Where artists get inspired

Akash Mehrotra

Ever wondered a town can inspire a generation of authors, composers, and painters, and that artists would come, see, get inspired by a ruined castle by the river. And this would set German literature to take new wings. This is the inspiring tale of Heidelberg, a German town with a seductive old town with half-timbered and Baroque houses lining cobblestone streets, the Neckar river passing through it, an old red sandstone bridge, and a ruined castle overlooking it as some angelic guardian. 

Germany’s beloved writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was enamored with Heidelberg and said the town had “something ideal” about it. William Turner, the influential British landscape artist, stayed here, and created some of his masterpieces in Heidelberg. Huckleberry Finn creator Mark Twain was especially fond of the town and even called Heidelberg, “the last possibility of the beautiful”. And what proved good enough for these artistic giants would probably be good for us. Given Heidelberg’s literary and artistic lineage, along with its contemporary scene, Unesco named it Unesco City of Literature in 2014. 

The main draw in Heidelberg is its evocative half-ruined hilltop castle; part medieval fortress, part Renaissance palace. The attractions include the world’s largest wine barrel, a 250-year-old vat that once held 50,000 gallons of wine, and the German Apothecary Museum. The old Schloss (castle), albeit in ruins, cuts a romantic figure, and towers over the main city or the Altstadt, accessible via a steep, cobbled trail in about 10 minutes or by the Bergbahn (cogwheel train) from Kornmarkt station. The far-reaching views over the Neckar river and the Altstadt rooftops from the castle makes Heidelberg a photographer’s paradise. The Heidelberg castle is considered to be among the most beautiful castles in Germany and a prime example of Renaissance-era architecture. Inside the castle, the most eye-catching building is the Friedrichsbau, now reduced to just a wall festooned with life-size sculptures of kings, and nobles. And probably the most lavish is what is left of the Hortus Palatinus, the gardens dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World” 400 years ago. 

Back down in the old town is the Heidelberg University, Germany’s oldest university, founded in 1386. The Studentenkarzer, a tiny jail nearby, is an interesting story. Students were regularly locked up in the Studentenkarzer, for disturbing the peace of the town. During the incarceration, the students would amuse themselves by painting the cell walls with their pictures wearing their little student caps. The rebel stories haven’t lost the flavour with changing times and continue to inspire. Alongside the student jail is the Book Burning Memorial, a spot where shortly after Hitler’s rise to power, books of authors banned by the Nazis like Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud were burnt. 

A little ahead lies the Holy Spirit Church, which stands testimony to the town’s battle of religious ideology. The church was divided into two; the Catholics got the east end to worship, and the Protestants the west end.

Once done with the countless clicking moments in the old town, take on Heidelberg’s famous walking path, the Philosophers’ Way. Start your walk towards the Neckar river and stroll across the iconic Old Bridge, constructed in 1788. The Carl Theodor Bridge was once the gateway to Heidelberg. The bridge offers splendid views of the town and the castle. From the bridge, a fairly steep set of stairs take you to the famed Philosopher’s Path. Many great writers, philosophers, poets, and artists have trodden down the diminutive stretches of the path. 

Detours, old towns, history, and food scenes go together in Germany. Like most German towns, Heidelberg offers a rich palette of gastronomic smorgasbords. Of the traditional gastro pubs scattered around the old town, your pick should include the iconic Zum Roten Ochsen, with a 315-year-long history, and a guest list that includes Mark Twain and Marilyn Monroe in the past. To go easy on pocket, go for Seppl, a historic students’ pub with a particularly nostalgic and welcoming ambience. 

Heidelberg has many faces to unravel. It hides within it the artistic dexterity that inspired the likes of Mark Twain to create a masterpiece like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. No doubt this romantic town has remained a favourite of travel writers, and you will read many good things about it; but in actuality, in Heidelberg, every good thing has a tendency to turn out better.