Heidelberg Historic Castle

The Heidelberg Castle has a fascinating history that dates back to the early 13th century. The earliest structure was constructed in 1214 and continued expanding until it became two castles. It was first used as a royal residence by Prince Elector Ruprecht III, the King of Germany during a short period in the early 15th century. Originally a fortified castle with outer defensive walls, Heidelberg Castle continued to expand into a combination of several buildings. Succeeding Prince Electors of the Palatinate built several residential halls, which resulted in the property looking like a mix of a castle and palace. Unfortunately, the castle also suffered a lot of damage. In the 17th century the château was twice bombarded and destroyed by General Mélac's French forces ,in 1689 and 1693, during the Nine Years War, the War of the League of Augsburg. Parts of it were rebuilt but it was damaged again by lightning strike twice in the 18th century, leaving the castle uninhabitable and in ruins. It was never completely restored but the ruined castle now stands as a symbol of German Romanticism. The building phases do not follow a single style. Even today, many of the castle's architectural features bear witness to the Gothic and Renaissance periods. The Thirty Years' War put an end to the castle's golden age, and thereafter, new ravages repeatedly thwarted all attempts at reconstruction. It couldn't be any more imposing: the ruins of the red sandstone castle in the Neckar valley stand on the northern slopes of the Königstuhl in the middle of the forest. Its silhouette dominates the landscape of the old town of Heidelberg. The brilliant and eventful history of Heidelberg Castle began when the Counts Palatine of the Rhine, and later the Prince Electors, took up residence in Heidelberg. It soon became the most prestigious seat of sovereignty of the Renaissance.

What To See In Heidelberg Castle
* German Apothecary Museum - The German Apothecary Museum is an interesting glimpse into the history of pharmaceutics. The exhibition showcases everything from natural remedies from medieval times to antique lab equipment. The museum is located on the lower floor of the Ottheinrich Building.
* The Heidelberg Tun - (German: Großes Fass), is an extremely large wine vat contained within the cellars of Heidelberg Castle. There have been four such barrels in the history of Heidelberg. In 1751, the year of its construction, the present one had a capacity of 221,726 litres. Due to the drying of the wood its current capacity is 219,000 litres. One hundred and thirty oak trees were reputedly used in its construction. It has only rarely been used as a wine barrel, and in fact presently enjoys more use as a tourist attraction, and also as a dance floor since one was constructed on top of the tun. When the French army captured the castle, the soldiers believed the empty wine barrel to be full of wine; their hatchet marks left on the barrel were later visible to tourists. According to tradition and local legend, the eternal keeper of the enormous Tun remains Perkeo of Heidelberg, once a court jester and master of the castle’s spirit production (and a famously Herculean wine drinker).
* The Friedrich Building - is the royal family’s ancestral hall. It’s filled with statues of emperors and kings displaying the idealized royal lines as built by Friedrich IV. You can admire some of the statues and sculptures that are on the facade of the building but the original ones are displayed inside.Read more