2011 Germany Trip: Heidelberg

In Heidelberg: It was the holiday day after Pentecost Sunday, so the streets were not crowded. We had come to see the castle as well as the town.

Walking street shopping area

It's me (with my traditional-for-me backpack).

Protrait on street

Narrow streets with buildings against each other.

Melanie at side street

Towers above the other buildings

Long view down street with tall building and taller towers.

Inside of a church with a service for Pentecost. Beautiful organ music, but we didn't stay.

White cathedral with sitting crowd

Cool buildings

Four story building with stone, flowers

There was a funicular to take us up to the castle. (Funicular derives from a word meaning cord. There are two cars on the end of a steel cable that alternately are raised and lowered on the hill. They alway pass each other in the middle.)

Funicular lower line end

Heidelberg from the top of the mountain.

Standing by overlook of Rhine valley

Famous stone bridge across the Neckar River.

Bridge with arches for walking

And up the river from the castle.

Trees up valley, dam on river, castle fields

Down river toward the Rhine: Heidelberg from above.

Old downtown

Close up of the big central church.

Buttresses, black slate roofing

Castle entrance over the dry moat.

Bridge to guardhouse

They kept bears in the moat at one time.

Moat green field and partial ruin castle walls

The castle has been rebuilt several times. This is one such section. Sometimes this is because there are disasters, but also because it is built with an available sandstone that weathers quickly. The statuary on the building has all unique figures.

Five story castle building in stone

This was left as part ruin, however, the statues have been replaced because of the weathering.

Wall with window openings and sky visible behind

The courtyard looking back toward the entrance tower.

Cobbles, trees, some grass surrounded by castle buildings

This impressive tower ruin had been a powder magazine and had an accident. The cupola top of the entrance tower can be seen over the trees.

Thick-walled tower with chunk falled to side

In a lower room, they had a 50,000 gallon wood barrel. It had been used to hold the wine tax from the Palatine region.

Two-story massive wooden wine barrel