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Heidelberg Castle

Schloss Heidelberg

From: Heidelberg, Germany

Heidelberg Castle Illuminatuions

ABOVE: "Illuminations" give Heidelberger Schloss an eerie glow on selected dates in June, July, and September. INSET: The castle moat (click for a larger view).

Heidelberg Castle moatHeidelberg Castle, known as Schloss Heidelberg or Heidelberger Schloss in German, is the city's best-known symbol. The massive fortress has loomed over Heidelberg and the Neckar River since the Middle Ages, and it has inspired tributes from many writers and painters--among them, British landscape artist William Turner and the American writer Mark Twain. (For a history of the castle, see Wikipedia's comprehensive article.)

The castle is an essential stop on any tour of Heidelberg. We'd recommend taking a guided tour and coming back in the evening to walk around the floodlit castle after dark. At the very least, buy an admission ticket to the castle courtyard, which includes entry to the Great Vat and the Germany Apothecary Museum.

For more information, including hours and ticket prices, see the official Schloss Heidelberg Web site.

Also see our Heidelberg Funicular article, which tells how to reach the castle from the city below.


More photos:

Elisabeth Gate, Heidelberg Castle

Schloss Heidelberg entranceFrom the funicular station, a path leads to the castle's Artillery Garden, which you enter through the Elisabeth Gate.

You won't need a ticket for the gardens, but to visit the castle proper, stop at the Kasse or ticket office (inset photo) on your way to the gardens. It's just uphill from the funicular station's exit.


Elisabethtor, Schloss Heidelberg

photoTake a moment to admire the carvings on the Elisabeth Gate, which was built in 1615 as a present from Elector Frederic V to his wife Elisabeth Stuart, the daughter of King James I of England.

According to legend, the triumphal arch was built in sections, erected overnight, and presented to Elisabeth the next morning as a surprise birthday gift.


Heidelberg Castle bridge and gate

Heidelberg Castle entrance and WC sign

A bridge and tunnel lead into the castle courtyard (admission ticket required).


Heidelberg Castle courtyard

Inside the castle courtyard, you'll find a ticket office for guided tours. A tour will take you inside the castle buildings.


Grosses Fass (Great Vat) wine barrel in Heidelberg Castle

Another doorway leads to the Grosses Fass, or Great Vat, a huge wine barrel with stairs that lead to a platform on top.

In the castle's heyday, the vat was filled with wine that the Elector's subjects paid as a tax. The quality of the wine suffered from the fact that it was a blend of whatever was delivered to the castle--including wine that may have been diluted with water, urine, or other substances.


Deutsches Apothekenmuseum or German Pharmacy Museum, Heidelberg

Another archway off the courtyard takes you into the Deutsches Apothekenmuseum, or German Pharmacy Museum, which is well worth 30 to 60 minutes of your time. The museum covers the history of the pharmacy profession from the Middle Ages through the modern era, and many of the displays are of interest to the layman--especially the reconstructed apothecary shops and laboratories.

(Note: Admission to the museum is free with a castle courtyard ticket.)


River Neckar from Heidelberg Castle walls

From the castle and its gardens, you'll enjoy views such as this panorama of the Schloss bulwarks, Heidelberg's Altstadt, and the Neckar River. (This photo was taken in December, a relatively dreary time of the year.)


Medieval privy at Heidelberg Castle

If you need to use the toilets, look for a "WC" sign. (The old two-seater biffy on the castle walls is no longer in service.)


Ruin of powder magazine in Heidelberg Castle

Take time to walk around the castle perimeter. (You can even walk in parts of the moat.)

This photo shows an old tower in the moat that was destroyed by Louis XIV's troops in 1693 during the Palatinate's War of Succession.

The tower, built in 1640, was used for storage of gunpowder, and its walls were so thick that the magazine split in two instead of disintegrating when French soldiers tried to blow it up.


Floodlit Heidelberg Castle at night

If you have time, return to Heidelberg Castle after dark, when the walls, moats, and towers are floodlit. (In the evening, most visitors to the Schloss gardens are romantic young couples or neighborhood residents who are walking their dogs.)


Related articles:
Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg Funicular - Heidelberger Bergbahn
Heidelberg Student Prison - Studentenkarzer
German Christmas Markets: Heidelberg

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo.Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (now including Germany for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.