City with the

 eastern part of the Neuenheim district of the city on the opposite bank

Since weather was good, and we are feeling very philosophy,we walk the way up to the
Philosopher's Way (Philosophenweg), a way upslope among the estate of the rich.

The Philosophers Walk in Heidelberg, or the Philosophenweg, is a path located on the northern banks of the Neckar River in Heidelberg, Germany. Historically, this was just a simple rough path through the vineyards; however, it would later be renamed Philosophenweg during the Romantic Period because of the many professors and philosophers of Heidelberg who enjoyed the path for its solitude, natural beauty, and great views of the town.

Today, this path is still there, complete with gardens and informational plaques, offering lovely views of the Neckar River, Old Town of Heidelberg, and Heidelberg Castle. These views of Heidelberg from along this path are said to have inspired the famous German poets Joseph von Eichendorff and Friedrich Hölderlin in their writings. On our recent trip to Germany, we stopped in Heidelberg specifically to see the views along this path and see if we could indeed find some of that solitude and beauty that made this path so appealing to the Romantic artists and philosophers.

Thank you Heidelberg for your charm and character in abundance between 
the bridge, the mighty castle, the hearty cuisine and the picturesquare of 

the river and forest.