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Published: March 1st 2024
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Heidelberger Schloss
Heidelberger Schloss - Heidelberg Castle. Dicker Turm ruin and Rondel from the Kornmarkt.
"The Castle (640 ft.), situated on the 'Jettenbühl', a wooded spur of the Königstuhl, may possibly have been founded by Conrad of Hohenstaufen (d. 1195), but more probably by Count Palatine Lewis I (1214-31). A more imposing building was erected by Rupert III (1398-1410), who was elected Roman king at Rhens in 1400. The castle and the fortifications were enlarged by the electors Frederick I 'the Victorious' ( 1449-76), and Lewis V (1508 44). The palatial parts of the edifice were afterwards erected by the electors of the 16th and 17th cent., particularly Otho Henry (1556-59), Frederick IV (1583-1610), and Frederick V (1610-2 ), King of Bohemia (husband of Elizabeth, daughter of James I of England )."--Baedeker 1911.
DSC_0012p1 Viking Sigrun docked at Mannheim as the port for shore excursions to Heidelberg. When I think of Heidelberg, Sigmund Romberg's musical
The Student Prince immediately comes to mind. That may not work for everyone, but it does for me. 😊 But the university is but part of the attraction of Heidelberg. Heidelberg is inland from the Rhine, on the Neckar River. The major item to see is
Schloss Heidelberg, the ruined castle above the city. The town is situated on a cliffside rising sharply from the river. Hence, the castle is at the very top of the cliff. Arriving in Heidelberg, the coach made for the castle following a series of switchbacks up the hillside. (There is also a funicular up to the castle from the town.) Our local guide pointed out that one of the houses along the way is the headquarters of a
Studentenverbindung, one of the traditional German university fraternities.
The castle,
Heidelberger Schloss, itself is a ruin but has seen a degree of restoration. Begun in the 13th century, the castle was greatly expanded in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The prince-electors of the Palatinate commissioned a series of Renaissance buildings to be built around
Heidelberger Schloss
Heidelberger Schloss - Heidelberg Castle. Achteckieger Turm (Octagonal Tower) and rear of Gläserner Saalbau and Friedrichsbau from Karlsplatz.
"The Castle (640 ft.), situated on the 'Jettenbühl', a wooded spur of the Königstuhl, may possibly have been founded by Conrad of Hohenstaufen (d. 1195), but more probably by Count Palatine Lewis I (1214-31). A more imposing building was erected by Rupert III (1398-1410), who was elected Roman king at Rhens in 1400. The castle and the fortifications were enlarged by the electors Frederick I 'the Victorious' ( 1449-76), and Lewis V (1508 44). The palatial parts of the edifice were afterwards erected by the electors of the 16th and 17th cent., particularly Otho Henry (1556-59), Frederick IV (1583-1610), and Frederick V (1610-2 ), King of Bohemia (husband of Elizabeth, daughter of James I of England )."--Baedeker 1911.
DSC_0030p1 the inner courtyard. Visitors see these structures today. In the late 17th century, the French repeatedly attacked and ultimately destroyed the castle in the War of the Grand Alliance. The castle was at its height for only a little over a century. The castle lost, the Electors relocated the capital to Mannheim.
Our tour started at the Elizabeth Gate, built by Frederick V for his wife, Elizabeth Stuart. (She was the daughter of James I.) Below it was the
Stückgarten, a garden terrace overlooking Heidelberg and the River Neckar. One can see the ruins of the castle's west side along the old bastions. Then, crossing the moat and proceeding through the Tortum gatehouse, we entered the courtyard. The Courtyard (
Schlosshof) is the heart of the castle. At the immediate right Is the Soldatenbau, an Italian Renaissance-inspired loggia. Clockwise around the courtyard stand the 15th-century Gothic Ruprechtsbau and Bibliotheksbau, then the great Renaissance structures: Friedrichsbau, Gläserner Saalbau, Arcade, and Ottheinrichsbau. Each Elector tried to outdo his predecessor. Statues on the façade of the Friedrichsbau attempt to trace Frederick IV's lineage back to Charlemagne. Almost lost in the ensemble is the modest Ludwigsbau of 1524 at the far end of the
Elisabethpforte
Heidelberger Schloss - Heidelberg Castle. Elisabethpforte - Elizabeth Gate. Entrance to the castle garden.
"... the Elisabeth-Pforte, erected by Frederick V in 1615 in honour of his consort ..."--Baedeker 1911.
DSC_1017 ensemble. The Englischerbau, tucked in behind the courtyard, was built for Elizabeth Stuart to give her a grand view of the Neckar Valley.
Returning to town, we had a bit of free time to explore. Susan wanted to visit the Käthe Wohlfahrt branch store on Hauptstraße. On along the way to the famous Christmas store, we saw the Gothic Heiliggeistkirche and the Universitätsplatz with its Löwenbrunnen (Lion Fountain). Soon, it was time to meet to return to the coach and the ship. Our meeting point was in front of the Gasthaus "Zum Roten Ochsen." I didn't know it then, but this was one of the famous student taverns of Heidelberg, a real "Inn of the Three-Golden Apples!" Down a side street was Kulturbrauerei Heidelberg, a modern tavern in the traditional style. which I did visit. The coach took the group from Heidelberg to the village of Gernsheim on the Rhine, where we re-boarded Viking Sigrun.
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Sevenhills0
Samuel David
Beautiful Pictures
I felt like I was back in Heidelberg....very evocative pictures!