In the city, at the Neckar, or in the woods - everywhere you see young people. No wonder, considering that Heidelberg is a typical student town. Ruprecht Karl University is the oldest and most famous university in Germany. Out of Heidelberg's 140,000 residents, every sixth person is a student here. Many historic buildings in the old town belong to the university. If you walk down the main street from Bismarckplatz in the direction of Universitaetsplatz - where the old part of the university and the main lecture hall are located - you will pass by some ornate buildings made of red sandstone. These are the university's humanities and social science institutes. The state-recognized University for Jewish Studies is also based here, as well as a university of educational science and a university of applied sciences.

Romantic city

Studying and researching has been going on here for centuries, but Heidelberg is not only known for its university. Everyday, swarms of tourists make their way through the narrow alleys of the old town. They all want to see the romantic Heidelberg: the castle, the bridge and the famous path called Philosophenweg or "Philosophers' Way," which offers a fantastic view of the old town.

Small but cosmopolitan

On the other side of the river Neckar, in Neuenheimer Feld, are the modern buildings of the university, housing the medicine and natural science departments. Together with its hospital, the university is Heidelberg's largest employer. Numerous research institutes, such as the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and four Max Planck institutes, attract scientists from all over Germany and abroad. International companies like SAP and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen have also established themselves in the city. "Heidelberg is the ideal city for people who like a cosmopolitan atmosphere, but don't want to live in a big city," says Katrin Heinen. The 29-year-old has just completed her master's degree in history and, according to her, the historic city of Heidelberg is the perfect environment for that.

Spared from bombs

Heidelberg was established in the 12th century. Romans and Celts had already settled in the area earlier. But it wasn't until the 14th century that Heidelberg rose to prominence by becoming the capital of the Electoral Palatinate, which was one of the most important German principalities at the time. The Palatine prince elector founded the university in 1386.

Near the end of the 16th century, many grand Renaissance buildings were erected and the medieval castle was turned into a modern residence before being destroyed in the Nine Years' War in 1689 like most of the other buildings. After that, Heidelberg was rebuilt in the baroque style, based on the layout left behind by the medieval buildings, while the castle remained in a state of ruin and became a symbol of German romanticism. Heidelberg was one of the very few larger cities in Germany that suffered almost no destruction during World War Two.

Author: Anne Allmening
Editor: Greg Wiser