Five years ago my boyfriend and I started our own New Year’s tradition when we escaped all of the family obligations by going away to London for a week. For us, the final three months of the year are always filled with many festivities, birthdays and hectic schedules. After all of the holiday madness, we long for some quality time together. Since that first New Year’s getaway five years ago we have visited the beautiful cities of Vienna, Zurich and Edinburgh. This year we decided to visit the country where many fairy tales were born: Germany. Combine Christmas decorations with castles and towns that look like they were designed by Disney and you have the perfect recipe for a magical ending of the year. 

If you love medieval towns that are overlooked by their own castle then Heidelberg is the place to be. Heidelberg is a small town with a large history in the southwest of Germany. It is home to the oldest university in Germany, founded in 1386. Heidelberg and its university have been home to 56 Nobel Prize Laureates. Quite an accomplishment for such a quaint and gorgeous little town! History buffs and urban explorers won’t be bored here... 

We spent a week in Heidelberg and I will tell you all about the dos and don’ts of this picturesque little town. December is the perfect time of the year to visit Germany because of the Christmas decorations all around. Christmas is my absolute favourite holiday period. I love the cosiness of fairy lights, beautifully decorated Christmas trees and of course it’s the perfect excuse to treat yourself to an extra cookie (or two). Germans go absolutely crazy for Christmas; towns are decorated with gorgeous Christmas trees, lights are hung all around and to top it all off they have some of the best Christmas markets in Europe. What’s not to love?! In all fairness, we arrived right after Christmas on the 28th of December. Luckily Santa had not yet gone back to the North Pole, so I could prolong my Christmas buzz just a little longer. 

Travel Tips for Germany

‍Before I give you the lowdown on all things Heidelberg, I have four very important tips on Germany in general to make your life just a little bit easier: 

• ‍Cash is king. We are not that used to having lots of cash at hand. We like paying by card wherever we go. It turns out in Germany that is not always possible. In most chain shops and larger restaurants you can pay by card, but make sure to check beforehand. We found out the hard way a couple of times. Luckily there are plenty of ATMs around. 
• Shops are closed on Sunday. If you plan on visiting during the weekend then plan your activities. Germany’s shops still uphold the Sunday rest and are closed during this day. Most bars and restaurants are open though. Museums and zoos are usually open on Sunday but be sure to check.
• New Year’s Eve. Shops, museums and zoos usually have adjusted opening hours on the 31st of December and New Year’s Day. They are usually closed or will close early in the afternoon on the 31st. 
• Reservations by phone. We love the internet and the possibilities that technology brings us. I can spend hours online just to research places, restaurants or get lost down the rabbit hole of Pinterest. I make most of my reservations and purchases online. Not in Germany though, if you want to make a reservation at a restaurant you better pick up your phone to make an old fashioned phone call. Purchasing tickets online to bypass the queue for an activity? Forget about it, and hope that the line is short. 

Heidelberg Holiday Guide

‍Now without further ado, I’ll take you with me on this magical end of the year trip. We spent four full days exploring this wonderful little town, but that is just because we were slow to rise in the morning and walked everywhere on foot. Heidelberg is the perfect size for a weekend getaway. Two to three days is plenty to experience all that Heidelberg has to offer. I’ll tell you exactly what to do and what to avoid in this Heidelberg holiday guide.

Altstadt 

‍Heidelberg is nestled in between two hills on the Neckar river. The Old Town or ‘Altstadt’ as they say in German is the gorgeous centre where you will find cobblestone streets, an old bridge and mesmerizing buildings dating back to the 17th century. Unlike many other towns in Germany, Heidelberg survived the second world war relatively unscathed. This means you can enjoy the grandeur of times gone by. If you plan on staying for a couple of days I recommend looking for a hotel in or near the Altstadt. The hotel we stayed at was just outside the Old Town; the perfect location to discover the town by foot. Heidelberg Old Town is perfectly walkable and is very safe, even at night. I would suggest starting your trip with the Hauptstraße, the main street. Here you will find many chain stores and restaurants, but also some smaller unique shops. I like walking down the main street because it gives me a feel for the size of the town and helps me keep my bearings for the rest of the trip. The main street is parallel to the Neckar river and as soon as you are near the eastern end of this street you will see the majestic castle towering above you on the hill. Make sure not to miss any of the side streets and parallel streets to the Hauptstraße. You will find plenty of picture-perfect photo opportunities here. Below you will find some of my top tips around this area. 

Christmas Paradise

‍About halfway down the main street, you will find a Christmas paradise in the form of an all-year Christmas shop. Käthe Wohlfahrt is apparently the expert on all things Christmas. Since I go gaga for Christmas I couldn’t be happier with this discovery. I highly recommend visiting this shop where upon entering you will think you have arrived at Santa’s workshop. This shop is also a lot bigger than you might expect from the outside! Inside you will find every possible type of bauble imaginable. Not to mention plenty of fully decorated Christmas trees and non stop Christmas music to get even the biggest Scrooge into full holiday mode. If you are in need of more magic I suggest taking a drive over to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This fairytale town is the home of another Käthe Wohlfahrt shop, but also has a Christmas museum! The town itself is also the most beautiful I have ever seen. It looks like it came straight out of a Disney film!

Student Prison

‍If you go into the side street next to Käthe Wohlfahrt you will find a curious historical remnant. I already told you that Heidelberg is home to Germany’s oldest university. Apparently their students were not always well behaved. In the olden days misbehaving students were actually thrown into prison cells created especially for them! The Student Prison has been in use until 1914, inside you can see the cells covered in graffiti. Unfortunately, the ‘Studentenkarzer’ was closed during the final week of the year so we could not visit it ourselves. Let me know if you have visited the Student Prison and if you think it was worth the visit!

Marktplatz

‍Follow the main street further east and you will arrive at the Marktplatz or Market Square. I can imagine this square bustling with life during the summer months. You will find one of my top food tips on this square. If you want to know more about what to eat and drink in Heidelberg check out my ‘Hungry in Heidelberg?’ post. I know Lindt chocolate is Swiss and not German, but since they have their own little shop on this square I highly suggest hopping in to get your chocolate fix. They also offer the best hot chocolate in town! 

The Old Bridge

‍Near the Marktplatz you will find a side street called ‘Steingasse’. Take a look down this street and you will see one of Heidelberg’s iconical landmarks; the Old Bridge Gate with the ‘Alte Brücke’ (Old Bridge) behind it. The bridge itself dates from 1788. The bridge offers a beautiful view of the town and its castle. Before crossing the bridge you have to walk under the Old Bridge Gate, which used to be part of the city walls in the Middle Ages. On the left of the Old Bridge Gate is a bronze statue of a monkey holding a mirror. Legend has it that touching the mirror brings you wealth, touching the monkey’s fingers will ensure your return to Heidelberg and touching the mice next to the monkey will bring you fertility. I suggest you choose wisely...

Heidelberg Castle

‍If you have already walked around the Altstadt area you will have noticed a majestic looking castle towering on the hill above: Schloss Heidelberg (Schloss means castle in German). We spent half a day exploring this area, I would suggest spending at least a couple of hours in order to experience the castle to the fullest. 

How to reach Heidelberg Castle 

‍Since the castle is halfway up the hill you have a couple of options in getting there. We decided to walk up the hill via a bit of a detour, there is also a very steep climb directly under the castle if you want to burn some extra calories. You can find the steep climb by following the main street (Hauptstraße) until you get to a square called ‘Kornmarkt’. This is a gorgeous little square with a statue in the middle. During our visit, one of the Christmas markets was on this square. Cross the square and walk past the building housing the Kornmarkt station and parking garage, if you follow this road uphill you will reach the castle. Just follow the people who are climbing the hill as well. If this sounds too exhausting there are other options. We used this route to come back down to the Old Town after our visit to the castle. Going downhill on such a steep stairway is a little less tiring than going up. At the Kornmarkt station, you can also buy a ticket for a funicular to bring you up to the castle. This ticket will also be your entrance ticket to the castle. Since the funicular is included in the entrance price we were planning on using this for our way down but decided against it when we saw the massive queue of tourists who had the same idea. 

We actually took quite a detour to get to the castle, but in doing so we avoided both a very steep climb and loads of tourists waiting for the funicular. We decided to walk up the hill, but approach it from the west side and slowly wind our way up from there. This way we could enjoy the breathtaking views. Around each bend was another house straight from a fairytale, and the climb wasn’t too tiring. Just make sure you keep your eye on the castle in order to know your general direction and you should be fine. Remember, it is only a small town, it really is impossible to get lost. 

What to expect at Heidelberg Castle

‍At the time we went, the ticket price was 8 euros per person; this included entrance to the courtyard, the Apothecary Museum, the Great Tun (an enormous wine barrel) and the funicular. You can roam around the outside of the castle and the castle gardens for free. The gardens give you a spectacular view of the Old Town with the Old Bridge over the Neckar river. We decided to also buy the 6 euro ticket for the guided tour inside the castle, we thought this was well worth the price. The guided tour is offered in both German and English and takes about an hour in total. Our guide was very knowledgeable and told us lots of interesting and funny anecdotes. The corridors and rooms inside the castle are beautifully decorated and give you a real glimpse into the past. 

The castle consists of several buildings and some ruins. Heidelberg Castle has a very long history, the castle was first mentioned in 1225. Since then the castle has had quite a turbulent time. Multiple attacks have caused damage to the buildings. Over time lots of new additions have been made, which can be seen by the many different architectural styles. Part of the castle is in ruins and has never been rebuilt. The last siege was in the 17th century when the castle was attacked by the French in the Nine Years’ War. Nature has also taken its toll on the castle when two lightning strikes caused a massive fire, the last of which was in the 18th century, causing most of the castle to burn down. I really recommend taking the guided tour to learn all about the castle’s rich history. 

The Great Tun

‍On the castle grounds is a building called ‘The Barrel Building’. Inside you will find the Great Tun. This is a massive wine barrel. Upon entering the building a pungent sour smell of old wine will hit your nostrils. On your right, you will see a huge wine barrel, keep walking this one is small compared to the massive barrel up ahead. The main barrel is so large they actually built a staircase around it with a sort of platform on top. This is all accessible to visitors, so you can actually stand on top of the barrel itself. According to the guide, this platform was used as a dance floor. The barrel itself has been replaced a couple of times through history, each time growing larger in size. The current barrel can hold 220,000 litres of wine! The bar inside this building offers several wine tasting menus to try.

The German Apothecary Museum

‍If you exit the Barrel Building and cross the courtyard you enter the Apothecary Museum. This is also included in your ticket price. It is a quirky and fascinating little museum that demonstrates the history of medicine. Inside you will find several fully preserved interiors of German apothecaries from the 17th to the 19th century. It is truly fascinating to see the sheer amount of bottles with lotions and potions lining the shelves of these old shops. 

Philosopher’s Road

‍We decided to end the year by taking a hike up the Heiligenberg on the 31st of December. There you will find the ‘Philosophen Weg’ or Philosophers Road. Many philosophers and Heidelberg university professors walked along this path to enjoy the view and contemplate life. The path lies on the opposite side of the Neckar river, offering visitors a splendid view of the town and its castle. 

To start our hike we walked through the old town toward the Old Bridge to cross the Neckar river. On the way there we grabbed a coffee-to-go for some extra energy. I would advise you to bring something to drink and snack on along the way. We did come across one restaurant near the top of the hill, but apart from that, there are no other options to buy anything during your hike. 

Snake Road

Once you reach the Old Bridge you are almost at the start of the walk. Cross the bridge and enjoy the view from the river. On the opposite side of the bridge, you will find the ‘Schlangenweg’ (snake road), named like this because it winds its way up the hill. You can find the entrance to this road right next to the bus stop. It looks like an alley with old moss-covered walls on either side. At the start of this road, the walls are about two metres tall so you cannot look over them, it’s like walking through an ancient maze. As you continue up the hill the walls will become shorter. This is quite a steep walk but there are a couple of plateaus along the way where you can take a short rest and enjoy the view.  About two-thirds of the way up there are also a couple of benches where you can catch your breath. We definitely needed a 5-minute break before reaching the Philosophen Weg. Make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes because the steps are a bit uneven. 

Once you reach the top you can go to the left and follow the road all the way to the end. Along the way, you will find many viewpoints, benches and even a small garden. The garden itself was not very spectacular during the wintertime, most of the palm trees were wrapped up to protect them from the cold. 

The Thingstätte Amphitheatre

Instead of going left you can also go to the right and take a long walk up the hill called ‘Heiligenberg’. On this 440 metre hill are a couple more historical landmarks that are worth visiting. We really enjoyed this walk, which takes you through the woods. There are several walkways up this hill, we used our phones to keep track of our general direction. Almost at the top, you will come across a huge amphitheatre called the ‘Thingstätte’. It was built in 1935 by the Nazis as a place to spread their propaganda. The amphitheatre is open to the public and you can climb the stairs all the way to the top. This gives you a good view of the place, which really is quite large. At the top of the stairs is an information board, which unfortunately was only in German. 

St. Michael's Monastery

While you are already at the top of the Thingstätte follow the road uphill just a little bit farther. The top of the Heiligenberg is home to the ruins of the St. Michael’s Monastery. The monastery was built in 1023 on top of the remains of an ancient church that dates back to the year 870. Inside the ruins, the grave of  Abbot Friedrich von Hirsau can be found, who died in 1070. After his death, the monastery became a place of pilgrimage. Apparently the grave is still visited to this day as someone placed a rose on top of the tombstone. The monastery itself was used until 1503. In that year the steeple collapsed, killing the last three monks in their beds. Since then the monastery has been abandoned.  

Most of the ruins consist of a layout of the remainder of the walls. A lot of small information boards are placed to explain the different uses of each room. On the other side of the monastery is a tower, you can climb it for a spectacular view of the surrounding area. We decided this would also be the perfect spot for a small snack break.

Stephan's Monastery

We wanted a different route down the hill so we started our descent by walking past the restaurant that is next to the Thingstätte. If you follow this road within 5 minutes you will come across another tower; the Stephanskloster (or Stephan’s monastery). This monastery was built around 1090. There is not much left of it. You can still see the outline of the main building and a tower. The tower is still intact and can be climbed. There is a clearing in the trees right in front of the tower, giving you a perfect view of the Old Town with the Castle towering above. 

In order to get back down to the Philosophers Road, we decided to abandon the pathway and cut across straight through the woods. We saw a couple of mountain bikers do this and figured if they could do this on a bike we could also do it on foot. Some parts were quite steep and during this time of year, the ground was covered in a thick carpet of leaves. This made it a bit difficult to walk down, but eventually, we were back on a pathway. We also found an old sign pointing us back in the direction of the Philosophen Weg. On our way back we stumbled on our final historical landmark of the day; another tower. This one clearly was a bit more recent than the monasteries we had just seen. We couldn’t find more information about it on the site, but later found out it was called the Bismarckturm (Bismarcktower) and was constructed in 1903.

We decided we wanted to end our walk back in Old Town so we walked back along the Philosophen Weg and down the Schlangenweg to the Old Bridge. We spent all of the afternoon walking around on the Heiligenberg and by now the sun was already starting to set. We were tired and hungry and still had a long night ahead of us since it was New Year’s Eve! Back in Old Town, we went to the Christmas Market on the Kornmarkt to satisfy our hunger. After filling our bellies we walked back to our hotel to take a nap before getting ready for New Year’s Eve.

Are you looking for more German Travel Inspiration?

Make sure you don't go Hungry in Heidelberg. Check out my top tips on where to eat in this romantic town!

Visit a Fairytale Town Come to Life in Rothenburg ob der Tauber! This gorgeous little town is hands down the most beautiful town you've ever seen.

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Have you been to Heidelberg? What where your favourite things to do in this picture perfect town? Leave your suggestions in the comments below!