Heidelberg

Heidelberg lies about 90 km south of Frankfurt in Baden-Württemberg, on the Neckar where the river leaves the Odenwald hills. The fastest option is a DB ICE or IC train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to Heidelberg Hbf, taking roughly 50 to 65 minutes, while the regional train via Darmstadt and Bensheim takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and is covered by the Deutschlandticket. Driving via the A5 takes about an hour, but parking in the Altstadt is limited, so the garages at the edge of the old town are the practical choice. The station sits about 2 km from the centre, so a bus or tram toward Bismarckplatz or a 25-minute walk is needed on arrival.

The main sights are Heidelberg Castle at Schlosshof 1, a Renaissance and Gothic ruin above the town that holds the giant Heidelberg Tun wine barrel and the German Pharmacy Museum; the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge) with its twin-towered gate; the Hauptstrasse pedestrian street; the Baroque Marktplatz with the Heiliggeistkirche; and the university, the oldest in Germany, founded in 1386. Across the river, the Philosophenweg offers the classic view back over the castle and rooftops.

A workable one-day arc begins with arrival by about 9:00, taking the Bergbahn funicular or the steep Kornmarkt path up to the castle before the tour groups arrive. Late morning suits the Altstadt: the Old Bridge, the Heiliggeistkirche and the Hauptstrasse. Lunch fits at one of the traditional taverns or student pubs around Unterstrasse and Marktplatz. The afternoon is best spent crossing the Old Bridge and climbing the Philosophenweg, which adds roughly one to two hours of walking including the ascent, followed by a riverside stroll along the Neckar before an evening train back.

The best window is April to October, when the gardens and terraces are open and daylight allows a late return, though the Christmas market in December is also popular. Weekday mornings are quietest. Cafés on the Hauptstrasse suit coffee stops, and the Heidelberg student prison and the university library are worthwhile short additions for those with spare time.