District
Old Town
The historic heart of Heidelberg between the Neckar and the Königstuhl - with the castle, the Old Bridge, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the longest pedestrian street in Europe.
Nestled on the bank of the Neckar, Heidelberg's Old Town is the historic heart of the city. With its cobblestone streets and the imposing castle watching over the town, the Old Town offers a journey back to the Renaissance. It is home to Ruprecht Karl University, Germany's oldest university (founded in 1386). The castle, the Old Bridge, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Hauptstrasse shape the townscape.
Attractions in Old Town
Old Town
Heidelberg Castle
Heidelberg's most famous landmark - the part-restored, part-romantically-ruined castle complex standing 80 meters above the Old Town.
from €9
Old Town
Old Bridge (Karl Theodor Bridge)
The stone Neckar bridge of 1788 with its two white towers and its bridge monkey - one of the most photographed sights in Heidelberg.
Free entry
Old Town
Old University & Student Prison
The historic main building of the Ruperto Carola on University Square, with the Old Aula and the famous student prison in the rear courtyard.
from €3
Old Town
Church of the Holy Spirit
The striking late-Gothic parish church on the Marktplatz - Heidelberg's religious and architectural center.
Free entry
Old Town
Kurpfälzisches Museum
City-history museum in the baroque Palais Morass - home to the cast of the Homo heidelbergensis jawbone and works by Tilman Riemenschneider.
from €3
Old Town
Student Prison
The old detention cells for Heidelberg students - in use from 1778 to 1914, now a cult sight covered in artful wall graffiti.
from €3
Old Town
Marktplatz
Heidelberg's civic center with the town hall, the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Hercules Fountain and a fresh farmers' market twice a week.
Free entry
Old Town
Hauptstrasse
At 1.6 kilometers, one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe - Heidelberg's central shopping and strolling boulevard through the whole Old Town.
Free entry
Hotels in Old Town
All hotels →Old Town
Boutique Hotel Heidelberg Suites
Three restored townhouse villas on the Neckar - an Italian-inspired boutique hotel right by the water, with views of the Old Bridge and the castle.
from
189 € / night
9.3
540 rev.
Old Town
Hotel Europäischer Hof Heidelberg
The storied grand hotel on the Friedrich-Ebert-Platz - Heidelberg's first address since 1865, with classic elegance and family-owned charm.
from
219 € / night
9.1
1820 rev.
Old Town
Hotel zum Ritter St. Georg
Stay in the Old Town's only Renaissance townhouse (1592) - directly opposite the Church of the Holy Spirit on the Marktplatz.
from
145 € / night
8.7
1240 rev.
Old Town
Hotel Holländer Hof
Right by the Old Bridge with views over the Neckar - the Hotel Holländer Hof has been a classic Heidelberg town hotel since 1730.
from
129 € / night
8.5
980 rev.
Old Town
Hotel Hackteufel
A charming family hotel in a historic Old Town house with its own wine cellar and a restaurant on Steingasse.
from
98 € / night
8.4
680 rev.
Old Town
Hotel Goldener Hecht
Right at the bridge gate of the Old Bridge - a historic family-run hotel with castle views from the upper rooms.
from
89 € / night
8.2
410 rev.
Restaurants in Old Town
All restaurants →Old Town
Vetters Alt Heidelberger Brauhaus
A brewpub with its own beer and hearty Baden-Palatinate cooking - Heidelberg's liveliest brewhouse, right in the Old Town.
Old Town
Schnitzelbank
An original Heidelberg student tavern in a former joinery - wood paneling, long benches and hearty cooking.
Old Town
Zum Roten Ochsen
Since 1703 - probably the best-known student tavern in Heidelberg. Mark Twain, Bismarck and countless generations of fraternity students have eaten here.
Old Town
Zum Seppl
Right next to the Roter Ochsen - the little brother, with the same tradition, student songs, wood paneling and Baden cooking.
Old Town
Café Knösel
Heidelberg's oldest cafe (1863) and inventor of the famous 'Student's Kiss' - a chocolate praline that remains Knösel family property.
Old Town
Café Schafheutle
Heidelberg's fine patisserie address since 1832 - handmade cakes, pralines and a classic cafe on the Hauptstrasse.
Discover other districts
Bergheim
The former industrial quarter is now Heidelberg's liveliest district - with the main station, the Bismarckplatz and plenty of bars and cafes.
Weststadt
Elegance and the Gründerzeit era - grand villas, quiet residential streets, the Friedrich-Ebert-Platz and easy access to the main station.
Südstadt
In transition - from a US barracks site to a creative quarter with a market hall, the Mark Twain Center and the Bahnstadt-Süd campus.