Heidelberg is all of these. Steeped in tradition, this town is home to seemingly contrasting worlds: this makes it exciting and keeps it young at heart. Take some time to get to know the city and discover its many facets.

Its fairytale setting has stimulated imaginations and inspired creative hearts for centuries. Writers, painters and composers captured their impressions of Heidelberg´s unique blend of river landscape, historic town and hillside castle in their works. Still today Heidelberg offers a varied cultural scene. There are more than 10 museums, many private galleries, and five playhouses. Concerts by the local Philharmonic or the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra can be attended as well. Heidelberg is internationally recognised for environmental protection, bio-tech companies, medical research, and computer technology.

Boat Ride on the Neckar River

A round trip by boat offers charming views of Old Town Heidelberg, the beauty of the Neckar valley, romantic villages, old castles and the surrounding hills and forests.

http://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/content/e4227/e927/e4232/index_eng.html

*Special event:* Four castle illumination boat trip through the Neckar
valley (Vierburgen-Beleuchtung) on Sat 25 July 2009 (18,00 €)

Contact Information:
Rhein-Neckar-Fahrgastschifffahrt
Phone +49 (0)6221 - 20181
Fax +49 (0)6221 - 20211
Internet: www.rnf-schifffahrt.de

Trip with the world biggest Solarboat

Enjoy the city on a silent and emission free boat trip.
Cold and warm drinks and self made German cake are offered.

Regular cruises between March and October:
Departure times Tuesday until Sunday: 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00 o´clock

Departure: Old Bridge, Heidelberg
Price per person (duration 50 minutes): 6.00 Euro

http://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/content/e4227/e927/e4233/e2664/index_eng.html
www.HDSolarSchiff.com

Guided Heidelberg Tours

The Heidelberg's Convention and Visitors Bureau offers a guided Old Town Walking tour (with speaking guides in English and German). Meeting point for the 2-hour tour is the "Lions Fountain" at University Square. Reservations for individuall tours, also with special topics and guides in many different languages can be made here:

http://www.heidelberg-stadtfuehrungen.de
http://www.heidelberg-gaestefuehrer.de

Walking Tour of the Old Town

See, touch and hear Heidelberg´s fabled past and lively present as
narrated by expert tour guides on this educational walking tour.

Duration: 1,5 hours

Meeting Point: Universitiy Square (at Information column)

Time:
April - October:
Daily 10:30 a.m. (German)
Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. (English)

Price: € 7 / € 5 (reduced and with HeidelbergCard)

Advance ticket sales and reservations:
Tourist Information in front of the Main Railway Station
Phone: +49(0)6221-19433
Fax: +49(0)6221-1388111
Email: touristinfo[at]heidelberg.de

Funicular Railway

Heidelberg's' sights are in large part located in the Old Town.

You can visit everything easily by foot. But some sights, like the Castle, you should meet in different ways, e.g. by taking the Funicular Railway. Take Bus no. 33 from the main station or Bismarckplatz to the Funicular station and get off at bus stop: Bergbahn/Rathaus. Here you can find more information: http://www.bergbahn-heidelberg.de.

The Philosophers' Path

The former Linsenbühlerweg, a narrow path through the vineyards in the 17th and 18th centuries, became the Philosophers' Path in the late Romantic period. This change of name can be traced to the fact that Heidelberg's university professors and philosophers found this path a congenial place where they could talk seriously and contemplate while enjoying the charming view of the Neckar. This famous view of the town and the castle inspired Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff and Friedrich Hölderlin, two major German poets, to write their poems.

Wine tasting in Heidelberg

In the Sudpfanne Restaurant, under the expert guidance of our wine specialist, you have the opportunity of trying six different wines from six regions, including a Heidelberg pinot gris. Discover the diverse array of flavours offered by German wines and learn a great deal of interesting and valuable information about one of the most traditional drinks there is. During the wine tasting we offer different types of Flammkuchen, an Alsatian specialty not unlike a thin pizza. Your journey into the world of wine will be rounded off by a hearty two-course set meal.

Information and Booking:
Convention and Visitors Bureau
Phone: 06221-1422 23/-24/-25/-26
Email: guide@heidelberg.de

http://www.weinundwohl.de/html/weinprobe.html

The Castle in Schwetzingen

12 km west of Heidelberg is Schwetzingen. It has an 18^th century palace, Schloss Schwetzingen, which was a summer residence of the Electors of the Palatinate. The Schlossgarten (palace gardens), laid out partly in the French and partly in the English style, contains a number of 18^th century buildings (including a Rococo theatre) as well as a mosque (1778 - 1795), a little temple, a bath house, a Roman water fort etc.

Opening Hours
Palace (Schloss)
April - Oct.: Tue - Su 11 am - 4 pm
Palace Gardens (Schlossgarten)
April - 3 Oct.: 8 am - 8 pm

Tel. +49-(0)6202-128828 (Palace Ticket Office)
Tel. +49-(0)6202-81482
e-mail: info@schloss-schwetzingen.de
or info@service-center-schloss-heidelberg.com
Tel.: +49-(0)6221-538431

Guided Tours of
Palace: Hourly; possible in foreign languages following prior arrangement;
special guided tours on arrangement

Gardens: special guided tours on arrangement

Here you can get more information: http://www.schloss-schwetzingen.de/de/schloss-schwetzingen.

Speyer Cathedral

Speyer, on the left bank of the Rhine, was the seat of a bishop from the 7^th century and a free imperial city from 1294 to 197, the meeting place of many Imperial Diets.

Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodelled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.

Hiking in the "Odenwald" - Visit Heidelberg´s surroundings

The Odenwald is a mountain chain in southern Hesse, northern Bavaria and northern Baden-Württemberg. The name may have been derived from Odins Wald ("Odin´s wood").

The Odenwald is bounded by the Neckar River in the south and the Main River in the east, while it gradually slopes away to the north and the west. The highest peak is the Katzenbuckel (literally "cat´s hump") at 626 m (2,054 feet). The Odenwald is known as a leisure destination easily accessible from the urban areas of Heidelberg. It is known for its clean thin air and was once known for its sanatoriums and spas. There are many marked hiking paths through the rural areas.

Several small towns are exceptionally picturesque with Weinheim on the Bergstraße and Michelstadt in the centre of the Odenwald being particularly good examples. Their cobbled streets and medieval architecture create an idyllic atmosphere. The region is relatively unknown to big tour companies, though the mild climate and the rolling hills of the area are well known.

http://www.regioausflug.de/odenwald