Heidelberg is very well known for its red castle that sits on the hillside overlooking the river. The sprawling red sandstone castle was one of Europe's largest in it's day and dates back to the 13th century. It has partially been rebuilt. In our Reformed circles it is also well known as the place where the Heidelberg Catechism was written, which was commissioned by Elector Frederick the third in 1563. Since we use the catechism in our daily lives and worship services we really wanted history to come alive for the kids, and to see this place. It was worth it. It turned into one of my favorite stops - the beautiful view overlooking the Neckar River and the iconic red tile roofs of the townhouses made it feel like we were in a picture.
The Heidelberg Castle is also known for the Heidelberg Tun, the worlds largest wine barrel. It was built in 1751, stands seven meters high, eight and a half meters wide and holds 220,000 litres of wine. Apparently the people back then never wanted the tap to run dry.... ;)
Very little of the castle was open to us, as they did not want children inside. But we were able to go in a small part that was an apothecary.
There was a street artist blowing massive bubbles and he asked Tristan to help him (for a small fee of course) and he got right into it, drawing a crowd. Travelling with kids sure makes things fun.
The Heidelberg Mtn railway was something else we were able to do since it was right there. This rail connected the city since it was built on a hill. It saved a steep walk up to the castle from the lower part of the city.
After a long trip on the autobahn and a rest at a rest station, we made it to our next destination, in time for a delicious espresso.
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