Heldelberger Herbst

Today is the Annual Heidelberger Herbst. There is so much to do and so many people trying to do it, I am glad I got there early. The Altstadt is hosting this festival with an arts & crafts market along the Hauptstraße and a flea market along the Neckar. University Platz has been turned into a medieval town with bands playing & venders selling hand made items.

I did find the flea market a bit disappointing, there were only a few tables with items worth buying, and they were rather overpriced for what I would expect at a flea market. I did however stroll down a side street and found a lady selling wonderful handmade soaps. She spoke some English and let me know she does not have a store but does them as a hobby and gave me her card to contact her if I wish to buy some in the future.

The art market was nice also, although there were many venders with the same or similar items, the variety was good and the prices were right. I got myself a nice scarf to match my coat that will come in handy on these windy days we have been having. I also managed to resist the urge to buy every tote bag and messenger bag I saw, although there are a few I really wanted that were in my price range.

My favorite part of the festival had to be the medieval times plaza. The whole plaza was transformed with shops designed to look like period housing and carts. Everyone was dressed in period attire, bread is being baked in a wood burning oven, and wurst are being cooked over an open flame. I stopped to try a rinderwurst served in traditional bread, baked and sliced like a pizza then split open to hold 2 pieces of wurst across a triangle shaped wedge of bread, although at first it is difficult to hold, it was extremely delicious. Then while I enjoyed my meal I listened to some music & singing in the medieval town they created. There were also crafters practicing their craft for everyone to see, one woman was making leather bags, another man was blowing glass. I was not able to get photographs of the glass blowing due to the crowds but after they left I was able to get a photo of some of the dragons made of glass and his one of a kind dragon head flame thrower used to melt the glass.