A weekend in Heidelberg

Heidelberg is a beautiful city in Germany – the most beautiful, at least according to their website – , which constitutes a hub for culture and science, with the prestigious Heidelberg university, a cancer research center (DKFZ), an institute of molecular biology (EMBL), and several Max Plank institutes. Even if science is not your thing, the city is worth it just to see all the beautiful attractions it has. Check with me this itinerary for a weekend in Heidelberg!

Day 1 – Old Town & Castle

Morning: Old Town, Heiliggeistkirche & Alte Brücke

I came to Heidelberg to visit one of my friends, who happens to work in one of the institutes. She lives in the city center, so we started our visit in the Altstadt (Old Town), a nice and typical German-style city center. As in most historical European cities, the old town was filled with small cafés, restaurants, and cute stores, giving it a very lively feeling.

One of the points to see in the city center is the Heiliggeistkirche, located right in front of the Markplatz and not too far from the Karlsplatz, a centric city square. It is an evangelic church, which has a very sober design inside. Another highlight of the city is the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge). Right before entering in the bridge, there is a landmark of a monkey, ideal to take photos with. On the bridge you can also see a monument to Minerva, and you get nice views of the town.

Afternoon: Schloss Heidelberg

In the afternoon, we decided to go to see the Schloss Heidelberg (Castle of Heidelberg). The castle dominates the views from Heidelberg, giving it a magical cityscape. The first signs of the castle date from before 1214. Later, the castle was destroyed by lightning, being already a ruin by 1880. Currenlty, the castle is easy to reach if you’re coming from the old town, from where you can just walk up, which takes 20-30 min or take a funicular that takes you uphill.

The castle is surrounded by a beautiful garden, which has panoramic views over the city. When we were there we could see multiple groups of people doing photoshoots, which speaks about the beauty of the place. The castle is partially in ruins, which adds to its charm.

Day 2 – Scholss Schwetzingen & Philosophenweg

Morning: Scholss Schwetzingen

In the morning, we decided to go out of the city and drove to the Schwetzingen Schloss (Palace of Schwetzinger). This palace is a short 20 min drive away from Heidelberg. You can visit the castle’s garden for 9€ or both the garden and the palace for 12€ (2025). Like with many palaces, the first construction dates from the 14th century, but it became what we see today with the reforms taking place in the 17th-18th centuries, when it became a Summer Palace.

The enclosure of the Palace consists of several different buildings, including the palace itself, there is a mosque (constructed for decoration), a temple of Mercury, and another temple to Minerva, among other smaller buildings. The gardens of the palace are pretty spectacular. One of my favorite parts was an apple garden, where people were just grabbing apples to eat. The whole visit took us around 3 h in total, although we took our time to walk around the gardens, as the weather was fantastic for a walk.

Afternoon: Philosophenweg, Botanical Garden & Neckarwiese

After we came back, we decided to walk to the new city part. We crossed the Old Bridge and walked down part of the Philosophenweg, a hiking trail with great views of the opposite side of the river. We strolled towards the Botanical Garden, which has a free entry and just walked around. When the sun was already setting, we walked back following the Neckarwiese, a nice park near the riverbank, with many people playing games and drinking beer.

Additional Viewpoints in Heidelberg

There are some additional places that you may be interested in:

• Heidelberg University & Student Prison (Studentenkarzer): Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University is Germany’s oldest and still one of the most prestigious in Germany. You can visit the historic library and the Student Prison, where mischievous students were once locked up for pranks and small mischivieos activities (you better weren’t getting drunk at the university in the 16th century!). The walls are covered in old graffiti and paintings, making it one of the quirkiest attractions in town.

• Königstuhl: For a nature escape, head up to the Königstuhl hill. It’s basically all the green area behind the Heidelberg Castle, with multiple hiking trails. At the summit, you’ll find panoramic views of Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley, plus forest trails and a falconry center.

• Heidelberg Zoo : Families might enjoy the Heidelberg Zoo, which is located nearby the botanical garden and DKFZ.

Additional destinations

Do you like old towns in Europe? Check out this post about Gdansk, a beautiful city in Poland, or Zürich, the largest city in Switzerland.