Day 3: Heidelberg Christmas Markets

Here we are on our third day on the tour. Today kicks off the first full day of touring the city of Heidelberg. We started off with a quick bus tour through the newly renovated parts of town where we saw the oldest university in Germany, Heidelberg University. The campus was quite impressive and we even had the chance to pass by their cancer research center where our tour guides humorously said that’s what Bridget and I do for a living. Didn’t help that we saw a few Biosafety Cabinets as we passed.

One of the buildings from Heidelberg University

After our quick bus tour, we soon departed for the historic portion of Heidelberg. There, we had the opportunity to view Heidelberg’s Catholic and Protestant churches. Turns out both occupied the same church at the same time but were sequestered off by a brick wall that has since come down.

Heidelberg’s Catholic Church
Heidelberg’s Protestant Church. The front portion used to be where Catholic mass was held.

After a quick prayer in the churches, we soon headed off to tour the local government administration building where we were informed about a civil service door used for young couples wanting to get married. Needless to say, we did not tie the knot but we did capture a photo of the door leading to the room where the ceremonies took place.

Bridget and I as we stood in front of the civil marriages door.

From there, we made our way up to the historic Heidelberg castle, the home of nobility of Heidelberg. We took a tram car up the mountain and soon were amazed by the sight of the castle. Not only was it in good condition but it offered an amazing view of the town.

The view from Heidelberg Castle
The courtyard where Heidelberg troops fenced and practiced with their cannons
Heidelberg Castle’s inner defensive wall
The prison tower within Heidelberg Castle
The birthday gift from the royal Friedrich V to his wife Elizabeth.
The inner courtyard to the prince’s palace
Statues of the ancestors commissioned by Prince Friedrich V
A boot print left by a German nobleman who was caught in bed with another woman. The sorry goes that with his metal boots, he jumped from a two story window and landed right in the spot. If your foot fits within the bootprint then you are said to be an excellent lover.
Turns out that my footprint matched the boot print!
Bridget and I in front of the old royal casks.
Behold, the world’s largest wine cask.
We also got to visit the royal laboratory!

With all the sightseeing, we decided to head back to the Heidelberg markets where Bridget bought some children’s books so we can practice our German. Not to mention that we ate like the locals at the Zum Weißen Schwanen where we enjoyed some more German food!

Some roasted pork with potatoes, sauerkraut, and German pancakes.

At the end of the day, Bridget and I decided to do some late night sightseeing of Heidelberg where we witnessed downtown city and more of Heidelberg University.

The mathematics building for Heidelberg University

We are now en route to Switzerland as we travel through the Rhine Valley. We will make a pit stop at the Black Forest and the Rhine Falls. More to come!!

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