Story
The story of Heidelberg Castle
Lightning struck this castle twice: in 1537 a bolt destroyed the upper castle, and in 1764 another started a fire that ruined rebuilt sections. Heidelberg Castle sits 80 metres (260 ft) up the Königstuhl hillside, dominating the old town, and you can ride the Heidelberger Bergbahn funicular from the Kornmarkt to its intermediate station.
The first castle stood before 1214; by 1303 there were two, and the lower one on the Jettenbühl is the site you visit today. The hill's name comes from the soothsayer Jetta, who, legend says, lived there.
When Ruprecht became King of Germany in 1401, the castle was so small that he had to camp in an Augustinian monastery. Today its ruins count among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps; Victor Hugo loved strolling here in 1838, and by 1880 Mark Twain described it as a ruin.
This story is compiled from Wikipedia and other open sources; dates and numbers are checked against the source. The text is shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Source ↗
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More highlights in Heidelberg
- Heidelberg University LibraryThe Heidelberg University Library is the central library of the Heidelberg University.
- Old BridgeThe Karl Theodor Bridge, commonly known as the Old Bridge (Alte Brücke), is an arch bridge in Heidelberg that crosses the Neckar river.
- KarzerThe Student Prison was used from 1823 to 1914 to lock up unruly students. Its walls are covered with drawings and inscriptions left by the inmates.
- PhilosophenwegThe Philosophers' Walk is a path about 2 km long on the northern slope above the Neckar. It offers the finest views of the old town, the Old Bridge and the castle.
- Church of the Holy Spirit, HeidelbergThe Church of the Holy Spirit is the largest church in Heidelberg, Germany. The church, located in the marketplace in the old town center, was constructed between 1398 and 1515 in the Romanesque and Gothic styles.
- Alte UniversitätThe Old University is an important baroque building of the University of Heidelberg located between the Hauptstrasse and the Universitätsplatz in the old town of Heidelberg.