So if you guessed Heidelberg from my last post, kudos to you. You’ve won the satisfaction of being right, and if you’re a know-it-all like me then that’s all the praise you need.

The first day trip we took was to the gorgeous city of Heidelberg.

Our first time there we were kind of going in blind, I did minimal research and thought we could just ‘wing it’. A little foreshadowing for later since that will come to bite us in the ass.

Heidelberg is a Stadt, or ‘city’ (occasionally I’ll throw in some German words to make it seem like I can speak the language, but don’t be fooled) about an hour’s drive or train from Wiesbaden.

It is known for its stunning architecture and views as well as having the oldest and one of the most prestigious universities in Germany. However I had no idea of any of that going into it.

As I am passenger princess-ing my way into the city, I was stunned by how gorgeous everything was and also flabbergasted at how hard it is to tell whether which road is a pedestrian only route or if cars are allowed.

We park in an underground lot right in the Marktplatz (another German word for you- pretty self explanatory) and word of warning, there is no elevator in the parking garage, stairs only. And we begin our trek around the city.

First we stop in the ‘Platz’ itself for a little touristy shopping and to admire the cathedral in the square. A common theme in this blog is that I am obsessed with “Kirchen” (Churches) and “Dome” (Cathedrals) and visit as many as possible. Which is ironic because if you knew me IRL then you’d know that I am as anti-religious as it gets – but kudos to those who practice any – no judgement. We walk by some incredible Backerei’s (Bakeries) and many cute shops. There is even an adorable Christmas store if you are into that.

We then head to another Church, Jesuitenkirche, which was built in the 1700s and has a magnificent baroque style architecture. I’m more of a gothic style myself, but occasionally the clean white lines of baroque pique my interest. Anyways, definitely a pretty church to walk to and see its grand interior.

We then proceed to the Old Bridge which is probably the most recognized landmark of Heidelberg. Along the bridge are stunning views of the water and of the castle on the hill. Also on the bridge is the statue of the Heidelberg monkey. It is a bronze statue that is said to bring luck if you rub its mirror, rubbing its fingers ensures a return trip back, and rubbing the mice nearby brings fertility. The monkey was originally placed on the bridge in the early 1700s but disappeared during the seven years’ war and was replicated again in 1979. Underneath the statue is a poem the was written in 1632 by Martin Zeiller:

Why are you staring at me?
Haven’t you seen the old Monkey of Heidelberg?
Look to and fro,
There you will find many more of my kind.

(Was thustu mich hie angaff en?
Hastu nicht gesehen den alten Affen zu Heydelberg?
Sich dich hin und her,
Da findestu wol meines gleichen mehr.)

After seeing the castle from the bridge, we decide that going up to the castle is a must do, so I begin my google search. Since everything is new, in German, and I am technology impaired sometimes, I determine that we cannot possibly walk there and since the funicular is closed for the season, we must walk the mile down the shopping district and catch public transportation up the mountain. PERFECT- my navigating skills are surprising even myself at this point. We get on the bus and it takes us to the very top of the mountain where I’m like “hmm.. the castle didn’t seem this high up from the bridge, but what do I know maybe I was just seeing it wrong.” We get off the bus since it is the last stop and come to a cute little hotel and restaurant. We go over to the edge of the mountain to take in the gorgeous views and I ask around on how to get to the castle. It was then I found out we were definitely in the wrong place. However, I was assured that we could just hike down to the castle and it was only about a kilometer’s hike. We decide to pull out our trusty google maps to get a look at the route and google tells us that its mostly flat. PERFECT lets get to it.

We begin the trek down and it seems like there are quite a few steps. And i use the terms ‘steps’ loosely as they were literal stones pushing into the mountain somewhat resembling uneven and crumbling stairs. After about 100 stairs down, we begin to second guess our decisions. We see many people walking up the stairs so it can’t seem that bad, but I don’t see any end in sight. After about 30 minutes of climbing down these stairs in the middle of the woods I am beginning to think it will never end. Oh yea- did I mention I’m 7 months pregnant at this point? My husband is complaining endlessly as if he’s the one carrying a whole additional human being, and I am secretly worried I’m going to either trip and roll the rest of the way down the mountain, or go into early labor. An hour later, we FINALLY make our way to the castle and see the end in sight. I can’t believe I made it mostly unscathed (minus my legs shaking uncontrollably and sweating my ass off). I later look up what those stairs were, and it turns out its called the ‘stairway to heaven’ and consisted of 1200 steps at a 30-45% incline. COOL- thanks google.

Once we get to the castle, we realize we only have about an hour until closing time and we were over walking, so we quickly decide to go through. There is an adorable winery inside the castle as well as the world’s largest aging barrel also built in the 1700s. It took approximately 130 oak trees and holds about 220,000 litres of wine. Since I was pregnant, I didn’t indulge (obviously) but I did enjoy a glass of wine on my next trip back. Highly recommend.

After the winery and a quick visit to the pharmacy museum that is also located inside the castle, we decide to walk back to the city and attempt to find our car. Only to realize we had parked literally a 5 minute walk from the castle. So that whole trip around town and hike down the mountain was a waste of time… Just my luck. But it was nice and a grand adventure.

I definitely recommend a trip to Heidelberg when you have a chance. The city is beautiful, full of rich history, and amazing snacks, food, and wine.

On subsequent trips back we’ve eaten at Hemingway’s (you guessed it- named after Ernest Hemingway as he used to visit and write there), a Turkish coffee shop, multiple bakeries, a pizza cone place, and fresh lemonade stands. I have yet to encounter bad food within the city.

Next time you are in the area, reach out and I can give additional recommendations, and I can now navigate the city since I explored it first hand accidentally.

Little sneak peak for my next post. Can you guess this?