heidelberg in 500 words
how does one sum up germany in 500 words? it’s really hard!!!! this trip far exceeded any expectations i had. and to be completely honest, germany wasn’t even a top contender on my travel bucket list, until my brother decided to study abroad for a semester in heidelberg.
heidelberg is home to the oldest university in the country, and sits on the banks of the beautiful neckar river. it’s been so well preserved because it was left virtually untouched after world war two. i’m talking baroque style buildings & in-tact cobblestone streets, people!!! i really felt like i was walking through history here.
we stayed in the town’s oldest standing building, which recently celebrated its 425th anniversary. hotel zum ritter st. georg treated us like family and welcomed weary travelers with open arms. it’s centrally located right in the heart of downtown so we didn’t have to venture far to see the sights & sample the local cuisine.
the town’s main highlight is schloss heidelberg – which overlooks the neckar valley. i was left speechless at the top of the castle. & i can only imagine what the fortification would’ve looked like back in the 1300s. inside the castle is the biggest wine barrel anyone has ever seen – literally – it holds over 58,000 gallons of wine & stands over 20 feet tall.
the most unexpected thing we found was the studentenkarzer, an old-time prison for university students. up until 1914, the studentenkarzer was a place for unruly kids, since the university had the legal right to detain students at the time. crimes ranged from excessive drinking to insulting university officials, and as time passed, the prison became a rite of passage. it was a really neat preservation of history.
german cuisine is known to be super hearty & delicious, and even though i’m not the most adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, i did not go hungry. my favorite dish was a traditional german pasta called spätzle & i ate it at every turn. it was great that we walked eight miles a day because i pretty much ate my weight in it. that & bavarian pretzels. & beer. ok, we ate & drank a lot!!!
germany made me feel at home for many different reasons, but my favorite had to be the dubliner hotel/bar. the officially recognized art rooney jr. pub had my heart the minute i saw the “you’re in steelers country” banner proudly hanging inside. the owner was the most down to earth person we met & even gave us 20% off for being steelers fans. i would plan a whole other trip to germany just to stop there. another fun place was a cocktail café called regie. it had a super edgy vibe & an even though it had an extensive drink menu, i couldn’t pass up a simple glass of red wine.
while i’m slightly jet-lagged & getting used to east coast time again, this won’t be my last trip to germany!