studentsineurope

A Visit to Heidelberg

By Catie Saroyan

Heidelberg, Germany

In a town like Heidelberg, you don’t have to go far to trip over a charming cobblestone or wade in a babbling brook. Home to Heidelberg University, the town is bursting with Bavarian flair and eccentricity. I had the pleasure of taking a spontaneous trip here in 2006 to catch a few World Cup games. The University opened up their campus to the thousands of football-aficionados squatting in the city and between the USA v. France match and taking the train to Munich, I took to walking.

Maybe you’re not aware, but when you go to Europe, you’re expected to walk—a lot. Don’t bring high heels, do not collect $200, please arrange a massage. While the city limits of Heidelberg encompass 42 sq. miles, some of the most delightful parts of Heidelberg are in the old town. After settling in, find your way to the Hauptstrasse (Main Street) and start people watching. The Hauptstrasse is a pedestrian-only street leading from the Bismarckplatz–a central square in the western part of the city–across the Old Town to the Kalstor–an 18th century arch flanked by two lions which marks the eastern end of the Old Town.

The first two-thirds of the Hauptstrasse are filled with wide-eyed tourists, native Bavarians, trams, bicycles and a plethora of outdoor benches and tables. In a country as business-minded and practical as Germany, it’s almost like they want you to kick back and have a good time. Familiar retail outlets like Swatch and United Colors of Benetton soon give way to dark pubs, sidewalk cafes, even a 7 euro all you can eat Chinese buffet.

Further down the road, the committed explorer will find the Marketplatz. Since I have never seen any “Top Ramen” in my many explorations of Europe, I would start thinking about cooking up some actual food. Besides a general hum of activity, you’ll know where you are by seeing the massive fountain of Hercules near the dominating Holy Ghost Church (the “Heiliggeistkirche”). With produce sellers and craftsmen hawking wares every Wednesday and Saturday starting at 7 am, it’s funny how this is the same market place where old time Heidelbergians used to burn witches and heretics.

It wouldn’t be Bavaria without a beerhall, and the KulturBrauerei is it. Off the Hauptstrasse at Leyegasse 6, the KulturBrauerei is a must for any proper college student. Whether you join the mobs only once or become a regular member, the brewery, with its long, cafeteria-style tables and hefty portions, is not unlike the dining hall at the university. When you tire of their sausage links and sauerkraut, there’s nothing wrong with a change of scenery, especially one listed in Heidelberg’s historical registries since 1235. Roots this deep run through most of Heidelberg’s historic buildings and Zum Sepp’l, a popular student hangout, is no different. Littered with ancient photographs and playfully lifted road signs, it’s worth playing a game of cards on their scarred tabletops.

Bridge across the Neckar River

Need to clear your head? Just try not to think deep thoughts on the “Philosophenweg”– the Philosopher’s Walk–in nearby Heiligenberg. With excellent views of the Heidelberg Castle and Neckar River, it is said, maybe partly for marketing purposes, maybe partly with sincerity, that philosophers, writers and university scholars were inspired to create art just by wandering along the paths that make up the Philosopher’s Walk. I can’t argue with the historians on this one–almost half of Mark Twain’s “A Tramp Abroad” is set in Heidelberg, as it Sigmund Romberg’s operetta “The Student Prince”. Goethe, a man for whom the proper scenery set the stage for his many poetic endeavors, wrote “Westoestliche Divan” in the nearby gardens.

From the “Philosophenweg”, Heidelberg looks like a sleepy little town with a huge castle on top. This is a common theme with European cities (read: Edinburgh, Prague) but you can’t argue with divine inspiration. Hegel, the father of German Idealism (philosophy majors, I don’t understand it either), was a professor at the University and among the yucca and gingko trees, he started to draft The Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sentences in Outline. The Philosopher’s Walk probably won’t make you a world-renowned deep thinker, but it could at least be a well-deserved retreat from the library.

Now please, go sit down already. You’ve earned it.