Heidelberg Travel Guide

Heidelberg University's Student Prison is a unique and amusing historical sight. This former "prison" for disciplining misbehaving students is now covered wall-to-wall with graffiti and inscriptions left by the confined students, vividly recording a different chapter of university history—a fun and distinctive spot in Heidelberg. The Studentenkarzer was set up in a building near the old-town campus and used from the 19th century into the early 20th. Back then, Heidelberg University (like many German universities) enjoyed a degree of autonomy, including jurisdiction over its students—those who committed minor misconduct (nighttime noise, dueling, drunkenness, pranks, public disorder, etc.) were not handled by the city police but locked up by the university in this special student prison to "reflect" for days to weeks. However, being sent to the student prison was then not a disgrace but rather seen by students as a rather "glorious," boast-worthy experience and even a tradition—confined students could often still attend classes and meet friends, living quite freely, and they covered the prison's walls and ceiling with graffiti, drawings, inscriptions, silhouettes and their "names" to mark the unique experience. Today these graffiti, weathered and covering the walls and ceiling in endless variety, are preserved intact, vividly and humorously telling the youthful stories of those students—great fun. Visiting Heidelberg University's graffiti-covered, one-of-a-kind student prison and glimpsing anecdotes of student life then is a light, fun and distinctive experience.

The Old Bridge is an ancient and elegant stone bridge across the Neckar in Heidelberg. This quaint, refined 18th-century stone arch bridge links the old town with the opposite bank, and with its graceful form, old bridge gate and superb views of the castle and old town, it is one of Heidelberg's most classic and romantic landmarks. The Old Bridge (formally the Karl Theodor Bridge) was built in the late 18th century on the order of Elector Palatine Karl Theodor—an elegant, sturdy multi-arch stone bridge spanning the winding Neckar, quaint and beautiful. On the old-town side stands an ancient, conspicuous medieval bridge gate (two round towers), once the old town's gate and fortification—full of antique charm, it is the bridge's symbol. On the bridge stand several statues, including one of Elector Karl Theodor and a famous bronze "Bridge Monkey"—legend has it that touching the monkey brings luck, wealth or a return to Heidelberg, so visitors have polished it shiny, great fun. Standing on or looking from the bridge, Heidelberg's most classic, enchanting picture appears: the winding Neckar, the green hills opposite, the castle ruins atop the hill, and the red-roofed old town weave together an unparalleled, romantic German old-town scene, especially intoxicating at dusk or sunset, and a superb spot to photograph Heidelberg. Crossing Heidelberg's quaint, romantic Old Bridge and taking in the classic castle-and-old-town panorama is a pleasant, enchanting classic experience.

Heidelberg Castle is Heidelberg's most famous landmark and one of Germany's and Europe's most celebrated castle ruins. This half-ruined, reddish-brown fortress perches above the old town and the Neckar, and with its beautiful yet decaying, romantic aura and superb overlook, it became a symbol of German Romanticism that has captivated countless people. Founded in the Middle Ages and expanded over centuries by successive Electors Palatine, it gradually grew into a grand palace-like castle complex blending Gothic, Renaissance and other styles, once the illustrious residence of the electors. However, the castle suffered repeatedly from war (especially the 17th-century conflicts) and lightning, was destroyed many times and never fully restored, becoming a magnificent ruin—and it is precisely this unique beauty of the incomplete, weathered yet still grand, together with its superb location, that made Heidelberg Castle a holy site of German Romanticism in the 18th–19th centuries, praised by Goethe and countless writers, a symbol of romance. Today, though a ruin, the castle remains spectacular—the incomplete yet gorgeous palace façade, elegant courtyards, ancient walls and towers, and treasures within (the famous Great Vat, the German Pharmacy Museum) are all worth visiting; and from the castle terrace you gaze far out to the red-roofed old town, the winding Neckar, the elegant Old Bridge and the distant valley—a breathtaking panorama. Visiting Heidelberg's magnificent, romantic castle ruins and taking in the old-town panorama is Heidelberg's not-to-be-missed number-one sight.