Heidelberg Palace

Free birthday breakfast at the hotel this morning, courtesy of a kind member of hotel staff, which was lovely. We then headed out by train to Heidelberg for a day trip. As we walked along the Necker, a triathlon was taking part on the opposite bank, with loads of swimmers in the river.

Heidelberg was beautiful. Set in the hills either side of the Necker, the beautiful and unique architecture of each of the house are overshadowed by the ruined palace. The town centre is equally picturesque, with narrow, cobbled streets lined with old, shuttered buildings. We passed by the Heidelberg University jail, where unruly students were held four four centuries!

From the town centre, we headed up the (steep!) hill towards the ruined palace and its terrace gardens. Even early in the morning it was very hot, and the hill took a while to climb! The view from the terrace was stunning, looking back down the valley, over Heidelberg and back towards Mannheim.

Inside the palace, we popped into the German Apothecary Museum and the Grand Tun, a phenomenally large wine barrel! As an unexpected bonus, included in the ticket was a trip on the funicular railway, so we hopped up one stop before heading back to the main town.Read more