Heidelberg

Heidelberg is a German city with many touristic attractions. It is in the German state Baden-Württemberg and is in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, a region about 60 km around Heidelberg.

Near bigger cities in the circle of 60 km are Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Schwetzingen, Speyer, Weinheim, Mosbach and Bruchsal. The next big cities are Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. They are all reachable in an hour by car.

Hospitality Networks

 * Heidelberg has quite active CouchSurfing Group.
 * There is a BeWelcome-Group.

Sight Seeing
You can do the Heidelberg Walk which covers almost everything important sight-seeing wise in one day, but which can be extended to last a bit longer.

In short for your favorite routing program:


 * Hauptbahnhof
 * Uferstraße
 * Ladenburger Straße
 * Philosophenweg
 * Schlangenweg
 * Alte Brücke
 * Altstadt (including Untere Straße)
 * kurzer Buckel (steps up to the Schloss)
 * Himmelsleiter (up to the Königsstuhl)
 * and back to the Hauptbahnhof

in google-maps: http://g.co/maps/hbygj

Extensions
You could walk through Handschusheim and visit the Tiefburg. From there you could walk up the Heiligen Berg and maybe find the Thingstädte and some ruins of a former monestary. Then make your way back down to Philosophenweg visiting the Bismarck Tower and enjoy the view over the Altstadt. Within the Altstadt you can explore the small alleys and spend a few hours doing touristy stuff. Once up on the Schloss, you can visit the Great Barrell and maybe join a guided tour around the castle. If you don't feel like sweating or hiking at that point, just leave the Königsstuhl out. But if you do, do it, you will find the nicest view over Heidelberg up there :)

Do
See: 100 things to do in Heidelberg

By Train
Heidelberg's main station is a little bit outside of the city center (3 km) but well connected by trams and busses (check VRN for local public transport). The station "Heidelberg Karlstor" is closer to the center and can be reached by the S-Bahn (commuter train). For tickets have a look at Deutsche Bahn.

By Plane
Mannheim is about 15 Kilometers far away from Heidelberg and has its own small City-Airport. Please lookup the Website of the Mannheim-Airport or lookup the Article in the Wikipedia (German). The Tram named OEG or number 5 is driving there regularly. Please check theVRN-Website for a detailed timetable.

The following airports are in reasonable distance to Heidelberg:
 * Frankfurt (FRA) - has good connection by train (Deutsche Bahn) and also a shuttle bus by Lufthansa
 * Frankfurt Hahn (HHN) - from there you can take a shuttle bus (18 €) offered by Hahn Express
 * Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden (FKB)
 * Stuttgart (STR)

By Car
You can reach Heidelberg via the German Highways (Autobahn) A5, A656 and A6. The highways have direct exits or connections to Heidelberg. Please keep our speedlimits in mind when you see the signs. In Germany we use Kilometer per hour (km/h). Conversions of speed units

Public Transport in the city
You're reaching Heidelberg via train from the Deutsche Bahn. At Mannheim you can use the Taxi or take the Bus/Tram to reach your targed addess. To get a timetable (Fahrplanauskunft) you can use the Website of the RNV or the VRN

The Tram with no. 5 (OEG) is driving through the whole region. It's driving in a circle to Mannheim, Viernheim, Weinheim, Heidelberg, Edingen-Neckarhausen and Mannheim.

Bus/Tram
(To be continued: General information on busses, trams, VRN, VRN-Website: http://www.vrn.de, http://www.rnv-online.de, VRN-App and other Apps)

Special Tickets: BeWelcome Card

Bikes: You can take the bike with you into the tram/bus. It is free and only possible if there is enough space in the vehicle. You can take it at the following times: Monday to Fridy before 6 am and after 9 am. On saturday, sunday and holydays you can take it the whole day with the bus/tram.

Funicular (Bergbahn) It is driving from the bus-station Bergbahn/Rathaus to the castle, to the Molkenkur and to the top of the hill Königsstuhl. More information you'll get on the website.

Nightbusses: on Friday, Saturday and the night before a Holyday there are Nightbusses driving in every suburp of Heidelberg. They'll start at Bismarkplatz at 01:00, 02:00, 03:00 and 04:00 am.

Taxi
(missing: Taxiphonenumbers)


 * Minicars are cheaper than a taxi

Bike
You can reach every part of the city easy by bike. If you're on a vacation you can rent them.


 * near the old Bridge.
 * Eldorado
 * Perbike
 * The Deutsche Bahn bike rental system: At the Mainstation there are the red-silver bikes you can rent. The system has the name "Call a Bike". After a registration you are able to use this system at Mainsations in every bigger city. More information you'll get at [www.callabike.de].


 * To buy a bike see Used Bikes

Maps of Heidelberg

 * Map of Heidelberg from the city council
 * Heidelberg in OpenStreetMap
 * Heidelberg in Google Maps
 * Heidelberg in Microsoft Live Maps

Weather in Heidelberg

 * Weather forecast for Heidelberg (wetter.net)

City Information

 * Information from Heidelberg Marketing GmbH
 * English Version of the website from the city council

Things to do/see beside the Altstadt
Heidelberg is an amazing place to visit but too often people restrict their travel to the Altstadt and Castle. If you are feeling ambitious, I highly recommend a hike up the Heiligenberg. On this mountain you will find both monastery ruins and amazing views of the Altstadt.

Directions: Take the Old Bridge in the direction away from the Altstadt. Directly at the end of the old Bridge you will find directions to get to the Philosophenweg. Walk up to the Philosophenweg and from there, take any of the trails leading up the Heiligenberg.

Cheap sleeping beside the Hospitality Networks

 * Steffis Hostel (close to mainstation)
 * Lotte's Backpacker Hostel (city centre, near Bergbahn/Rathaus)
 * Hostel/Restaurant Supfanne (city centre)
 * Hostel/Restaurant Hemmingways (city centre)
 * Youth Hostel Heidelberg (near zoo, a bit outside, very close to public transport)
 * Pension Dufke (a bit outside in the Suburb Kirchheim, very close to trainstation and public transport)
 * Hotel Kranich (a bit outside in the Suburb Pfaffengrund)
 * Gästehaus Kerle (in Dossenheim, close to Heidelberg)

Monday
Eckstein has Rock / Metal Music, tap beer 0.5l for 2.5€ and shots for 1.5€

Thursday
Coyote had once two drinks for the price of one on thursdays. (Doppeldecker) Not sure if still true

Every Day Specials
Cafe Villa (Hauptstraße near the Marktplatz) has Cocktail Special for 4€ everyday after 18.00 and Lounge-Music.

Vater Rhein has a warm kitchen open till 2am and a plate of spaghettis for 1.9€

Eating- and Drinking-Tipps

 * The Bierhelderhof Here you will find delicious beef; in the beer garden you can enjoy the nature and the cattle around you!
 * Falafel Delicious arabic cooking, cheap and good products. Asks the "Spezial Teller" and you'll maybe get a smiley in your plate!

Where can I get vegetarian or vegan food

 * Übersicht und Bewertung veganer Küche in HD
 * Konomi, japanese
 * Falafel
 * Red, die grüne Küche
 * Vollwertküche at Kaufhof
 * Bistro at Füllhorn
 * Moschmosch
 * Waves
 * Masala
 * Kilimanjaro


 * Vegan, Vegetarian Group

Going out at night
Discos/Dancing
 * Havana Salsa Club in Heidelberg's Old Town on the backside of the Stadthalle/Kongresszentrum in the cellar of the Bar/Restaurant Havana
 * The Cave54 in Heidelberg's Old Town near Heiliggeist-Kirche, one of the places you can go to after 3am. Also interesting on Tuesday evenings (starts at 8:30pm): Jazz-Jam-Sessions
 * Tangente, t-club in the center of Heidelberg, at Kettengasse 23
 * Club 1900 in the center of Heidelberg, at Hauptstraße 117
 * Jinx in the center of Heidelberg, at Untere Straße 20
 * Schwimmbad-Club at Neuenheimer Feld near Tiergarten-Swimmingpool
 * Halle 01, Halle 02 and Halle 03 near Heidelberg Mainstation
 * Deep Club in the City Centre near Bismarkplatz
 * Nachtschicht close to Mainstation
 * Acht Grad close to Mainstation
 * Kosmodrom Siemensstraße 40
 * Villa Nachttanz Your can drive there with the RNV Tram No. 5 (OEG) '(2 or 3 stations from Mainstation, direction: Mannheim)
 * klub k at Karlstorbahnhof There is a Train- and a Busstation with the same name. Endo of Citycentre at Karlstor 1.

Find a room to rent
(German: Immobilien > Vermietung)


 * Zimmer69
 * Sperrmüll/Quoka
 * Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung
 * WG-Welt.de
 * WG-Gesucht.de
 * Studenten-WG.de
 * Studenten-Wohnung.de
 * Studentenwohnungsmarkt.de
 * Mannheimer Morgen
 * Meier-online.de
 * Immobilienscout24.de
 * Immowelt.de
 * Kellner-Immo.de
 * Onlinemarkt-Heidelberg.de
 * WG-cast.de

Used Bikes

 * Altavelo Bergheim, Bergheimer Str. 101
 * radhof Bergheim Bergheim, Bergheimer Str. 101, im Hinterhof, also organizes two times a year a bike-fleamarket, (at first saturday of May and October, 10:00am to 1:00pm)
 * Das Schaltwerk Handschuhsheim, Handschuhsheimer Landstr. 45a
 * Madame Vélo Bergheim, near Mainstation, Alte Eppelheimer Str. 31a
 * Radpoint Altstadt, Untere Neckarstraße 64
 * Bikeservice Ziegler Neuenheim, Ladenburgerstr. 24
 * Erni Zweirad Pfaffengrund, Im Schaffner 38
 * Sezai Çiftçi Altstadt, Marstall Str. 3


 * used bikes on other sites*
 * Ebay Kleinanzeigen
 * Sperrmüll/Quoka


 * repar bikes*
 * URRmEL RadReparaturwerkstatt mit EigenLeistung, Help you with Bike Repairs, Im Neuenheimer Feld
 * Fahrrad schmidt Rohrbach, Heinrich-Fuchs-Straße 6, fast and cheap repairs

Learning German

 * Alpha Aktiv Privates Bildungsinstitut, Altstadt, Hauptstraße 90
 * Berlitz, Bergheim, Poststraße 28
 * Collegium Palatinum, Altstadt, Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 4
 * F+U Academy of Languages, Altstadt, Hauptstraße 1
 * Heidelberger Pädagogium, Neuenheim, Schröderstr. 22a
 * HSF Heidelberger Sprachinstitut, Bergheim, Bergheimer Str. 25
 * Institut Einfeldt, Altstadt, Hauptstr. 104
 * Internationales Studienzentrum (ISZ), Kolleg für deutsche Sprache und Kultur (Max-Weber-Haus), Neuenheim, Ziegelhäuser Landstraße 17
 * OISE Sprachtraining, Bergheim, Poststr. 48
 * SinaLingua, Weststadt, Rohrbacher Str. 18
 * SK Sprachkurse, Altstadt, Schiffgasse 15
 * Studienverband Heidelberg, Bergheim, Ringstr. 19, Eingang A
 * Volkshochschule Heidelberg, Bergheim, Bergheimer Str. 76

In Case of Trouble
Heidelberg is a pretty safe city but you never know. In the case of a fire break-out or general emergencies call 112, call 110 if you need police assistance. If someone gets hurt call an ambulance by dialing 19222.

These numbers should work from every cellular phone. If you don't have one look out for a phone booth or ask passers-by for help. Emergency calls don't cost anything. If you confuse the numbers it also shouldn't be a problem, you will be routed through. Please make sure to remember at least one of these numbers.

More Information
hitch:Heidelberg
 * City of Heidelberg