Exploring the wonders of Heidelberg on an AmaWaterways Rhine Cruise
Starting off your visit is the Castle of Heidelberg, which is considered one of Germany's favorite visits for its charm and romance. Explore the red sandstone ruins, the world's largest wine barrel and spectacular views over the Neckar Valley and green forests...
Many poets and artists drew their inspiration from Heidelberg including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, J.M.W. Turner, Victor Hugo and Mark Twain. Even though much of the castle is in ruins. Mark Twain came to this picturesque university town straddling the River Neckar in 1878. Although he thought the German language ''awful'' he fell in love with the place, calling it ''the last possibility of the beautiful.''
Heidelberg Castle was actually built in several stages with the earliest structure erected in the beginning of the 13th century. Then expanded into two castles less than a century later. Further expansion continued in the following years until the armies of French King Louis XIV burned and blasted them to the ground 400 years later.
The castle is now home to the German Apothecary (Pharmacy) Museum, Palace Gardens, a Goethe memorial tablet and two restaurants. . Romance is alive here throughout the year – but certain months you can even elect to get married on the grounds.
After years of debate to restore the castle it was decided the Friedrichsbau (which was the one structure not completely destroyed) would receive restoration. Along with the Friedrichsbau, visitors are always drawn to the Ottheinrich Building in the Palace. Elaborate sculptures on the façade still stand, memorializing figures from antiquity and Roman rule, German rulers, and even Elector Otthenreich himself.
Your list needs to include visiting the Great Vat, aka the Heidleberg Tun. This vat is the world's largest wine barrel which can hold over 58,000 gallons. Equaling approximately 290,000 bottles of wine. Built in 1751, the giant wooden barrel was the third such titanic wine holder to be constructed in the area but is the only one to remain. While it may seem as though it was designed to be a novelty, the tun served a much more mundane purpose. In the era when it was created, public taxes were paid in goods and for an area that excelled in wine-making that meant a lot of government vino. To hold all of the donated drinks, giant casks were created and all of the tributes were collected into quite an unusual cuvee.
Today the barrel continues to draw crowds. Things have changed over the years and the tun caters to its tourist visitors more than to its bureaucratic past, with a dance floor built on top and offerings of daily wine tastings. Even with the modern changes, the decorative grandeur still looks like something out of a pirate’s fantasy.
After your castle tour step into the Renaissance era of Old Heidelberg. Which Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1797 described as "The city in its setting and entire surroundings may be said to have something ideal." Much of the city`s charm lies in its architecture: baroque churches and fountains, pastel houses from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and details like madonnas in niches, statues, and gilded clock faces. Unlike many German cities, Heidelberg was spared from bombing during World War II. Some say the Allies preserved it, intending to make it their headquarters after the war. Others insist it's good fortune had something to do with Gen. Dwight Eisenhower`s German roots. In any case, it did become (and still remains) the headquarters of the European High Command.
AmaWaterways local guides will introduce you to this beautiful city. Free time follows your castle tour and we recommend strolling the cobblestone streets, visiting quaint shops and enjoying a German themed lunch in one of the many restaurants scattered throughout the city. It's a day filled with cherished memories, not only shared later in the day onboard during your Sip and Sail but in story-telling once back home reminiscing of your cruise adventure.