Heidelberg Highlights: Castle, Old Bridge and Church of the Holy Spirit
Photo: Hermann Luyken / Wikipedia, CC0Wikipedia DE (Heidelberg University)
Start the full tour in your browser
This tour does not have an audio preview yet. You can still explore its route and every stop in the web experience.
Save for offline
Heidelberg Highlights: Castle, Old Bridge and Church of the Holy Spirit
Save all stop text, photos and available narration in English on this browser. Street maps aren’t included.
Audio and photos can use mobile data. Keep this tab open until saving finishes. No app installation is required.
Saved toursAbout this tour
A compact first walk through Heidelberg's Old Town with Heidelberg Castle, Kornmarkt, Church of the Holy Spirit, Market Square, Old Bridge and the most important historical sites – the best introductory route for a first visit.
Tour Stops (6)
Old Bridge Heidelberg

2013.10.01.111339 Alte Brücke Heiliggeistkirche View City Heidelberg | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Hermann Luyken / Wikipedia, CC0Wikipedia DE (Heidelberg University)

Alfred Wegener ca.1924-30 | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikipedia, Public domainWikipedia DE (Heidelberg University)

Arnold J. Toynbee Anefo | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 nlWikipedia DE (Heidelberg University)
Welcome to our walk through Heidelberg's wonderful old town! Today you will get to know the most beautiful and important places in this romantic city – from imposing buildings to picturesque squares that bring Heidelberg's rich history to life. Let us guide you through four centuries of history and discover why Heidelb…
Church of the Holy Spirit

Datei:Glockenturm des Heidelberger Schlosses von Jacques Fouquieres ca 1618 | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Wikipedia, Public domainWikipedia DE (Heiliggeistkirche (Heidelberg))

Datei:Gedenkstein Heiliggeistkirche Heidelberg SDC15149 | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Marcus Schnabelrauch / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 deWikipedia DE (Heiliggeistkirche (Heidelberg))

Heidelberg 20060420 021 | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Wikipedia, Wikipedia (check source for specific license)Wikipedia DE (Heiliggeistkirche (Heidelberg))
When we come from the Old Bridge, we immediately encounter the Church of the Holy Spirit, the architectural center of the Old Town. From the outside, the contrast between the light sandstone from the Neckar Valley and the striking, late Gothic tower immediately catches the eye. The church was built between 1398 and 151…
Heidelberger Marktplatz

Datei:GER Heidelberg 01 | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: -wuppertaler / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0Wikipedia DE (Heidelberger Altstadt)

Datei:HeidelbergMarktplatz | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Reinhard Kraasch / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0Wikipedia DE (Heidelberger Altstadt)

Datei:Heidelberg-Panorama von Matthaeus Merian 1620 | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Matthäus Merian / Wikipedia, Public domainWikipedia DE (Heidelberger Altstadt)
If you walk just a few steps from the Heiliggeistkirche, you will find yourself directly on Heidelberg's Marktplatz. This square has been the political and economic center of the city since the Middle Ages. Directly in front of you stands the Hercules Fountain from 1706. The sandstone figure in the middle commemorates …
Kornmarkt

Datei:10 of 10 - Hieldenberg Castle, Königstuhl Hill - GERMANY | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Ignaz Wiradi / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0Wikipedia DE (Kornmarkt (Heidelberg))

Heidelberg Germany 10082005 Square1 | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Wikipedia, Wikipedia (check source for specific license)Wikipedia DE (Kornmarkt (Heidelberg))
We are now leaving the marketplace and standing here on the Kornmarkt. This square is noticeably quieter than the lively marketplace directly next to it. It acquired its present appearance in the 18th century, when the city administration centralized the grain trade here in order to better control prices. The dominant …
Heidelberg Castle

Datei:Gedenktafel Heidelberger Lied | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Luftschiffhafen / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0Wikipedia DE (Heidelberg in der Dichtung)

Datei:HeidelbergTun | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Die Autorenschaft wurde nicht in einer maschinell lesbaren Form angegeben. Es wird Stevage als Autor angenommen (basierend auf den Rechteinhaber-Angaben). / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5Wikipedia DE (Heidelberg in der Dichtung)

Datei:Heidelberg Palais Boiseree Karlsplatz 2006-02-26.jpeg | 🔗 wikipedia.org
Photo: Die Autorenschaft wurde nicht in einer maschinell lesbaren Form angegeben. Es wird Akunstmann~commonswiki als Autor angenommen (basierend auf den Rechteinhaber-Angaben). / Wikipedia, Public domainWikipedia DE (Heidelberg in der Dichtung)
From the Kornmarkt, you have arguably the best view of Heidelberg Castle. What you see before you is not a unified structure, but an ensemble that has grown over more than 400 years, built from red Neckar Valley sandstone. Particularly striking is the contrast between the different architectural periods: on the left yo…
Scheffelterrasse

File:Heidelberg, Schloss, Scheffelterrasse 20170601 001 | 🔗 wikimedia.org
Photo: Tilman2007 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

File:Scheffelterrasse - panoramio (1) | 🔗 wikimedia.org
Photo: Immanuel Giel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons

File:Scheffelterrasse und Neckar | 🔗 wikimedia.org
Photo: Immanuel Giel / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainWikimedia Commons
We are standing here on the Scheffel Terrace, which borders directly on the castle ruins. If you look ahead, you will see a broad, stone viewing platform named after the poet Joseph Victor von Scheffel. He was a great admirer of the city in the 19th century and immortalized Heidelberg in literature with his famous stud…
Tour Information
- Tour Type
- Walking tour
- Audio Language
- English
Plays instantly in your browser
Share this tour
Ready to explore Heidelberg?
Continue from the preview into the complete route, with every stop and narration in one place.
Open full tour