Monkey Bridge

Heidelberg is a medieval city with lots of character and stories one of which is the story of Monkey Bridge located on the west end of the Bridge Gate. Heidelberg’s Bridge Monkey is a bronze sculpture which was installed in 1979. The Heidelberg Monkey holds a mirror up to those who look at it and according to one of many legend's surrounding the statue, the Bridge Monkey is intended as a symbolic reminder to Heidelberg’s citizens that neither the city-dwellers nor the people who lived outside the city of Heidelberg were better than the other, and that they should look over their shoulder as they cross the bridge. But just in case you think that this Heidelberg Monkey statue has been put there merely as a tourist attraction, there was a bridge monkey in Heidelberg going as far back as the 15th century. Old drawings of the town show it located next to the tower on the north end of the Old Bridge. Unfortunately, that bridge monkey disappeared during 1689-93.Read more