Heidelberg - The Philosopher's Path

The name Heidelberg has a ready association with beer, ancient man, a famous castle, a prestigious university and an inseparable connection with German romanticism which is what likely draws its 4 million visitors each year.  Old Heidelberg is tucked on a narrow conduit of living space along the Neckar River.  Mountain ridges rise precipitously on either side, making for a picturesque setting with a rather elongated town layout.  The romantic charm is apparent  throughout this idyllic setting.

The castle is propped up on a ridge and is accessible
by a tram that negotiates the 37.8% grade in less than two minutes. It was a warm day so we opted for the easy route.  Entry was five euros, so I was expecting a little more than average.  I was not disappointed.  The castle has undergone several rebuilding phases,  each representing different architectural influences.  The grounds and gardens have extensive greenbelts.  The gardens were regarded as a masterpiece of their time.  They were built upon a number of terraces consisting of flower beds, mazes and arbors, sculptures, a heated greenhouse with orange trees, large fish ponds, waterfalls and a man-made grotto for musical water arts.
Attempts have been made to reconstruct older parts of the castle and construction was taking place while we were there.  This was, by definition, a castle complex, intended to provide all the accouterments of power and wealth.  Of note on this site was the addition of an apothecary, now expanded into a museum devoted to the history of pharmacy and dispensaries.  The collection includes over 1,000 raw drugs from plant, animal and mineral sources of the 17th through to the 19th century.  The tools, instruments of measurement, laboratory, manuscripts and pharmacopoeias illustrate the energy devoted to managing the illnesses of their times.

The picture on the right depicts the effects of a major fire caused by a lightening strike.  The heat weakened a fissure in the rocks resulting in half the superstructure breaking away.  In addition, this castle fell victim to a number of other destructive forces.  The Thirty Years War saw many castles in Germany, including this one, destroyed.  The resilient spirit of the Germans has repeatedly reclaimed formerly destroyed sites and masterfully rebuilt them, often back to their former splendor.  Curiously, Heidelberg was not destroyed during the WW II.  Some historians suggested Heidelberg escaped bombing in WWII because the U.S. Army wanted to use the city as a garrison after the war.  As Heidelberg was neither an industrial center nor a transport hub, it did not present a target of opportunity.  


After passing back through the Old Town and across the cobbled Old Bridge over to the other side of the Neckar, you will find the beautiful Philosophers' Path (Philosophenweg).  Said to  
be the most beautiful panorama north of the Alps, this winding path, 200 meter high, offers a fantastic view of Old Town Heidelberg and the ruins of Heidelberg Castle.  It was named after renowned poets and thinkers who came up here to wander, ponder and gather their thoughts.  There is also a  collection of beautiful and exotic plants from all around the world to be enjoyed along the Path.
This last insert is a quote which describes what it is to "truly understand the meaning of what is popularly called the "Heidelberger Dreiklang" (the three "tones" or aspects of Heidelberg):  The Old Town, the Neckar River and the romantic hills surrounding them."