With Zoë safely back in London, Gary and I took a quick train trip (about 1.5 hrs) from Strasbourg to Heidelberg to spend three nights in Germany. We knew we wanted a stop in a German town, and chose this smaller, quainter spot with a hillside castle on the Neckar river to enjoy the Christmas vibes.

Heidelberg is a university town, and the vibes were definitely more “party”, especially around the Chaud Vin stalls and Beir Gardens across the Old Town.

We were a good 15 minute stroll from the action, which made for a quieter spot to rest at night! Old Town hosts a Christmas market of about 160 stalls spread out over 5 different markets through the pedestrian shopping center of Old Town. This route runs along the river, and ends just below the imposing Heidelberg Castle. It was a crowded and lively scene, at times difficult to navigate through the crowds of people along with some bicycles and mopeds.

On our second day, we took a quick cruise up the Neckar River to view the city from a different perspective. It was a beautiful day with clear skies, the perfect day to be on the river.

On our final day, we made the trek up to the castle and rode the funicular all the way up to the top of Königstuhl, or King’s seat (about 1800 feet above the river). The day was a little more overcast and it was impossible to see anything from the top of the summit! On a good day, you should be able to see all the way to the Palatinate Forest, roughly 40-50 km away.

Heidelberg Castle, an iconic romantic ruin showcasing Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles, was a lot more impressive than anticipated. Once a grand palace and seat of power for over 400 years, it was largely destroyed by wars but intentionally left partially ruined. Today it houses many events and concerts amongst the ruins as well as being a tourist destination.

The castle grounds also house a pretty extensive German apothecary museum that gives a very comprehensive overview of the history of pharmacies from medieval times to present. It was actually quite fascinating!

The next stop on our journey is Brussels, the capitol city of Belgium.