Heidelberg

Visiting the Heidelberg Christmas Markets and Historic Landmarks

Heidelberg is a charming city located in southwestern Germany, known for its historic university, sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle, and romantic setting along the Neckar River. It is one of the few German cities that was relatively unscathed during WWII, leaving most of its landmarks in their authentic form to be admired. During the Advent season, Heidelberg is all the more alluring with its quaint Christmas Markets and time honored traditions.

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Despite all this, Heidelberg is often overlooked on many Christmas Market itineraries. It’s true that it isn’t one of the larger Christmas Markets, but it’s not one of the smaller ones either. That’s exactly what makes it perfect! It is possible to see the city’s most treasured historic landmarks and shop the Christmas Markets without feeling hurried or overwhelmed.

My favorite part about Heidelberg was a sense of heritage and tradition that is often lost when visiting larger cities. It’s interesting, especially for a university town and youthful population. If you are looking to experience some authentic German nostalgia without sacrificing lively ambiance, Heidelberg is the place:)

Above photos: Signs of Christmas

Sections of this post are as follows: (click on any of these links to skip ahead to a specific topic)

• Where we stayed
• Our itinerary for Heidelberg
• Top landmarks in Heidelberg
• Heidelberg Christmas Markets
• For a longer stay
• Additional tips and tours

Where we stayed

The Heidelberg main train station is a solid two miles from Altstadt, the Old Town area most popular with tourists. Be sure to pull up Google Maps before booking your hotel accommodations because you will want to get your eyes on the layout of the town and understand walking distances.

If you choose a hotel near the train station, you can still get around with buses. The Heidelberg Marriott is a great choice for proximity to the train. However, it may be easier to bus over to a hotel in Altstadt when you first arrive. It was a little bit of a hassle to catch the bus with our luggage in tow, but ultimately, we found it easier to just deal with it upon arrival and then have the convenience of the main attractions and markets at our doorstep during the rest of our stay.

My sister and I stayed at Hotel Zur Alten Brucke, a very cozy hotel located near the Old Bridge. When I say cozy, I don’t mean small. This was one of the largest hotel rooms I’ve ever had in Europe. It was a suite, actually, akin to the third floor of my grandmother’s house that we used to fight for because it spanned the entire width of the house. I truly feel we lucked out with this place.

Above photos: Hotel Zur Alten Brucke

For a luxury stay, the House of Hutter Heidelberg Suites across the river looks amazing. Given the amount of time we were going to be in the area, it wouldn’t have been worth the splurge us though.

One other option you may want to consider is Hotel zum Ritter St Georg. The landmark townhouse dates from 1592 and has been used as an inn for over 300 years. Even if you don’t stay here as a hotel guest, this is a beautiful example of Renaissance architecture to see while in Heidelberg.

Above photo: Hotel zum Ritter St. Georg

Our itinerary for Heidelberg

Top landmarks in Heidelberg

Old Bridge Heidelberg

The Karl Theodor Bridge, known as the Old Bridge (Alte Brücke Heidelberg), connects Old Town (Altstad) with the eastern part of the Neuenheim district of the city on the opposite bank of the Neckar River. The current structure dates to 1788, but there has been a bridge in some form here since the 13th century.

Above photos: Old Bridge Heidelberg

The bridge gate was part of Heidelberg’s city wall and dates to the Middle Ages. Fun fact: The bridge gate has an apartment which was inhabited by the bridge keeper, as well as a dungeon in the west tower. There are also some monuments on the bridge that are replicas of the originals now housed in the Kurpfälzische Museum.

Above photos: Crossing the Old Bridge Heidelberg (left); Monument honoring Elector Karl Theodor (right)

The views of the Neckar River from the bridge are beautiful, as are the look-back views of Old Town and Heidelberg Castle. On the Neuenheim side of the bridge, you can find access to the Philosophers’ Path. Or, you can stroll along the tree-lined river bank and look for the Heidelberg love stone, a sandstone covered in padlocks left here by hopeless romantics.

Above photos: The Neckar River and Old Town Heidelberg (left); Neuenheim District (right)

Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg Castle (Schloss Heidelberg) is the most popular historic landmark in Heidelberg, attracting thousands of visitors each year. It is often named among the best castle ruins to visit in Germany, and I definitely agree with that.

The iconic castle dates to the 13th century and is one of the grandest castles of the Renaissance. As war and nature took its toll on the castle and the surrounding structures, it was eventually left in ruins. However, since the 19th century there have been many repairs and renovation works to preserve as much of it as possible, with some of the buildings and gardens in better shape than others.

Above photo: The Friedrich’s Wing and The Hall of Glass, Heidelberg Castle

The setting of Heidelberg Castle is high over the Neckar valley and the town of Heidelberg, with lush green surroundings evoking all the romantic feels and inspiration for poets. To get there, you can take a bus, mountain railway, or walk. Since we had gorgeous weather, we decided to walk.

There are several features of the castle to explore once you arrive including The Ottheinrich’s Wing, The Friedrich’s Wing, The German Apothecary Museum, and the Barrel Building housing the Heidelberg Tun, which I’ll elaborate on more next.

Above photos: The Ottheinrich’s Wing, Heidelberg Castle

Above photo: The Ruprecht’s Wing and Economy Building, Heidelberg Castle

Above photos: The Friedrich’s Wing, Heidelberg Castle

The backside of The Friedrich’s Wing has an outdoor terrace that offers incredible views over the city and adjacent gardens — and plenty of panoramic photo opportunities.

Above photos: The Great Terrace behind The Friedrich’s Wing and Bell Tower (right)

German Apothecary Museum

The German Apothecary Museum is located inside the Heidelberg Castle and admission is included in the same ticket. So why not? The museum includes exhibits of how nature, substances, curiosities, and remedies were used throughout history. The antique apothecaries from the 17th through 19th centuries are quite beautiful. It doesn’t take very long to walk through and offers a look inside The Ottheinrich’s Wing where the collections are housed.

Above photo: German Apothecary Museum

Heidelberg Tun

The Great Heidelberg Tun in the Barrel Building is an amusing attraction inside Heidelberg Castle. The massive wine barrel holds 220,000 liters of wine which were served during the parties thrown by the prince-electors. There are stairs that lead to a platform above the barrel, most likely used as a dance floor. Sounds like a frat party, tbh.

Above photos: Wooden figure of Perkeo, the court jester (left); The Great Heidelberg Tun (right)

The Barrel Building also includes The Kings Hall and several other large wine barrels. During parties, the wine would be pumped into adjoining rooms in the building, such as the Ladies’ Wing. I’m sure these folks are so grateful social media had not yet been invented.

Above photos: The Kings Hall in the Barrel Building, Heidelberg Castle

Church of the Holy Spirit

The Church of the Holy Spirit (Heiliggeistkirche) was built primarily in the 15th century and is the largest church in Heidelberg, Its mix of Gothic and Baroque architecture is due to the various parts that have been re-built over the years in a newer style. You’ll want to pay close attention to the contemporary stained glass windows that were subject to quite a bit of controversy when they were replaced in the late-1970s.

Above photo: The Church of the Holy Spirit exterior architecture

Surprisingly, The Church of the Holy Spirit is one of the most visited churches in Germany, with 1 – 3 million visitors per year. I found it interesting to learn the church has changed denominations many, many times over the years. Thankfully, there is just one Holy Spirit regardless of the congregation.

Above photos: The Church of the Holy Spirit Heidelberg

Heidelberger Studentenkuss

On our quest to buy some chocolate gifts, we stumbled upon Heidelberger Studentenkuss, a small shop located in Old Town. This shop is a remarkable hidden gem that I highly recommend. As we were standing at the antique cash register with our purchases, the shop attendee told us the story of the Student Kiss.

Fridolin Knösel, a chocolatier and master confectioner, helped young gentlemen send secret messages to the young ladies of the boarding schools who went in his shop by enclosing the messages in the chocolates. Fidolin Knösel’s descendants continued the family tradition in the small chocolate factory on Haspelgasse using the same recipe from 1863. How romantic is that?

Above photos: Heidelberger Studentenkuss

Heidelberg Christmas Market

Heidelberg Christmas Market

Location: Old Town | Dates: Nov. 25 – Dec. 22, 2024 | Website

The Christmas Market in Heidelberg takes place in its various squares throughout the Old Town area, connected by the main Hauptstraße shopping street. As we walked from square to square, we also stopped at other shops and restaurants in between. The Hauptstraße was wonderfully decorated with shooting stars and illuminated evergreens making it all feel very festive and connected, as opposed to individual markets.

Above photo: Hauptstraße

The five main squares where the Heidelberg Christmas Market (Heidelberger Weihnachtsmärkte) takes place include Bismarckplatz, Anatomiegarten, Universitätsplatz, Marktplatz, Kornmarkt, and Karlsplatz. There are over 160 market stalls throughout offering hand made ornaments, knitted accessories, festive holiday decor, food (lots of food), and Glühwein!

My favorite market was Marktplatz, which is located behind the Church of the Holy Spirit. Heidelberg City Hall sits off to the left of the square, lending itself as a stately backdrop. We came here early in the day, and it was pretty quiet. When we returned later in the evening, things had really picked up. I’m so glad we came back because the atmosphere was really different. The sparkle of the lights and the buzzy energy of the crowds really made it come to life.

Catty-corner to Marketplatz, the Kornmarkt area has a Winter in the Woods (Winterwäldchen) theme and features an adorable children’s train. Everything is wonderfully decorated with evergreens. The Kornmarkt-Madonna fountain sculpture (also known as Muttergottesbrunnen) sits at the center of Kornmarkt with the Christ child in her arms. Very appropriate for Christmas. Although there weren’t as many shopping stalls here, we came back here later in the evening to sip our Glühwein and enjoy the super festive ambiance.

The Kornmarkt stalls remain open until January 1st. So, if you happen to be visiting late in December and miss the others, you can still enjoy a the tail end of the season here.

Karlsplatz is part of the Heidelberg Christmas Market, but is primarily just the ice skating rink. At night it glows in different colors as Christmas carols play for skaters. While there aren’t any shopping stalls in Karlsplatz, there are several food and hot chocolate stands. There is also a perfect view of Heidelberg Castle from here, which makes it pretty romantic.

Above photo: Karlsplatz Heidelberg Skating Rink

What we ate

Palmbräu Gasse

Palmbräu Gasse is a casual restaurant located in the heart of Old Town on Hauptstraße. The menu features traditional German dishes such as crispy knuckle, juicy steaks, delicious stir-fries and other delicacies. I loved the alpine, lodge-y interior with wood furnishings, antique skis, and traditional red checkered linens. The cozy ambiance and homestyle cooking hit the spot after walking around in the chilly weather. We walked-in without a reservation and were seated right away. But, if you don’t want to take any chances, reservations can be made here.

Above photos: Palmbräu Gasse 

For a longer stay

Philosopher’s Way

The one thing I regrettably missed was hiking Philosopher’s Way (Philosophenweg). This park with nature trails offers some of the best views over Old Town and Heidelberg Castle. The trail is just over 1.5 miles and isn’t especially strenuous (so I’ve heard).

The name of the park is said to have stemmed from it being frequented by Heidelberg University’s esteemed professors and academics as they pondered their aspirations. Along the paved trail there are many varieties of flowers, plants, and trees, many of which are not found anywhere else in Germany due to the unique Mediterranean-like climate that this area experiences. If you are lucky enough to have a longer visit in Heidelberg, this sounds like an amazing place to add to your itinerary.

Heidelberg University and Studentenkarzer

Besides the popular Heidelberg Castle, the city is also widely known for its historic university, officially known as the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. The University Museum, Great Hall, and Student Jail are open to tourists curious to learn more.

The University Museum showcases the life and contributions of Ruprecht I of the Palantine who founded the university in 1386 and of Karl Friedrich of Baden who revived it in the early 1800s. Above the museum is the Great Hall, which was created in 1886 for the university’s 500th anniversary.

The most popular university attraction is the Studentenkarzer, or prision, where students served detention for bad behavior from the 18th to the early 20th century. To pass the time, incarcerated individuals covered the walls with graffiti artwork that offers authentic insight into university life. I’m getting Breakfast Club vibes just thinking about it.

More photos of Old Town

Above photos: Heidelberg Old Town

Need help packing? Read my Christmas Market Packing Guide here.

Above photos: Christmas illuminations on Untere Straße

Additional tips and tours

Guided Tours

If you are not comfortable going on your own or are interested in having a knowledgeable local point out the sights, I have added a few tour options below.

Thank you for reading my post! Please feel free to add friendly comments or questions below!