Church of the Holy Spirit (Heiliggeistkirche)

The Church of the Holy Spirit (Heiliggeistkirche) stands in the middle of Heidelberg's Marktplatz in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and is the largest and most prominent church in the Altstadt. Construction of the Gothic building began in the early 15th century under the Electors Palatine, and it long served as the burial place of the dynasty and as the home of the famous Bibliotheca Palatina, a manuscript collection that was carried off to Rome in the Thirty Years' War. The church later became a battleground of religious change, serving different Christian confessions over the centuries. Today it is a Protestant church, and the interior is a tall, bright hall with slender pillars and a plain, restrained character. A distinctive feature is the row of small shops once built between the buttresses, a reminder that the church has always been bound into the life of the market square. Visitors can enter the nave for a quiet look, which usually takes 15 to 20 minutes, and many climb the tower for a panorama over the rooftops of the Old Town, the castle and the Neckar valley. The climb is by a narrow stairway, so visitors should expect a modest effort for the reward of one of the best central viewpoints in the city. Concerts and services are held regularly, and the church interior may be closed to sightseeing during them. Photography of the exterior is easiest from the Marktplatz, where the Hercules Fountain sits in front of the facade. Crowds are thickest around midday on market days and during summer afternoons, while weekday mornings are noticeably calmer. Visits fit naturally into a walk along the Hauptstraße, since the church is a few steps from the Rathaus, the Kornmarkt funicular and the Alte Brücke. Allow 30 to 60 minutes including the tower. Visiting hours and tower access vary by season, so visitors should check the posted times on arrival.