Heidelberg Schloss (Castle)

Today we decided to take a trip over to the castle, via the train. If you are in Heidelberg I cannot recommend this enough. For 8 Euro (6 for students) you can ride the new glass train half way up the mountain, stopping at the Schloss (castle) on your way up or down. You can then also ride the historic (and recently renovated) Bergbahn to the top of the mountain. This is the oldest mountain train in operation in Germany.

The view from the top is nothing short of spectacular. The pictures I took do not even begin to explain the beauty from atop this mountain. At the top there is a small concession stand with candy and drinks, as well as an overlook perfect for a picnic. There is also a small map outlining the direction for various cities you can see on the horizon. On a clear day I imagine this must be spectacular, although even on a slightly cold and foggy day as it was the view was just amazing.

You can, if you choose to, drive up the mountain or for those of you who want the exercise bike your way to the top. Tickets on the train can be purchased for one way or round trip, you cannot however bring your bike on the train.

We chose to ride all the way to the top stopping at the castle on our way back down the mountain, unfortunately we arrived to the castle just 5 minutes after closing so we were only able to walk around the outside and take some pictures from the gardens….so I will just have to head back another day to the castle…

Mannheim

Today me and one of my roomates decided to take the trolley into Mannheim. It was not very impressive. Although we knew most places would be closed, we did not see anything that we really wished was open. The Schloß was not much more then a large palace/parliment style building that houses a school and some other offices. There were a few bautiful fountains, however since they were not actually on and spraying water the effect was very much lost. Overall I did not see the draw to go to Mannheim as any type of a tourist attraction, alhough according to posters around the city they do occasionaly get some medium-large venue concerts that may be of interest.

Night Out

If you ever happen to find yourself in Heidelberg on a Friday Night the place to be is Eckstein's - on the corner of Fischmarkt right by the entrance to the big church that sits in Marktplatz - it is centrally located in the Atlstadt. With an eclectic mix of punk rock, 80's metal and 90's country there is something for everyone. This is your every-corner bar where preppy's hang out with the punks in a light and fun atmosphere. A smoking room is provided in the back with a bar and some tables out front. Drink specials are on the chalkboard and the nightly events board is up on the wall. I think I found a new place to hang out on Friday nights with Itze (see photo of Itze & his air guitar) DJ'ing this place is bound to be rocking!!