History Round Every Corner

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Heidelberg 18/05/09-21/05/09


Every place has a history, but in Heidelberg you can really see and feel it. Walking the cobblestones of the longest pedestrian walkway in Europe, you look up and see grotesque gargoyles and graceful maidens adorning doorways and windows. On the hour, a cacophony of bells sounds across the city from centuries-old churches. Cycling past you on all sides are students attending the oldest university in Germany. On one hill stands a castle bearing evidence of successive ages, on another lies the site of Celtic, then Roman, then early Christian and finally Nazi structures. It’s all walkable and accessable and cute. Exploring the well-preserved buildings down narrow alleys can keep you entertained for hours.


But Heidelberg is by no means stuck in the past. It has huge shops and trendy boutiques and cafes to rival major cities and its large student population keeps the atmosphere fresh.
No wonder Heidelberg is so popular.


I enjoyed Heidelberg as well, but maybe I would have liked it more with a friend. Perhaps I am still feeling culture-shocked, but somehow Europe feels more lonely to me than Asia. I was blessed with some really nice weather while I was there, and luckily booked myself into one of the nicest and most homey hostels I’ve ever stayed in. Steffi’s Hostel has only been open a week and is located a few hundred meters from the train station. It’s spotless and spacious, has numerous hang-out spots and comfy beds, and offers free wi-fi, breakfast, and bicycles. The only complaint one may have is that it’s TOO quiet. I am still getting used to the clean and aesthetically pleasing living conditions in Europe with sit-down toilets, copious toilet paper, and hot showers, which I rarely encountered in SE Asia.


The day I arrived from Frankfurt I just wandered around the town and tried to get a feel for the old city. The train ride went super-smoothly, by the way.-the train was perfectly on time and comfortable. Day 2 I went for a jog to the tiny botanical gardens and found a colony of very loud frogs hanging out in the ponds. They were fun to watch. Then I went up to the castle and took a small tour around the interior…when am I going to be in a German castle again? The view from the castle over the town was breathtaking. I feel like I must have lived in a castle sometime in a past life, maybe at least as a servant. I followed up my tour with a delicious pretzel, my favorite German food thus far. Pumpkin seed-covered pretzels are pure bliss. Towards the evening I hiked up the hill on the opposite side of the Neckar river from the castle. Heiligenberg hill is one of the most significant historical sites in Heidelberg, as I later found out. On the way up you walk through cool lush green forest and get some incredible photo opportunities of the city and river. As you are reaching the peak you can climb an old tower. At the top you encounter a huge amphitheater and finally the ruins of a monastery. The amphitheater was built by the Nazis but the monastery is much much older and is apparently on a site that was previously used by Celts and Roman settlers. WOW! When I went there the sun was low in the sky and there was delicate green spring grass beginning to cover everything, with flowers poking through. My photos don’t do justice to the magic of the place. Day 3 in Heidelberg I was determined to see the Palatinate Museum. It had some amazing interior décor pieces which really helped me get the feel of life in those times. I have no idea what a palatinate or electors are, but it was the way government worked in those days. It also had some archaeological history, including a replica of the jawbone of Heidelberg man, a prehistoric human ancestor discovered in Heidelberg. In the evening I jogged along the riverbank, which is where everyone, EVERYONE hangs out in the evenings. All ages, all cliques and social groups, gather on the green lawns along the river to play sports, drink, picnic, stroll, and strut. It’s an amazing scene of perfect town bliss and functionality.

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Photos

View of Heidelberg Schloss from Kornmarkt
Schloss= castle

Comments

[abalada]

Palatinate / electors
Palatinate - the name of the principality of which Heidelberg (later Mannheim) was the capital city of. electors - the 4 dukes (among them the one of the Palatinate) and 3 bishops who elected the king/emperor of the Holy Roman Empire

[Joyce Bayne]

Amazing Architecture
The castle ruin Heidelberg - History says the French demolished the castle and stole the blue print. Each statue was a member of the castle right down to the workers.