Heidelberg

How great it is that I know people scattered all over Germany. This allowed me to visit part of my extended family in Heidelberg, and I was very happy to stay with my father's cousin's family.

I have heard so much about Heidelberg and always wanted to go there, but I never really had the time. But now I did.

Heidelberg is located in Baden-Württemberg directly on the Neckar River. The next largest city is Mannheim. Heidelberg is especially known for its beautiful old town, the Karl Ruprecht University, and the castle ruins.

On my first evening, we took a walk along the Neckar, then through the old town, and up to the castle ruins.

Just in time for sunset, we arrived at the castle and were able to enjoy the view over the city.

The castle is one of the most famous ruins in Germany. It was first mentioned in 1225 as a fortress, which later became the castle we see today.

Since 1764, the castle has been a ruin. At that time, a lightning strike hit the building, causing a devastating fire, and it was decided not to rebuild the castle.

The castle is surrounded by large gardens with wide grassy areas, trees, and just behind the grounds, there is a forest with several hiking trails. Directly opposite lies the famous 'Philosopher's Path,' which leads from Heidelberg Neuenheim to the Heiligenberg and is well-known in Heidelberg.

The next day, I took a closer look at Neuenheim and visited a small but charming weekend market.

Afterwards, I went with my family to another castle and gardens. Schloss Schwetzingen is especially known for its gardens and the mosque.

We mainly focused on the gardens:

And at the end, we also got to see the 'Red Mosque.' The mosque has no practicing use and was originally built as an ornamental structure, with purely aesthetic significance. This mosque is the first and largest of its kind in a German park.

So, I was finally able to explore Heidelberg. Besides the old town, the many beautiful architectures, and one or another castle, I was able to enjoy my time in great weather with part of my extended family. This was a very nice stop in Germany.