Sights In Heidelberg

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Hello Friends

I’m finally posting a few pictures taken while sight seeing in Heidelberg.

I’ve toured the Castle twice now and I’m certain I’ll give it a third visit before I leave. Most of the castle was built between 1400 and 1620. It is a ruin now. Some of it was destroyed in wars with France as the Germans and French battled over the city as well as by lightening. Inside you’ll find the Great Tun which, apparently, is the biggest wooden barrel in the world to ever be filled with wine. There are other buildings on the castle grounds which I have yet to visit, which is why I’ll need the third visit. ;-)

Another popular attraction is the old bridge with spans the Neckar River. It has been destroyed at least 8 times by floods, ice flows and being blown up by the French. The towers at one end were built as part of the medieval fortification of the city. Right next to the towers you’ll find a sculpture of a monkey, which I thought was a cat at first because of the little mice next to it. Apparently the mice are actually the artists’ signature. I learned on a walking tour of the city that someone had once stolen the private parts (yes, the monkey is anatomically correct) of the sculpture and the artist repaired the sculpture with a sturdier replacement.

One of the city’s biggest employers in Heidelberg is Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (Heidelberg Printing Machines). Right next to the main train station is their Print Media Academy which is one of the coolest looking buildings in town. Inside is a training centre as well as the Print Media Lounge with one of the largest cocktail menus I’ve ever seen. Outside is the “S-Printing Horse,” made of aluminum and the largest horse sculpture in the world.

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