Heidelberg, the capital of the Kurpfalz region, lies in the picturesque valley of the Neckar River, south of the Odenwald, and is characterised by a particularly mild climate. In the course of history Heidelberg's beauty has attracted many poets, painters and scientists. In the early 19th century the town became the most important centre of German romanticism. Associated with that age are the poets Arnim, Brentano and above all Eichendorff. The University of Heidelberg was founded in 1385, it is the oldest in the German-speaking world and attracts many international students.   Countless monuments in the town bear witness to a tumultuous history. If you walk up to the Castle you will pass through a gate into the garden, formerly world renowned as "Hortus Palatinus", which was laid out at the beginning of the 17th century. From the terrace of the garden you will have a magnificent view of Heidelberg and the Philosophenweg (Philosophers' Way) on the other side of the Neckar. In the courtyard of the Castle you will be able to admire the ancient buildings, as well as the Grand Terrace and, in the cellar of the Castle, the Great Vat. The Old Bridge over the River Neckar is one of the most beautiful in Germany.

SIGHTS

Heidelberg castle
phone: 06221-538424, guided tours of the interior daily from 11:00 – 16:00, on the hour in German from 11:15  – 16:15 every hour in English

Television Tower
Phone: 06221-25041, March until October 10:00 - 18:00; June and August until 19:00.

State Observatory
Auf dem Königsstuhl, phone: 06221-5090, guided tours by arrangement

Marstall
Marstallstraße

Heuscheuer
Marstallstraße

Convention Center Stadthalle Heidelberg
Neckarstaden 24, Phone: 142260-63, build in 1903

Town Hall
Marktplatz

The Madonna of  the Kornmarkt
Kornmarkt

Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church)
Plöck 62

Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit)
Marktplatz

Jesuitenkirche
Schulgasse

Karlstor
Karlstor

Tiefburg
Handschuhsheim

SURROUNDING AREA

Mannheim (15 km away from Heidelberg) was the former Palatine royal seat between Neckar and Rhein, and is the second biggest city in Baden-Württemberg. Sights: Schloß, Paradeplatz, Wasserturm, Universität, Jesuitenkirche, Luisenpark, Reiß-Museum, Haupgeschäftsstrasse, Planetarium, Museumsschiff, Kunsthalle, Christuskirche, Hafen usw.

Planetarium Mannheim, Wilhelm-Varnhgolt-Allee 1, phone: 0621-415692

Ernst-Bloch Zentrum Mannheim, Walzmühlstr. 63, phone: 0621-5043041

Luisenpark, city park; G-68030 Mannheim; phone: 0621-410050, open from 9 a.m.9 p.m. (in the winter it closes by sunset)

Schwetzingen - (12 km away from Heidelberg), is in the Rhine plain and is famous for growing asparagus. In the 18th century it was the summer seat for the Palatine royal family. There is a beautiful castle with a 73 hectare garden designed in the English and French style and includes many buildings (Templel, Badehaus Bath House, Wasserkessel usw.)

Mauer (about 15 km away from Heidelberg), Museum and place where the "homo heidelbergensis" was found.

Neckargemünd, Dilsberg, Neckarsteinach (about 10 km away from Heidelberg) Take a boat trip on the River Necker and see the beautiful scenery and the many castles that line the river.

Speyer (about 20 km away from Heidelberg), This old royal city, is on the left of the Rhein. Sights: Dom, Heidentürmchen, History Museum, Altpörtel, Dreifaltigkeitskirche, Technology museum - Technik-Museum-Speyer and  Iax cinema, Purrmannhaus

Hockenheim (about 30 km away from Heidelberg), famous for the Grand-Prix - Rennstrecke.
Sights: Motor Sport Museum und Tabak museum –Tobacco Museum

Schriesheim (about 7 km away from Heidelberg), nice old town centre and very popular because of the fine view from the Strahlenburg.

Hirschhorn (about 10 km away from Heidelberg)"Pearl of the Neckar plain", Hirschhorn has a nice old town centre, a 13th century castle, the Kamelienkloster (monastery) and the 17th century Marktkirche (Market Church), 3 km away from Schriesheim.
Weinheim (about 15 km away from Heidelberg, 7 km from Hirschhorn), a historical city with the beautiful castle Bergstraße and garden. The attractive market place is also worth a visit.

Heppenheim - the historical market place is surrounded by half-timbered houses, the town hall and the cathedral are also worth a visit.

German Weinstraße, the german Weinstraße (Wine route) is 83 km long, you can visit the small towns of Bad Dürckheim, Klosterruine Limburg, Wachenheim, Deidesheim, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Hambacher Schloß, Maikammer Alsterweiler, St. Martin, Landau, and Bad Bergzabern.

Black Forest  -This famous forest is renowned as an area for leisure pursuits including spas towns, hiking, horse riding and of course, good food..
Health spas: Baden-Baden, Badweiler, Bad Wildbad, Bad Liebenzell, Bad Teinach, Bad Peterstaland Bad Griesbach, the most popular health spa is (Caracalla spa in Baden-Baden).
Sights: Mummelsee (dam), Sasbachwalden, Kinzigtal, Alpirsbach (Alpirsbacher beer is brewed there ), Hassloch (amusement park), Offenburg, Villingen-Schwenningen (Farm Museum), Bad Dürrheim, Triberg (highest waterfall in Germany), Furtwangen, Brend (lookout tower), Blauen (lookout tower), castle Bürgeln, Hinterzarten, Titisee, Feldberg (winter sport town, but also in the summer it is a beautiful area for hiking), Schluchsee (lake).
Tip: Explore the region by train. The special Black Forest train goes from Offenburg over Hausach, Hornberg and Triberg to St. Georgen and Villingen

Baden-Baden famous for its casino built in 1838, is a popular tourist town with lots of places of interest.
Sights: old town center, Caracalla - health spa, New castle, recreation park, Casino, Tap-room, galleries, Lichtentaler, Allee, Merkur, Hohenbaden.

Darmstadt (about 70 km away from Heidelberg) about 1900 it was the centre of of the Art Nouveau movement..
Sights: Luisenpark, castle, Market place, regional museum, Herrengarten, Prinz-Georg-Palais, art gallery room, Ludwigskirche (church), Mathildenhöhe, Russische Kapelle (chapel), Museum, Vivarium, Tiergarten, Kranichstein, Messel.

Karlsruhe (about 60 km away from Heidelberg) former Palatine royal seat.
Sights: castle, Platine regional museum, castle garden, botanical garden, state-owned art gallery, market place, Kaiserstraße, Friedrichsplatz, Festplatz, Kongreßzentrum, city garden, Europaroom, Karlsruhe-Durlach

Frankfurt am Main (about 90 km away from Heidelberg) capital city of Hessen between Spessart and Taunus. It is one of the most important trading and business centres in Germany, and is home to the Federal Bank of Germany, stock market, major banks, barracks, university, theatre, museums. 
Sights: Römerberg, Nikolaikirche, history museum, Ostzeile, Schirn art gallery, cathedral, museum for modern art, Pauluskirche, museum for past and ancient history, Jewish museum, main station, stock market, Eschenheimer Turm, Goethehouse, Goethemuseum, old opera house , Craft Museum, Museum of ethnology, Post Museum, Liebighouse, Museum of architecture, Film museum, Alt-Sachsenhausen, Henninger-Turm, Wallanlagen, exhibition, Senkenbergmuseum, Palmengarden, Grünburgpark, public park, telecommunication tower, Zoo, Rhein-Main-airport, Höchst

Stuttgart (about 120 km away from Heidelberg) In the old town centre with a lot of historical buildings, is also very famous for of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and Ballet. 
Business: It is home to many major companies - automobile industry (Mercedes-Benz, Porsche), electrical industry (Bosch), machine construction, precision engineering and optical companies and the region is also famous for fabric and paper manufacturing.
Sights: main station, Königsstraße, castle square, new castle, castle garden, old castle, Württembergisches Museum, Schillerplatz, Stiftskirche, Hegel-House, Trade Centre, Music hall, Linden-Museum, Museum of Natural History, Wilhelma (Zoo and botanical garden), G-70342 Stuttgart, phone: 0711-54020, 08:15  – 18.45, in the winter the park closes at 16.45

Amusement Parks

EuropaPark Rust
Europa-Park-Str. 2; G-77977 Rust/Baden; phone: 07822-770, April-September 10:00  – 18:00. In October the park is only open at the weekend, Main attractions “Grottenblitz”, “Schweizer Bobbahn”, “Fjord Rafting”

HolidayPark Hassloch
G-67454 Hassloch; phone: 06324-5993900, March-September from 10:00 a.m.; In October the park is only open at the weekend.

Märchenpark, Liliputanerstadt

Delphinarium, Varieté, Großkino usw.

Phantasialand Brühl
Berggeiststr. 31-41, G-50321 Brühl, phone: 02231-36200, March-October 9:00 a.m. - 18:00

Erlebnispark Tripsdrill
G-74389 Cleebronn/Tripsdrill, phone: 07135-9999, April-October 9.00 – 18.00