Heidelberg Castle

Nice large castle with an interesting history. The tour is inexpensive, and entrance includes access to the giant wine barrel and the pharmacy museum. The views are awesome! I parked at the top near the castle, but the tour ticket included a round trip on the cog train. I was told that if you park at the bottom, you can ride up to the castle. This was a good 3 hr visit with the tour. There are also restaurants here, but I didn't try them out.

After visiting many sites across Germany, this one was a bit disappointing. Due to it's history, the castle is in disarray...partial ruins and various stages of construction. That was all fine and to be expected. However: 1.) Access was not clear. The streets that lead up to it are steep, windy, and not marked virtually at all. Hopefully you stumble upon a parking spot or garage if you are driving in. Then, continue to wander uphill until you find it. 2.) Know that you can access the castle from 2 sides but your ticket is only good for one pass through. Once you depart, you cannot reenter. 3.) Interior room access (with some minor exception) is available only via further purchasing a guided tour. 4.) The parts you can access are non-intuitively laid out and include a "pharmacy museum"...because that makes sense...and a giant barrel. Other than that, there was a lot of commercial setup like a concert stage that heavily detracted from the historical significance of the space. 5.) The "gardens" outside the castle are free to access. However, they're little more than a grassy park; a huge lost opportunity to bring back the historical look of what they once were. The rest of the grounds were also heavily overgrown and unkept, further lending to a feeling that they care little about this space other than to bank on a steady flow of tourist tickets.

Easy access via the funicular train from P12 parking lot. Nice breeze and beautiful view of the old town. The castle has a lot of stories to tell … take the free guided tour for a more absorbing experience.

Lovely quaint castle to visit! Must stop and see if you have a few hours. Who doesn't love a bit of history with the old Apothecary and the biggest wine barrel ! (Also stop for a quick class and a game of cards) Small and easily visit for just a couple hours. Suggest packing a picnic and eating in the beautiful garden grounds!

This is a neat castle but as the main tourist attraction in the town it's Extremely crowded. A tram takes you to the top, and it's best to go to the highest point and work your way down. Once you get to the castle you get to walk around the ruins and get some amazing views of the town. There's nowhere to walk inside of the castle, you'll just be walking around the paths and gardens surrounding it. Worth the stop but by far wasn't our favorite castle visit during our trip.

Heidelberg Castle offers a captivating glimpse into history with its grand architecture, intricate sculptures, and atmospheric ruins. Overlooking the charming Old Town and the Neckar River, it combines breathtaking views with a deep sense of heritage. A visit here blends cultural richness with the beauty of the surrounding landscape, making it a truly memorable experience. Tip on weekends or public holidays when it’s crowded: it could save you time to walk up and down the castle, than wait for the train

There is a vast area to explore outside, before venturing into the castle The weather was glorious when I visited, and views were fantastic. The castle itself has a pharmacy museum, and some extremely large wine barrels to admire I didn't take an organised tour, I was restricted for time, but many groups were being taken round, and gained a better knowledge the me about the history.

This is the #1 must do attraction when visiting Heidelberg. The cable car was out of operation during our late March 2025 visit so we chose to walk up which wasn’t that bad. You have to take about 200 steps or less, but it’s honestly not that steep. You can also take the other route with no steps but it’s slightly longer. Once you get to the top, the views are absolutely beautiful and worth the trip. It’s important to understand that these are more ruins than a fully operational castle. The $12 entry fee gets you into the grounds and allows you to walk around the castle. You can also go into the apothecary museum on the ground floor for free as well as the gift shop and the wine bar. You have to take a private tour to tour other interior parts of the castle, but we didn’t have time for that during our visit. Once you get to the top, you have amazing views of all of Heidelberg and just being up there is a truly memorable experience. I wish we would have been able to go into more of the interiors of the castle, but still I really enjoyed the trip and would say anyone visiting Heidelberg must visit this place at least once, especially for the historical importance.

I took a day trip from Frankfurt and this is a must visit. The Heidelberg Castle is majestically set above the charming town of Heidelberg. It's a site of history and romance. The castle's imposing ruins tell the story of a once grand fortress that has withstood centuries of wars, fires, and even lightning strikes. One of the highlights of the castle visit is the fascinating history of pharmacy exhibit. Tucked away in a section of the castle, this exhibit offers an in-depth look at the evolution of pharmacy from ancient times to the modern era. I loved my visit and the views were breathtaking tako

Lovely atmospheric castle We spent a couple of happy hours wandering around the ruined castle grounds. We chose to visit on a cold winter Monday morning and it was lovely and quiet. The views from the castle are stunning. Unfortunately, the cable car wasn't operating and the biggest barrel in the world was covered in scaffolding but we still enjoyed our visit!

Beautiful castle! Such a cool place and the views from the top were incredible. The hike up is pretty steep, but there was a cable car or something like that. We did the guided English tour. It was about an hour but it was worth it since you can't go inside the castle without a guide.

What an amazing castle. Such great history. Beautiful views. A must see. Pictures include what it looked little when first built and what it looks like today.

I agree with most other reviewers that state this is a must visit while in Heidelberg! You can choose to walk up the hill to the castle or take the shuttle. We chose the shuttle on the way up and then took a nice stroll back down. Be careful not to get lost on your way down - we did get a bit turned around but enjoyed our little adventure. The castle itself is massive and you can spend a ton of time here. We opted out of a tour as we didn't want to be there all day, but instead enjoyed touring the wine cellar, taking in the majestic views of Heidelberg, and then took in the pharmacy museum. All are super fun, especially walking up to the top of the giant wine barrel. I believe if you wanted to you could even have a glass of wine in the bar area, which would have been fun if it was later in the day. The views are worth it alone, but you won't regret this stop. Very affordable, and a really enjoyable stop on our day trip to this town.

Was passing through the area on a work trip and decided to power through the jet lag to make a day trip visit here. So glad we did! There are a lot of castles in Europe, but if you're looking for an experience that calls to mind castles from fairy tales and fantasy novels, this is the one. Had an amazing time climbing the paths up to and around the castle and enjoying the picturesque views of the valley. The town here is also lovely and worth wandering about. Lives up to the hype, definitely recommend!

This was excellent. No crowds. The guide books say this is a Ruin. But it is not. ABBA will do a concert here in November. The steps to the left of the trolly are about 300. We came back that way. But there is a back way short cut that is just a steep hill, residential. There is food and water and a WC at the top. The two free visits , pharmacy and largest wine cask in the world can't be missed. Two casks. Look for both. I would have happily paid for both.

We visited Heidelberg Castle today in Heidelberg, Germany. Just visiting the town of Heidelberg is an adventure, but the castle is the 'Main Event' so to speak. The castle ruins are actually what you see because much of the castle is in a a state of decay or collapse. When we first saw the castle high up on the hill, I knew it was ancient- but I was still surprised to discover that the castle construction started in 1214! The history of the castle is quite fascinating. In 1537, a lightning bolt destroyed the upper castle. Other parts of the castle were later damaged by later wars and fires. The easiest way to visit the castle is by funicular that quickly whooshes passengers up the rocky cliff to the castle. The price is very reasonable at 9 Euros- which includes entrance to the castle grounds. The castle offers panoramic views of the city, which arr breathtaking. One of the highlights of the castle visit is the Heidelberg Tun, the world's largest wine barrel. It was built in 1751 and stands 21 feet high, and holds 58,124 gallons of wine! A staircase allows visitors to climb atop the barrel for a photo opportunity. Across from the wine museum is the Apothecary Museum. Entrance to the museum is free with the same ticket. The exhibition provides a fascinating history of medication preparation. We had a fabulous day, walking back in time at this extordinary castle!

For only 18 e you get the team ride up to the palace and entrance to the palace and pharmacy museum! Palace grounds are stunning, you can see so much or sit in the grass or walk around-we did it all! Stunning views on all sides. It was a bit crowded but worth the trip Look at that wine cask! And the lovely views.

Definitely pluses and minuses with this attraction. Pretty inexpensive for the "panorama ticket" which is the funicular ride both to the highest point as well as the castle. The castle is the first stop and you can get off or transfer to the next funicular to continue to the top. The cost is 14 euro round trip. The gouging occurs when you disembark at the castle level and want to actually see something inside. Otherwise, you just walk around the outside of a ruin.

Heidelberg castle is amazing and a place you mustn't miss visiting. The most important things you need to know are: 1) You can take an interesting slanted train ride up/down the hill to/from the castle. I did not know this and walked all the way up pushing a baby stroller! 2) One of the biggest wine barrels in the world, also know as the Heidelberg Tun, is in the castle cellar and you can stand on top of it! 3) Spectacular views can be seen everywhere. Do not skip out on this gem in Germany!

Must visit when in Heidelberg! The hike is worth the breathe taking views and history lessons. Make sure to grab a water bottle, and sign up for the tour. Tours run every 30 minutes, should not be difficult to catch one.

I was stationed in Heidelberg for almost 3 years and absolutely loved it! While I was there, I visited the Heidelberg Castle several times and brought all my visitors there. They have one of the largest wine barrels in the world in their wine cellar. They are known for their eis wine. Eis wine is a super sweet wine made from the first frost snap. It apparently makes the grapes very sweet. It's one of my favorites! You can buy the wine here and tour the castle grounds. It is a very steep walk up to the castle.

I don't know what possessed me to walk up that huge cobblestone hill 7 months pregnant in sandals in the July, but I did and it was so worth it. I was already significantly out of breath when it reached the top, but the views of Heidelberg from every spot were truly breathtaking. I was pretty bummed that the inner portions of the castle were only available with the guided tour, but the experience was great nonetheless. The ticket included access to the pharmacy, the giant wine barrel, and the courtyard. There were bathrooms and maps located pretty conveniently around the paths. There are also two restaurants that I saw and at least 1 ice cream cart. I can't speak on the food because we didn't eat on our trip. There was plenty of street parking, but it seemed kind of far from the path to the castle. That's not necessarily bad, but again...7 months pregnant. There is a parking garage at the base of the entry path, but the wait can be long depending on how full it is. Fortunately for us 3 cars in front of us were tired of waiting and left so we got in pretty quickly, the price was 6 euro for about 2.5 hours. Hopefully I can make it back to do a guided tour before I leave the country.

Started around 1200A.D., this castle is impressive. Over the centuries it has been added onto and you can see the progression of building styles. As with every group tour, you get to see the highlights and have a short time to explore on your own. It would be nice to have had more time to discover more about the history here. Make sure to walk past the front gate before you enter, that way you can see the remains of the tower that was blown up centuries ago. Once inside you will see a wine barrel that is said to hold over 50,000 gallons. ( taxes could be paid in wine here). The apothecary was very educational as well. I'm glad I wasn't around when the cures found here were in vogue!

The Courtyard of the hit hillaberg castle is so beautiful.i love how the medieval architectre is preserve,also like how you can tell each generation of nobles added their own style to the architecture to the palace and its grounds but also keeping the sound structure of the castle's bones in place. The fortifications of the outer walls look fantastically well preserved. You can see the great care they put into preserving the towers walls And buttresses With the fortificatiof the castle walls. As well as keeping the grandeur Of the Palace So well designed. I love how the church and the palace are walking distance which probably helped the nobles go to church. You can tell inside the Courtyard where the Stables and other tools like Blacksmith armory Once was.

Truly amazing. Started in 1200s, completed in 1600s, semi destroyed in 1700s; if your a fan of history, or Castles or unique encounters different from where you are from, then place is it. Make the walk up the cobblestone pavement, or take the funicular. Take your time to soak it in, a lot of walking to see most of what is open. When we went there was bitter cold, and light snow and ice, making it even more magical. Went twice in three days, I personally enjoyed it so much, and fortunately encountered light crowds.

In my opinion this castle originally built in 1214 is a must see when in Heidelberg. You can access the red sandstone Renaissance style castle by car (limited parking space), walk (260 feet above the town and a steep climb), bike (I hope you are in great shape) or funicular which I recommend, For 8 euros (adult ticket) you get to ride the funicular, walk the grounds, admission to the self-guided Apothecary Museum, see the worlds largest wine barrel (the tun) and enjoy amazing panoramic views of the city. If you are interested in more detail buy the 5 Euro audio-guide. Also, for an additional 5 Euros you can take the guided tour which gives you entrance to some of the interior chambers. Tours are on the hour usually from 11 am-4 pm. They have tours in English and German. Since 1214 the castle has been damaged by wars (Thirty Years War), two lighting strikes in 1754 and weathering over 800 years. Only the Friedrich's building has been restored. The figures on the the outside are reproductions but the originals can be seen if you take the guided tour. The Apothecary Museum has 20,000 objects covering 2,000 years of western pharmacy history.. The Tun housed in the barrel building 1591 is the world's largest wine barrel measuring 23' high X 27' wide. It was built in 1725 and holds 58,000 gallons. The Great Terrace has spectacular views of the city of Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley and River. The Hortus Palatinus (palace gardens) were created in the 17th century. The Elizabeth Gate built by Friedrich V for his wife Elizabeth Stuart is another highlight.

We had good weather to take our tour, which was part of a Viking Rhine river cruise. As others have said, you have spectacular river and countryside views from the castle vantage point. Since a lot of the castle lies in ruins, it's not as spectacular as say, Marksburg Castle, but then, what is? The details and gothic art on the exterior are still very interesting, and on the inside, the almost 34,000 gallon wine barrel was a hoot to see. I loved the large doors, and even small things like hinges that held the massive doors up, were interesting to note. But then, I am a castle fan and have not seen a bad one yet!

I only had half a day to spent in Heidelberg and ran into some Americans on business and they highly suggested visiting the Heidelberg castle. I made it a point to get up early and enjoy breakfast before walking to old town from the Marriott hotel where I stayed. It was early and Sunday so the shops weren't even open but the walk was scenic. I decided to hike up the hill and enjoy the plush green trees and forest en route to the castle. Once arriving I purchased tickets for admission into the castle square and enjoyed the worlds largest wine barrel - The Great Barrel which was built in 1751 and holds 228,000 liters was massive. From the top of the castle the views of Heidelberg and Rhine river were gorgeous. I'm glad I made the visit to the Heidelberg Castle.

I have to start this review with a disclaimer. When I visited Bavaria, I toured the Neuschwanstein castle, which was stunning. Because of this, I had high expectations of this castle. Sadly, I was disappointed. The tour was fun because we had a great tour guide. It took about an hour van ride to reach Heidelberg town. With a short walk, we reached the funicular. First time ti ride one of these, which is like a tiny train that stays horizontal and climbs up the tracks in a tunnel. It was heated, which was a plus! The grounds were beautiful. I learned that the kings protected the grounds with wild animals, from bears to wolves. The architecture was quite interesting, because the castle was built over many, many years. So, you could literally look at the grounds and buildings and see the different architecture of that particular time. The highlight of the tour was seeing the humongous wine barrel- they knew how to party in their time! The tour does not include the interior of the castle, which was a real bummer. Why not open this up to the public? I know they would make a lot more money if they did this. Looking at the outside of the castle just isn't enough, in my opinion. In conclusion, I would not recommend this tour in the winter because it was just too cold and there is little chance of getting warm.

Must visit when in Heidelberg proper down the hillside from castle. Take the funicular tram railroad up to castle. Its best to have guide to explain what your seeing. Hope for good weather to take great photos on terrace overlooking the city and river.

Had a lovely walk around the castle with my personal guide American-friend-living-in-Heidelberg. The castle itself isn't very pretty close up with its mish-mash of various styles, its history is intriguing and it offers grand views of Heidelberg city, the river Neckar and Philosophenweg. Don't miss the supersized wine casket (upon which you can dance) and the sad story of the court jester Perkeo, the once upon a time guardian of said casket. The furnicular to the castle will also take you all the way up to Königsstuhl which offers even grander views on days with clear weather. No such luck for me the day I was in Heidelberg alas, but I really enjoyed my visit anyway.

Absolutely brilliant and beautiful castle and view of Heidelberg. Visiting the outer grounds is free, but I recommend purchasing not only an entry ticket (7 Euro), which allows entry to the Courtyard, Apotheke Museum, the World's Largest Wine Barrel, and a nice restaurant, but also participate in a guided tour (5 Euro extra), which allows entry inside the castle itself. The outer grounds is perfect, if you are on a budget. It is a large area that encompasses the courtyard. One has a phenomenal view of Heidelberg, and on a sunny day, it looks stunning. Without going on the guided tour, one wouldn't know the significance of the gardens at the rear beyond the ticket office. The style was Persian influenced and an elaborately grand project, which was left incomplete, but the remnants are still beautiful to see, such as small water features, and fountains. In the 17th Century, it was considered the "8th Wonder of the World". Not bad eh? Unfortunately, time and war has not been too kind to Schloss Heidelberg. Mostly destroyed by Louis XIV after he laid claim to the Palatine dynasty as he was the brother-in-law to Princess Palatine Elizabeth Charlotte, the granddaughter to Frederik V of Heidelberg, but was denied. This was during the Nine year War. The courtyard access has a great restaurant that mostly serves form of Wurst, but also Schnitzel, which I sampled with Potato Salad, and it was lovely. I have tasted better Schnitzel and Kartoffelsalat, but it was tasty. In the courtyard, one can access the are where the largest Wine Barrel is held, and it is massive. Once again, the joy of the guided tour is that on is instilled with a greater knowledge of the barrel. In the 17th Century, it was healthier to drink wine than water, so wine was consumer more, hence the big barrel. Also great for parties! The Apotheke Museum can be find in the courtyard, and is another fascinating museum, narrating the development of medicine, trade, discovery, impact on Germany, introduction of regulation and practice, and overall evolution of the pharma industry in Germany today. Definitely worth a visit. The guided tour is fantastic to truly get a full understanding of the history and see parts of Schloss Heidelberg that one wouldn't otherwise see. Beautiful. It is easy to get to from Altstadt, either by walking (although it is an upward trek) or by the Bergbahn (6 Euro or so), which also takes one to Königstuhl.

The views are beautiful. The castle was destroyed by war but what is left is beautiful. You can either walk a steep hill or take a short trolley ($7.5 euro?) Theres 2 huge wine barrels

You don't get to see much inside the castle. Most of the parts are closed, only extremely big barrels and German Medicine Museum. But the view is worth the time climbing up.

Heidelberg castle - have to say these ruins were okay but we were expecting more Sure the grounds are nicely walled in & the outside sculptures / gargoyles are really cool & the "World's Largest Wine Cask" is neat to see. I guess we were hoping to see some refurbished rooms or something that showed us how the inhabitants of the castle lived back then All we saw were a bunch of closed areas & a couple of empty rooms but were mainly left to walk around & admire from the outside.....but from such a huge, grand, intact state of castle "ruins", we thought there would be more to see on the inside We elected to take the guided tour & unfortunately our guide was lacking in knowledge & voice projection. She was to the point of whispering & hardly anyone could hear a thing she said, except for the gross stories of vomitoriums & chamber pots. We did get to see a room w/ miniature replicas of the castle & I think we went into maybe 1 room that had heavy wooden tables in it - it was the large dining area Cool part of this room was that the huge wine cask lived underneath but the pump for this cask was upstairs & we were informed it was used to supply all the castle w/ wine b/c back then, the wine was safer to drink than the water Also found out that many of the people paid their taxes w/ wine & it was all dumped into the cask & given this cask holds almost 60,000 gallons of wine - that's right. 60,000! Given the mixture of the various wines & qualities of the grapes, that wine tasted more similar to vinegar ( so we were told ) Great views of the city & the gardens show nice meadows & wooded areas - don't expect any sculptured gardens. There's also a gondola that will bring you up the hill & a nearby expensive parking garage if you're lucky enough & rich enough to get a spot before hitting the gondola So overall, this historical spot is worth viewing for first-time tourists like me but not a spot I'd want to come back to over & over again

The castle and views are absolutely breath taking. Despite the drizzling rain, and already having spent hours exploring the town, I couldn't help but spend time examining each detail of the architecture and design. The castle was worked on over the course of 500 years (if I'm not mistaken) and you can see that the time put into it was worth it. It's massive in size and the outside is decorated with so much detailed sculpture, it's easy to loose track of time. There was a lot of damage sustained in the wars, leaving huge chunks of the castle exposed. You'll be able to see the inside layout and outside all at once. The castle provides a wonderful view of the red roofed village below. There are plenty of tour guides speaking many languages to give you a better understanding, but even without the history, you're sure to enjoy your time here just looking around.

This Castle is a great place to visit medieval architecture, and klassic design are great

We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the castle through the mist around 2km from the site. Exquisite. After we parked, I elected to walk up the short path to the castle entrance and I highly recommend the walk. It builds anticipation and is quite beautiful. I also recommend the tour. Besides giving you a history lesson, the interior decorations, wall paintings and various artifacts are quite interesting. We didn't eat at any of the eateries here, but if you are hungry there is a beautiful outdoor cafe, and one indoor restaurant. There was a wedding party eating at the indoor resto while we were there. Plenty of photo ops.

I love our local castle. We've visited in all weathers. It is so worth taking the English guided tour to see the inside! Don't just go down to the giant wine barrel and leave! The views over Heidelberg are gorgeous. Aim for a visit right at the beginning of the day or towards the end to avoid the main crowds. Don't bother eating a meal up here, the food options are limited and not great. It's worth noting there's no longer part of the Christmas market up at the castle, it disturbs the nesting of the endangered bat species that returns every year.

Absolutely stunning place to visit. You get to where it's at and just look at it's magnitude. You have to truck up a good inclined hill to get to the castle itself, but there's plenty of flat walking space around the castle to get good pictures of Heidelberg and of the castle. If you want to go into the courtyard, there's a small fee. Inside, there's a museum about the history of pharmacy/ German Pharmacies that's very interesting. In the lower level, there's a wine bar amongst other things. If you walk up, prepare to sweat some, but there's also a hill cable train if you're unable to.

Eat before you go-NO vegan options We arrived Frankfurt airport at 9am and wanting to stay up all day and adjust to the German time zone, on a lark went to the Castle. By the time we arrived and parked it was WELL after my dinner time. It appeared my only options were a 3 euro pretzel (that sells for half a euro in the grocery store) but I was told it was only vegetarian not vegan. So I did not bother to ask if the 7.50 euro veggie burger was vegan or not. So we toured the castle and was surprised they did not accept credit cards for payment. Then I was surprised there was no signage in the castle. I guess that is to encourage you to pay for the audio guide, but since I did not know there would not be a few signs to discuss the importance of particular features, I did not go out and purchase the add on just to go back in again. It is well preserved and clean. The views are beautiful. For 7 euro admission, if you are able, it is a beautiful stop.

No words can describe the beauty that this amazing castle radiates. I was is awe of how magnificent it was. It looked like something out of a movie. I went to the castle on a chilly day and the wind was pretty strong. We walked around for a bit and checked out the renovations they are doing on a part of the castle that had collapsed. It was very cool to see something so ancient. Heidelberg castle is a magical place to visit.

Growing up around here I've been to this castle so many times, but now that I'm an old man I got to really appreciate it today for the first time. It offers a beautiful view of the Rhein and old town Heidelberg, and if you go on a nice day it's a great place for photos. There isn't much to see interior-wise: there's a pharmacy museum and a giant wine casket where you can also sit and have some wine and coffee. It's a fairly quick place to tour, a nice place to end your tour of Heidelberg.

Amazing castle sitting on the top of the mountain. You can walk for 10 minutes or pay 6 Euros and take the cable car. On a cold afternoon, we took the cable car. Great views on the top. Great way to see the layout of the city. Would definitely come back here and try the other tours. If you come here during Christmas, be prepared to dress really warm! Its buurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr up there!

Beautiful castle, with gorgeous views of Heidelberg. English speaking and went on the English tour of the castle, my boyfriend and I really enjoyed the experience the tour guide was very intelligent and entertaining, provided great information and really kept our attention. We enjoyed wine tasting, the bartender was very kind and generous. The castle is beautiful and enjoyed the apothecary museum. Would definitely recommend. Plan to be here for hours there is a lot to see and it took a lot of time out of our day but well worth it.

Tourist trap! Not worth the 7 euro admission. You can't enter the castle rooms unless you pay for a guided tour. You're limited to the interior castle courtyards, world's largest wine vat and the apothecary museum. I gave it 2 stars simply for those two attractions. The funicular is also included, but doesn't add much value to the admission unless you take it from the city center square. Also, you're limited to taking the funicular up only one station. You need to pay extra to continue up the next historic funicular. There's nothing to see up there either. We drove and parked a few meters above the castle (parking is metered, unless you have an A2 vehicle permit then you can park on the streets). Most of the castle and grounds are under construction (July 2016). Also, since they host many outdoor events, their equipment and stands were set up around the castle, which ruined the ambiance. Save your 7 euro and just walk around the exterior for free. The view of Heidelberg is nice from up top, but the view from below is just as good.

Heidelberg was one of the last stops on the tour of southern Germany I took, and I'm so glad I got to round out my vacation here. As I said in the title, I only wish I could have spent more time, but that's one of the drawbacks of being on a guided tour. No matter where I turned, whether it was walking down among the ruins to the palace proper and viewing Heidleberg from above, gazing up at the various portions of the palace built over many years, or pondering the enormity of a 58,000 gallon barrel of wine, I was awestruck, and think I could easily make a full vacation out of the city, with many days spent at the castle itself.

This Gothic-Renaissance castle is amazing. They work on it all the time to help in its preservation/restoration. The views of the city are amazing. This castle was home to Bavarian royalty from the 13th to 18th centuries However, the bus area is not for the faint of heart. There are lots of buses and only parking for about 5. Our driver had to do a 180 degree turn in a spot that looked like it was designed for a Mini Cooper. The best surprise is that it is home to the worlds largest wine barrel. (58,124 gallons) with a dance floor on top of it. That barrel is the size of some New York City apartments. Then, you can ride the funicular down the very steep incline to get you back to the main part of town. Worth the effort.

This castle is beautiful! Reach the top and you overlook the entire city! the view of the lake and the little town is gorgeous! so many people here! the inside of this castle is a must see! best thing is the wine cellar

It does not get much better than to walk around and enjoy the grounds, sights, and sounds of an old world legacy. This castle sits on a nice view of the river and adjacent valley. Make the trip, have dinner/lunch and walk around the town, don't miss out.

Of course you can't go wrong with visiting a castle. Buy the ticket that lets you get to the castle by train.

For 8 and a half years I lived in a charming city called Karlsruhe - a mere 35 minute ride from Heidelberg - and, I had the pleasure of visiting Heidelberg hundreds of times because of that proximity. Now, my husband and I are happy yearly visitors - back to our lovely adopted homeland. Heidelberg Castle is the world's most famous palace ruin. (ruins?) It is still a beautiful structure, one that sits regally in the hills of this gorgeous city. One whose beauty is enchanting no matter how many times you visit. Each year, Heidelberg "Schloss" attracts over a million visitors from all over the world. Guided tours are interesting, historic, and enjoyable for everyone ages 6 to 106. My son Jon was born in Heidelberg, on March 21st, 1970, and he returned to the place of his birth with us a few years ago and he was astounded and amazed at this spectacular, picturesque city and its Castle that watches over it all with dignity, pride, and grace. It's beautiful and magical, and its presence will stay with you long after your enchanting visit is over. Questions? Please dial their information hotline, daily from 8 am until 8 pm: +49 (0)72 51.74-27 70

The Heidelberg castle gives you access to one of the greatest view over Heidelberg! Best view to the "Alte Bruecke" over the Neckar. Also, you can look straight over to the sophisticated housing area on "Philosophenweg". We took the audio tour (4 Euro) and it turned out to be a good choice. You can play it over as many times as you want by simply typing in the number you would like to hear again. The rail (Bergbahn) ticket is 5 Euro to the castle stop. To go further up to Kaiserstuhl, it's a little more expensive, but so worth it. I simply love the Heidelberg castle!!

P. tures fail to depict the true height and breadth of a European castle. Especially one so grand. This place was a fortress, with a moat and incredibly massive walls. To my cousin's, who live in this area, its just another place. Once you climbed the stairways to the top, the overlooking view was spectacular. The wine barrels were massive. Its a wonder if they were ever sober. Parts of the castle remain in disrepair from explosions and fires. However, most of the grounds were in excellent condition. I have been here many times when I have visited Germany. Y 4/100

Plan for an entire day here. If you're into medieval castles, 18th century apothecaries, ravishing landscapes dotted with medieval ruins, this is Nirvana. A welcome respite from the more commercial parts of Heidelberg. The modern-day tram ride up the mountain is a delightful contrast to the medieval sights at the top. Get a thorough workout walking all the way down the steep cobblestone path to the bottom again.

Took the family here to tour the castle and grounds. Access: there are a couple of ways to get to the castle, either walk or take the funicular...we opted to walk. Of course, with walking, one can take more of a sloping path or the stairs...we went with the stairs. It was a very nice path up, though very steep and seemed to take forever. Grounds: the grounds are definitely beautiful and the views fantastic. There is no fee to walk around the grounds. Since we were there in late November, they were just setting up for the Christmas Markets, so it wasn't as pretty as in warmer seasons. Tour: well, I was pretty aggravated that it was 6 Euro just to get in and another 4 Euro for the tour. Without the tour, I'm not sure what would be worth the money? The pharmacy museum is free with entrance. We decided to skip the museum. The tour guide was very knowledgable and fun. She lead us through the different sections describing the history and some brief stories to go along with the areas we visited. Photography is not permitted in most of the castle, which is also aggravating. Not part of the tour, but told about it (and free to see thanks to the entrance fee) is the large wine barrel. It's very cool to see and the story behind it is cool Interior: the castle is great to tour. Not all of it has been restored, and won't be. However, you can get a great feel for the times during which the various parts were built. Overall, this is a very cool castle and the tour is good. If you are in this part of Germany for vacation, then make it a stop. If you are elsewhere, don't make the trip over. There are loads and loads of castles in Germany that have guided (or even self-guided) tours that are every bit as fascinating.

I've been to the castle several times now and while the courtyard and giant beer barrel are cool to see, I have taken to just walking up and exploring the grounds which are open for free and have great views of the castle and town. The cable train is also an interesting experience, but you can walk up for free, and while the way is fairly steep, it isn't as bad as it looks and is pretty short. Follow the trail to the left instead of entering the cashier area and you'll wind behind the castle and end up in the gardens. From here you can still get to the overlook area which has great panoramic views of the castle, old town, and river. Its a great way to spend a morning or afternoon and get the lay of Heidelberg.