In Heidelberg's Altstadt
Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg's Altstadt (Old Town) is a fairy tale destination. Nestled between the Neckar River and the old ruined Castle (Schloss) high on the hill, the Altstadt, with its expressive array of historic buildings and churches lends to a feeling of timelessness.
In 1878, Mark Twain, suffering from writer’s block embarked on a 16-month journey of Europe, spending 3 months in Heidelberg. The city offered the perfect refuge. Likewise, I too was seeking a place of refuge where I could recharge, and I knew that Heidelberg had just the perfect combination of size (not too big and not too small) and history.
A Sense of the Old Town
It was raining, ever so lightly, when I arrived. Despite the rain, as soon as I checked into my hotel, Zur Alten Brücke, I walked to the center of the Altstadt, eager to begin my exploration. I had been to Heidelberg twice before, both times many years ago (most recently 2003) and had memories of what it was like then. I intended to find out what had changed in the years since.
The Altstadt is primarily a pedestrian zone, paved with cobblestones, with an expressive array of historic buildings lining the lanes. One of the highlights of any visit to Germany for me is the respect and preservation of its architecture by the people.
After passing by the Heiliggeistkirche (or the Church of the Holy Ghost), I began walking down Hauptstraße (Main Street), which passes through the center of the Altstadt, and where most of the shops are located.
Window Shopping
When walking through historic districts, like the Altstadt, I love to look into the windows of the various shops as I pass by and look at their displays. It gives me a hint of what people are looking for and what they are buying. All too often, where I live the stores are "cookie-cutter" and the displays designed by committee, but in these local stores the owners carefully lay out the displays, with their own uniqueness and flair.
I found this small coffee shop amusing, with a display of tea pots in the window.
Käthe Wohlfahrt store is a treasure trove of Christmas gifts and decorations that lovers of all things Christmas will find hard to resist. At Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shopping is available all year round.
At the Local Starbucks
During the planning phase of my trip to Germany, I mentioned to a friend that I was going to be visiting Heidelberg. His response was "can you bring me a Starbucks coffee cup back?" "Of course, I replied". I remembered where the Starbucks was from a previous trip to Heidelberg several years ago (hoping that it was still there after so many years), so off to Starbucks I went.
Heidelberg is a university town, so I wasn’t too surprised to see the store had a line of students stretching outside the door, waiting for coffee and a warm place to talk and study. Once I was inside, with a Latte and cheese cake, I found a seat in the dining area, where I my eyes were captivated by the impressive chandelier; I’ve been to a lot of Starbucks around the world, and never saw a dining area like this one before.
It's a Holiday
The next day was German Reunification Day, with the Altstadt full of activity. I watched the waitstaff of the restaurants lining the central square as they weaved in and out of the tables delivering trays of food or beer.
The central square is bounded by the Rathaus (Town Hall) on one end and the Heiliggeistkirche on the other end is often set aside for dining when the weather permits.
Day's End
The day ended with a walk across the bridge to watch the night fall over the Altstadt, and to see the castle light up. Years ago, I would come to Heidelberg to watch the fireworks above the castle, but this trip was at the wrong time of year for that.
One Last Walk Around the Altstadt
It was time for me to leave Heidelberg for my next destination in Germany, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler near Bonn where I would meet up with friends for a few days. Before then, I needed one last walk around the Altstadt, to reflect and watch the town come to life. Mornings are my favorite time of day to photograph.
Simpler Times
Of the simpler things that I remember most about the time I lived in Germany is the street food. Even though I’ve visited Germany several times since then, I’ve never had another wurst, and when passing by a shop advertising 100% beef wurst, I couldn’t pass it by.
Mark Twain went on to write the Tales of Huckleberry Finn after leaving Heidelberg. While, I wasn’t expecting to write a classic tale, in fact, I wasn’t planning on doing anything more than a bit of photography, this short stay in Heidelberg left me refreshed and ready for my next adventure.
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