See Heidelberg Castle, Germany
Tour the Heidelberger Schloss Museums, Great Vat, Gardens, and Ruins
Tickets, opening hours, and guide to visiting Schloss Heidelberg Castle museums, romantic ruins, the Great Vat, and gardens in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The Heidelberger Schloss is arguably the most romantic castle ruins in Germany. The partly restored Heidelberg Castle absolutely looks the part from its strategic position on a low hill overlooking old town Heidelberg and the Neckar River in Baden-Württemberg.
Visiting Heidelberg Castle
The best parts of Heidelberg Castle can be seen without a guided tour and are included on the basic admission ticket.
Once past the main admission gate, enjoy the views of the old town and valley from the garden terraces. It is also possible to see the innards of the ruined castle defenses.
A basic admission ticket is needed to enter the castle courtyard via the Torturm (Gate Tower). In the courtyard, appreciate the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque facades of the wings constructed in different periods. A small museum has paintings and models – some show the castle of yesteryear while many paintings are pure romantic fantasies.
The Großes Fass (Great Vat) is a major draw. Follow the crowds (or signboards) past several large barrels to the really large one. It has a capacity of 58,000 gallons and was long the largest wine barrel in the world. The Great Vat was installed in 1751 with a direct connection by pump to the main banqueting hall. Use the steep stairs to climb up to see the small dancing floor on top of the vat.
- The statue in front of the Great Vat is of Perkeo, a court yester with a famous capacity for alcohol who reputedly died after drinking water by mistake.
The Deutsche Apothekenmuseum (German Pharmaceutical Museum) has pharmaceutical equipment and complete shops from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
- Pass through the vaulted tunnel underneath the palace to the Altane Great Terrace for the best views of the façade of the palace as well as of the old town and valley.
The interior of the palace can only be seen on guided tours. Bear in mind that these reception rooms are mostly restorations, often in the incorrect Historicist style of the nineteenth century. Germany has many other palaces with original and more interesting interiors.
The gardens were never restored to their former glory but it is still worth taking a stroll through the parks mostly for the views of the castle, old town, and Neckar Valley. (Plans are afoot to restore in the near future much of the Hortus Palatinus – the famous Renaissance Palatinate Gardens laid out in the early seventeenth century.)
Heidelberg Castle Opening Hours and Tickets
The Castle Courtyard (Schlosshof) and Großes Fass are open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. The Permanent Exhibition opens at 9:30 am and the Apothekenmuseum at 10 am.
Admission is €3 plus €4 for the compulsory guided tour to see the interior of the palace. Tour times are posted at the ticket counter. Admission to the gardens is free.
Getting to the Heidelberg Castle Ruins
Several options are available from the old town to get to the castle entrance, which is at the rear of the complex away from the Neckar Valley:
- Taking the funicular (Bergbahn) from the old town is the easiest – the first stop (Station Schloss) provides level access to the castle entrance.
- Walking up from the old town takes around 15 minutes and involves numerous flights of stairs to the west of the castle.
- Walking up from the old town via the gardens along pathways of varying steepness between the castle and the river is probably the most pleasant way of getting to the castle. It is also a sound option for returning down to the old town if an easier way was followed up.
- Driving is an option but parking is limited near the castle. Park only where explicitly allowed or risk being towed away. Using a parking lot at the edge of the old town is generally a more sensible idea.
Schloss Heidelberg Castle has a long history seeing it develop from fortress to palace to ruins. The castle is the top sight in Heidelberg but the Baroque university old town is also worth exploring. Easy transportation makes Heidelberg a popular day-trip from Frankfurt as well as Frankfurt International Airport (FRA).
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