I Left My Heart In Heidelberg

Heidelberg is most certainly one of Germany’s most popular tourist destinations. With a medieval castle. which overlooks the river Neckar below, a multitude of pretty churches. whose spires decorate the city’s skyline, as well as an atmospheric Old Town, bursting with baroque facades, a mixture of department stores and trendy boutiques, alongside charming street cafes, it is easy to understand why.

Having visited the city for the first time back whilst I spent a year au-pairing in Germany, I had already seen the majority of its sights. Among other things, I had made the pilgrimage up to the castle and had paraded along the Old Town’s main thoroughfare (Hauptstrasse), which also happens to be Germany’s longest pedestrian street.

So when my second trip to Heidelberg came about – this time to stay with a friend of mine who calls this beautiful place home – I was looking forward to the exposure of a ‘local’ side to the city.

* * *

Despite having already ‘crossed’ the Old Town off my sights of Heidelberg list, I was still keen to return to the busy Hauptstrasse and take a look inside some of its gorgeous little shops.

We also headed down some of the smaller side streets, passing by little shops selling fresh fruit and vegetables, bakeries which exuded the aromas of freshly baked bread as well as some trendy bars which come alive after sundown.

Winding our way through the back streets, dodging the fast paced cyclists, and student crowds making their way to and from university, we passed a number of antique and second- hand book shops before heading inside an old fashioned sweet store, which I was informed is a favourite place for kids and grown-ups alike.

The Heidelberger Zuckerladen (Plöck 52) transports you back in time, helped by the eccentric candy man who entertains his customers with magic tricks and riddles.

Back on the main street, I couldn’t resist a trip inside the Käthe Wohlfahrt, a year-round Christmas shop. This place is spell-binding, if not a little factitious, but took me back to my trip into the flagship store in Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber in Bavaria, when I was just a few years old. Even to this day I remember the grand life-size nutcrackers standing to attention at the shop entrance and then walking into and exploring the Christmassy wonderland. For any kid small or big (like me) a peek inside the Käthe Wohlfahrt store is a must.

After emerging back into reality and being greeted by the chilly autumnal day, my friend took me to buy one of Heidelberg’s most renowned sweet treats, otherwise known as the Studentenkuss (Student kiss). This Studentenkuss is a piece of confectionery first made by the local chocolatier Fridolin Knösel who felt sorry for the love-struck students of the town, who often eyed-up the young ladies of Heidelberg’s finishing schools. The ‘kiss’ gave the students a way of passing on their love-tokens without censorship from the protective chaperones. The Heidelberg Studentenkusse are consist of a praline-nougat-chocolate filling on an wafer based and coated in dark chocolate.

Across the street I also bought a ‘snowball’ – no, not the kind that melts – but a pastry from the area of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber. The name of the pastry comes from its spherical shape and they can be enjoyed in a variety of different flavours plus are often coated in chocolate or filled with marzipan.

Back at the city’s main square Marktplatz my ‘guide’ pointed out one of the most historic buildings in this part of town – the Hotel Zum Ritter St Georg. The hotel with its intricately designed façade was built way back in 1592 and is one of the few patrician mansions to have survived the War of Palatinate Succession.

Opposite the hotel, is the beautiful Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit Church). Whilst the church itself is rather impressive, it is hard not to be a little distracted by the tiny stalls surrounding its walls.

Just a short walk from the main square, we headed into the charming Schiller’s Café, popular with the locals for its homely ambience, gourmet hot chocolate, homemade cakes and literary environment.

Following a busy day in the Old Town, we crossed over the Old Bridge and admired the views as the sun began to set over the town.

* * *

My advice to you is to go to Heidelberg. Visit now if you can. It is a beautiful place with so much to offer its guests. Even having visiting the city twice there are still things left to do and it is a great destination for experiencing Germany’s culture, not to mention the delicious food and wine.

So what are you waiting for?

As Goethe once said: “Heidelberg – in its location – has something so ideal.”