Heidelberg University

The German’s oldest university and college town! So vibrant! Walking around the campus on the cobblestone streets was amazing.

Founded in 1386, this historic and highly significant place is the fifth oldest university in Europe. I wish I could have explored it more thoroughly, but since I visited on the day of the fair, I couldn’t see much around. I only managed to take a photo of its gate.

First off, i will just say that this a tourist review of Heidelberg University, not a review of student life. 31,000+ students come to this university and it is one of the most prestigious universities in Germany. It is the oldest university in Germany and one the oldest in the world, being the third of the Holy Roman Empire. Heidelberg university was founded in 1386 by Pope Urban VI. It has been coeducational since 1899 and has a very strong tradition of research and has an excellent reputation. The architecture is Baroque, with Victorian and Gothic influences because of its age. Its stone is a reddish brown sandstone. Interesting statues and faces are set above doors and windows. The ground is covered in cobblestone and there are lovely green trees everywhere. Heidelberg is a beautiful, historic city and the university is at it’s center along with the castle. Our tour group even met Heidelberg students and we had beer and lunch with them in a university pub. It was a lovely experience and we really enjoyed meeting and talking to our student, Prateek, a friendly, intelligent, international student originally from Delhi India. He was an excellent young man and we were very impressed with him and his English skills were outstanding. Our host explained his life as a student and his future plans. Prateek represented the students, himself and Heidelberg university very well and we were very impressed. Meeting a student from the university left an excellent impression of the kind of educated human beings that Heidelberg university is producing.

After leaving the Heidelberg Student Prison, we wandered into Heidelberg University's exhibition hall through one of the exits. The first thing we saw was a long corridor lined with artworks and paintings. Among them were some early 19th-century paintings by Charles de Graimberg, which depicted the ruins of Heidelberg Castle as they appeared at the time. We moved on to explore some university exhibits and eventually came to a glass door. We met a friendly staff member and, out of curiosity, asked if we could take a look inside. He invited us to follow him, although he explained that the university is normally not open to the public. He ended up leading us to the university's old assembly hall. When we arrived, we noticed a young lady practicing a musical instrument in the hall. The staff explained that there would be a performance later that evening. Not wanting to disturb her, we quietly admired the beauty of the hall without taking any photos. Back in the day, the hall was used for lectures, but now it’s reserved for ceremonies and performances. The entire hall is made of wood with a rich reddish-brown tone, giving it a warm and elegant feel. There’s a central aisle flanked by tidy rows of red chairs, with classical-style balconies on the upper floor. The walls and ceiling are decorated with carvings, paintings, and sculptures that contribute to the hall’s peaceful and classical atmosphere. Later, we found out that Heidelberg University is the oldest university in Germany that is still operating today. It was founded way back in the days of the Holy Roman Empire!

Beautiful place to walk through. Did not go inside but stunning from outside.

Built in 1836 the oldest university in German. The wooden door , marble stairway shows the history of the building. Imaging this is an incubator for researchers and scholars cultivated many Nobel Price winners. Heidelberg university furnished with turreted buildings, stone bridges and baroque red-brick buildings.

The oldest German university since 1386, i.e.: 638 year old. The biology and molecular faculty is ranked number 1 in Germany, 9th in Europe and 32 globally,

It does have structures preserved, but not much to see, and the toilet stinks