Heidelberg Sightseeing: Altstadt and Castle
Heidelberg’s main sights sit within a short walk of each other, so a loop from Bismarckplatz through the Old Town to the Neckar, with a side trip up to the castle, covers most of them in a day.
Hauptstrasse and Marktplatz
Hauptstrasse is a pedestrian street about 1.6 km long, running from Bismarckplatz to Karlsplatz. Part of the way along it, Marktplatz holds the Rathaus, the Hercules Fountain and the Heiliggeistkirche, a Gothic church with a tower that visitors can climb in season. Tower hours depend on the time of year, so ask at the church. Close by, Haus zum Ritter at Hauptstrasse 178 is a Renaissance townhouse dated 1592 that came through the French destruction of the city in the 1690s.
The Alte Brücke
The Old Bridge, formally the Karl-Theodor-Brücke, dates from 1786 to 1788. A fortified gate with twin towers stands at the Old Town end, and next to it sits the bronze Brückenaffe, a monkey sculpture with a mirror that visitors like to photograph. From the north bank, the bridge frames the castle against the hillside.
The riverfront and Karlsplatz
East of the bridge the Marstall, a former arsenal built in 1510, now serves as a university canteen with a courtyard. Karlsplatz gives a wide view up to the castle’s north face and doubles as the site of the winter ice rink.
Heidelberg Castle
The castle is open daily from 09:00 to 18:00, with last admission at 17:30. The Schlossticket is €11 for adults and €5.50 reduced until 31 December 2026, then €12 and €6. It includes the funicular ride from Kornmarkt, the courtyard, the Great Tun and the German Pharmacy Museum. The interiors are visited on a guided tour for €6 adult or €3 reduced. The castle is closed on 25 December. See the castle visitor page .
Museums
The Kurpfälzisches Museum at Hauptstrasse 97 is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. A replica of the Mauer 1 jawbone of Homo heidelbergensis, found in 1907, is on show there, and the exhibition Unschätzbar runs from 17 October 2026 to 30 May 2027. The Studentenkarzer at Augustinergasse 2 is a cultural curiosity: its cells are covered in student graffiti, and a combined ticket with the University Museum is €7.50.
Königstuhl
A funicular with two sections reaches the 567 m summit. The Panoramaticket costs €17 adult return and includes the castle admissions. See bergbahn-heidelberg.de for fares, which rise in January 2027.
A solemn site on the Heiligenberg
The Thingstätte is an open-air amphitheatre on the Heiligenberg, built in 1934 and 1935 under the Nazi regime as a stage for propaganda theatre. Treat it as a sober historical site, not a scenic ruin. It is free to enter, unlit and unfenced, with uneven stone steps, so visit in daylight only.
Tips
Hauptbahnhof is about 2 km west of the Old Town, a short tram or bus ride to Bismarckplatz. Read more: Heidelberg walking tours and the two-day itinerary . To compare city tours, search Heidelberg sightseeing on GetYourGuide .