Over the years, many artists and writers like Goethe, Mark Twain, William Turner and Victor Hugo have been captivated by Heidelberg, a remarkable city whose setting could hardly be more lovely. Its imposing Castle, its many fine Baroque houses, the charming River Neckar, all surrounded by lush woodland and rolling hills: A visit here is a truly memorable experience. It may well be that you have, at some time, also had the chance to admire the ruined Castle and the graceful Old Bridge. You probably know that Heidelberg is the home of Germany’s oldest University, too. Nonetheless, as you leaf through the pages of this book, you will soon find that the city’s many well-known features are just the ‚tip of the iceberg’: As you become an ‚insider,’ you’ll be surprised just how many exciting aspects of Heidelberg there are to discover.
Year for year, Heidelberg is visited by almost 4 million tourists attracted by the fascinating contrasts that characterize a cosmopolitan, forward-looking city embedded in tradition and history – a city whose lingering air of Romanticism is complemented by state-of-the-art research, business,
education and medicine.
You will also have an interesting time exploring the area around Heidelberg – for example, in nearby Schwetzingen, the delightful Baroque Castle and its gardens are a veritable ‚German Versailles.’ Or why not take a boat trip along the scenic Neckar valley with its craggy fortresses and quaint historic towns.
As Heidelberg has so much to offer both by day and by night, I’m sure that your stay here will be a truly unforgettable one. I’m also convinced that, once you’ve looked through this brief and entertaining book with its many photos, historic illustrations and – for the very first time – transparencies showing how things were ‚then’ and ‘now,’ you’ll enjoy your visit even more.