Lighting of the Castle

Dating back to 1613 the lighting of the Castle in Heidelberg is an event not to be missed. Thousands of people turn out to see the fireworks displays along the river near the old bridge. I chose a vantage point a little further along the river to take pictures of the castle illumination, as the area near the old bridge was so packed with people, I am sure I would not have had much of a view. I was able to see the fireworks through the tops of the trees and the Castle illumination was beautiful. As if sparked by a single firework display from behind the Castle, it soon glowed in eerie red lights and smoke as if set ablaze by that single firework. The effect was reminiscent of what it must have been seen by the town 300 years ago when the castle was set ablaze by French Troops. The rebuilt Castle today has scaffolding around several towers and it is evident that the preservation and restoration of this landmark continues as it will for many decades to come.
The image to the above left shows the normal illumination of the castle at dusk. The image to the right shows the spectacular display occurring only three times each summer. I only wish my camera were better at taking night shots, although I am not sure any photograph could do this spectacular site justice. If you are planning a trip to Heidelberg I highly recommend you try to schedule it during one of these magnificent events. More information on the Castle Illumination can be found here.