A few days ago, I found myself back in Heidelberg for work. It’s a beautiful city I’ve visited a few times already, and it’s located just south of Frankfurt, in the direction I come from. In the past, I didn’t really have time to explore the city much, but this time I decided to make the most of it. I took an extra day before my meetings to get to know the city a little better. So, in the evening around 6 PM, I hopped on the tram and made my way to the city center, heading for the train station. There, I spent quite a while chatting with a colleague, catching up on things. After our long conversation, I walked through the Heidelberg train station and stopped at a taxi stand to ask for directions to the Old Bridge. The taxi driver kindly pointed me in the right direction, so I started walking. Less than 20 minutes later, I found myself by the Neckar River, which flows through Heidelberg and past its charming Old Town. It felt great to finally take in the city’s beauty at my own pace.
From there, you could already see many impressive sights – for example, large cargo ships sailing along the Neckar River. The surrounding landscape is really beautiful, especially in the evening when the sun starts to set lower in the sky. Along the edges of the river, there were several small boats, just waiting to set sail! It all gave the place a peaceful yet exciting vibe, as if everything was ready for an adventure at any moment.
As I walked a bit further, crossing the first bridge on my way to the Old Town, I was treated to a beautiful view of the Neckar River winding through the landscape, with my destination in the distance. There, I could spot the famous Old Bridge of Heidelberg, and perched on the hillside in the background was Heidelberg Castle. From afar, I could hear a lot of people and also a loudspeaker constantly announcing something. When I finally reached the end of the bridge, I saw what was going on. A large group of people had gathered in a circle, doing some sort of exercise, with instructors in the middle guiding them through the movements. It was lively and energetic, adding an extra charm to the already picturesque scene.
What I found especially cool was that I could walk right along the riverbank – it felt really refreshing, especially since I wasn’t walking very slowly. The cool breeze and the view were exactly what I needed. From down there, you also get an amazing view of Heidelberg Castle, which looked even more impressive from this angle. It felt like the perfect mix of nature, exercise, and beautiful scenery all at once.
At the end of the long walk along the river, I reached a staircase near the Old Bridge, which I decided to climb. At the top, there was an ice cream vendor selling fresh homemade ice cream. I chose a scoop of strawberry in a cup. Yes, just one scoop, because I thought €2 per scoop was a bit much... I can still remember when a scoop used to cost only 50 cents! Well, at least the ice cream was delicious and a great refreshment after the long walk by the water. Walking across the Old Bridge was exciting and really cool, and standing in front of the grand entrance gate was just as impressive. Behind the gate, you could step straight into Heidelberg’s Old Town, which has tons of shops and places to eat. At one square, I took my last photo of the evening, where you could look up at the mountain and see Heidelberg Castle from a diagonal angle. It was a perfect way to end the day.
All in all, it was a great decision to arrive a day earlier for my job in Heidelberg and take the time to explore the city a bit more. If I find myself in Heidelberg again, for whatever reason, I’ll definitely make sure to give myself more time to check out the rest of the city, the castle, and the surrounding castles as well. It was definitely worth the extra time, and I’m sure there’s still much more to discover.