I will be staying in the Rhineland this September for 2 weeks, and am planning an overnight trip from my apartment in St. Goar to Heidelberg. I%26#39;d leave early one day, and return in the afternoon of the following day, to maximize my time. Imagine how I felt when I read in Rick Steves%26#39; guidebook that he refused to even DISCUSS Heidelberg because it was the UNromantic Rhine, filled with Americans (and I think HE is American!), and just not at all charming any more. Who has been there, and has thoughts on this? I%26#39;m still going, of course, since I%26#39;ve always wanted to see it!
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I tend to agree with Steves. H%26#39;berg is a pleasant small city, but there are many such places in Germany.
An overnight trip to Nuremberg, Rothenburg, or Bamberg would be better, in my opinion.
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Heidelberg is an interesting city with some pleasant walks and very pretty views of the Neckar River--it%26#39;s not on the Rhein) from the Philospher%26#39;s Walk... However, for the time it takes to get there from St. Goar, you can certainly find some great alternatives. I agree that a day exploring Wuerzburg to the east, with its Baroque Residence (Papal Palace), or in the other direction to Aachen (ancient city with roots in the Holy Roman Empire). Both are worth an overnight.
If visiting Wuerzburg, afterwards, do consider going on to Bamberg for the overnight stay. The Altstadt is incredibly interesting and evocative of a by-gone era. There is also the Vierzehnheiligen (Fourteen Holies) pilgrimage church nearby--a Baroque masterpiece worth visiting if you are driving.
I am assuming that in the two weeks you have in your apartment in St. Goar, you will travel up the Mosel River as far as Trier, visiting the wine villages along the way. There is also Koeln (Cologne), if that is not already in your itinerary. Otherwise, why not Heidelberg? Just don%26#39;t expect a quaint town with singing college students as in the %26quot;Student Prince!%26quot;
I think Rick S. is making the statements he is about Heidelberg because it is a large, working city with a large college population. . If you go to H., do take a boat ride on the Neckar River to Neckarzimmern. The castle Hornberg there is worth a visit. I have friends who live near Heidelberg, and have often visited there, but IMHO, I think for the time it would take to get there, the above alternatives would be my choice for an overnight.
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IMHO it%26#39;s too harsh to condemn Heidelberg as Rick Steve does, esp. when you visit a bit off-season. By September the huge crowds should be gone, the old town and the castle, the views from the river, sorry Rick, still charming for me. I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll be disappointed, I also liked the atmosphere of a student town with some interesting pubs. Agree with the prevoius poster about Würzburg and Bamberg, well worth a visit.
Wonder what R.S. says about Rothenburg or Rüdesheim.
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Heidelberg certainly has a student population and American tourists, not to mention an American Military presence, now decreasing. When stationed in Europe, I made regular trips to Heidelberg and always enjoyed the town. For all of the visitors, it had a life of its own. It had good restaurants, a very pleasant river and its share of sights. If it has fired your imagination, go by all means. Often the attitude that you bring to a place has a major input to what you get out of it.
BTW, Würzburg is also a univerisity town, and IMHO the better for it.
Regards, Gary
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Thanks to everyone for your advice!! Linnmac, you also gave me tons of good information several months ago when I asked about the Rhineland; I printed it out and am taking it with me. Yes, I am also taking an overnight to Trier; it sounds like a can%26#39;t-miss city to me! I will not have a car, as boat and train passes are included with my apartment. I will definitely be visiting Rudesheim, and all the other charming towns, castles, and hiking trails I can find on the Rhine and the Mosel. I really wanted to see Heidelberg because so many people have said I should not miss it. Thanks for recommending Wurzburg and Bamberg; I wonder if I would be able to make last-minute reservations if I decided to wait until I got to Germany. Right now I don%26#39;t want to over-plan, especially as I won%26#39;t have a car, which would probably cut down on travel time. I%26#39;ve made hotel reservations for both Trier and Heidelberg, and believe it or not, I was unable to get my first two hotel choices in Trier, even booking months ahead of time!! Anyhow, I am printing out all the helpful suggestions on this page, too. Interesting that I will be there during all the wine festivals, and I%26#39;m a teetotaler LOL!
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Well, emmi331... I had the very same dilemma about Heidelberg and I went back and forth on whether we should go because of Rick Steves. This experience has made me more cautious about what I read in his books now, honestly. I prefer Lonely Planet anyway. We had a great time there! Don%26#39;t miss the views from the castle-specifically the upper terraces of the gardens. Heidelberg is a fun and charming place and I barely noticed any americans. I was only there one day (didn%26#39;t spend the night), but I really loved it and am glad I didn%26#39;t listen to Steves. We had a fantastic dinner at the Zum Guldene Schaf on the main street. Walked onto the lovely bridge with musicians. If you have 2 wks in that region, I wouldn%26#39;t change your plan to visit Heidelberg. I loved Wurzburg and Rothenburg, too, but without a car Rothenburg may be too far for just one day. If you find a tour that could take you to Burg Eltz, I highly recommend it! It%26#39;s not far from Trier near the Mosel river and it%26#39;s a fantastic castle. We did the little trolley that takes you around Trier and it%26#39;s a good way to start the day with an overview. It helped us a lot when we did it because it was raining.
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Thanks, JuneBride - I am looking forward to Heidelberg and the rest of my visit to the beautiful Rhineland! Yes, I%26#39;ve had Burg Eltz on my itinerary from the beginning. Lucky me, the company who rents the apartments in this area just sent me a copy of the latest Lonely Planet guide, so evidently they favor it, too.
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We loved Heidelberg! Of course we like %26quot;University Towns%26quot; in general because we live in one in the U.S. So far our experience in European travels has been that %26quot;University Towns%26quot; are appealing to us--lots of restaurants, bars, markets, culture and the arts, and busy younger people. We thought the castle was great, the river view was pretty, we liked the old bridge, etc. I would go there again, American tourists or not! When you go to Germany it%26#39;s ok to go to %26quot;touristy%26quot; places and also to the %26quot;off the beaten path%26quot; places and experience something from each. Enjoy!
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My mother was born and raised there and I visited there many, many times starting in 1966 and even did a year at the University. I have seen the changes over the years and not for the better. There are many Japanese tourists, the military is not as obvious since the dollar tanked against the Euro. Lots of foreign guest workers who have ruined places like the Neckar Weise (meadow on the north side of the Neckar). Go there on a Sunday evening and see the mess left there by them after their family gatherings. I%26#39;m not being racist; it%26#39;s just the truth. There used to be a huge nursery and florist exhibition in the castle grounds, now long gone. The Hauptstrasse had elegant shops now replaced with cheap tourist traps and chain fast food places (McDonald%26#39;s, Pizza Hut, etc.). The hotels are way over priced compared to other cities in Germany. I stayed in Munich in February right on Karlsplatz and paid 85Euro for a huge double with breakfast buffet. Try finding that in Heidelberg. I still have relatives and friends there but am increasingly disappointed with the decline of Heidelberg. Trier is a must. If you are there when Bad Duerkheim (outside of Mannheim) is having their Wurst and Wein Fest (14-16.9.07) it%26#39;s really fun without being crazy like the Oktoberfest. Take the chairlift in Ruedesheim to the Germania monument then another chairlift down to another town and the boat back to Ruedesheim, the Rhein in a nutshell. Hopefully you will be there for Rhein in Flamen (Flames) fireworks and iluminations. The Mosselle is well worth several days; go to Burg Eltz, a Rick Steves favorite, and well worth the visit.
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