Heidelberg is most famous for its Old Castle. The castle, which was built in the 14th century, presides majestically over the Old Town of Heidelberg.

　　For more than four centuries, Heidelberg was the residence of the Prince Electors of the Palatinate. It was Prince Elector Ruprecht III (1398-1410) who erected the first representative building as a regal residence in the inner courtyard. Another regal building, Fountain Hall, is located opposite the Ruprecht Building. Prince Elector Philipp (1476-1508) was said to have arranged the transfer of the hall’s columns from one of Charlemagne’s decayed palaces to Heidelberg. The Prince Electors of the 16th and 17th century turned the fortress into a castle and added two representative palace buildings to the complex.

　　The two dominant buildings at the eastern and northern sides of the courtyard were erected during the rule of Ottheinrich (1556-1559) and Friedrich IV (1583-1610). Today, they are considered to be two of the most important buildings in German architectural history. The castle and its garden were destroyed, however, during the 30 Years’ War. In spite of its Gothic interior, it was not until 1934 that the King’s Hall was added.

　　Walking uphill along the small stone-paved road, you can see different architectural styles unfold as clearly as a history book — from the Gothic period right through to the High Renaissance.

　　In Heidelberg, the ruins of the castle, the weather-beaten walls, the Baroque style of the residential quarters among the hills, and the singing of the birds, all combine to create a scene of serenity and antiquity.

　　Old Bridge

　　Retreating from the castle to the old bridge that crosses Neckar River, you might think that you are looking at a picture. The mysterious ruins of the castle are seated at the center of the picture, with some Baroque style quarters, and three Baroque style cathedrals that tower over the small town of to the side.

　　The bridge, called “Old Bridge,” is wooden. Prince Elector Karl Theodor was the first ruler to construct a stone bridge in this area, sometime between 1786 and 1788. The medieval bridge gate on the town side was originally part of the town wall. Baroque tower helmets were added when the stone bridge was constructed in 1788. The West Tower contains dungeons, whereas the East Tower holds a spiral staircase.

　　A few steps east of it, visitors will find the Drinking Gate. During the Middle Ages, cattle were driven through this gate to water. Johann Wolfgang Goethe described the bridge in 1797 as follows: “From here, the bridge shows its entire beauty like perhaps no other bridge in the world. Through the arches one can see the Neckar flowing down to the flat regions of the Rhine, and above them the pale blue mountains beyond the Rhine in the far distance.”

　　Under you flows the so-called father river of Heidelberg, the Neckar River. Houses stand along the bank of the river or lie within the forest. And of course the beautiful old castle forms the backdrop. “I have never enjoyed a view which had such a serene and satisfying charm about it as this one gives,” Mark Twain, the legendary American writer, said of Heidelberg in 1878.

　　Heidelberg University

　　Heidelberg is city of contrast, where tradition and innovation sit happily side by side.

　　Heidelberg is equally famous for its university, and its old culture. Maybe some figures will help you to see why this small town is so famous for its university. Heidelberg University, founded in 1386 by Ruprecht I, is the oldest university in Germany; among the 139,941 people more than 28,000 are students; among the annual 3.3 million visitors to Heidelberg, about 60 percent come primarily for work-related reasons, many of them attending international academic conferences or seminars. Three of the world’s 25 top life science research addresses are in Heidelberg: the university, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and the German Cancer Research Center.

　　The Technology Park, set up in 1985 and mainly harboring young biotechnology companies, is Germany’s first Biopark. Even in the 19th century, Heidelberg University was a bastion of the very latest research and teaching. It was from here that noted lawyer Anton Thibaut launched his campaign for a German Civil Code in 1814. Hegel, the famous philosopher, taught at the Philosophy Department from 1816 to 1818, while chemists Bunsen and Kirchhoff discovered spectral analysis here in 1860. Heidelberg also boasts several Nobel Prize winners, including Otto Meyerhof (Physiology, 1922), Richard Kuhn (Chemistry, 1938), Walter Bothe (Physics, 1954), Hans Daniel Jensen (Physics, 1963), George Wittig (Chemistry, 1979) and Bert Sakmann (Medicine, 1991).

　　Enough has been mentioned about the cultural heritage and vibrance of this city. Tradition and innovation are so perfectly mingled that when you have toured the old castle and the old bridge, you find yourself suddenly standing in front of the university square! The Conference of Education Ministers has included Heidelberg (the old part of the town, castle and surrounding landscape) in the preliminary German list for registration as a UNESCO World Heritage site following a decision taken October 23, 1998.

　　Heidelberg is the most picturesque city in Germany.

　　With a population of 139,941, Heidelberg is a very small town. But every year approximately 3.3 million visitors pass through Heidelberg. The majority of the non-German visitors are from the U.S.A. and Japan, although a reasonable number come from the U.K., Switzerland and Italy, said Mr. Thomas Duempelmann, head of the Heidelberg Tourist Information Office.