Travel to Heidelberg

I agree. I was only there for a day trip some years back but liked it a lot. Well, RS is obviously a very successful travel guide and writer, and it’s good that he is honest about his preferences, but I’m not a huge fan of his beloved Rothenburg. A cute town, no doubt, but a tourist stage set. Bamberg and Heidelberg, among others, are where I would rather spend time again. Two other places he dumps on in his guides are Bordeaux and Geneva. Haven’t been to the former, agree with him about the latter.

Rick has always been negative on Heidelberg. I lived in Wurzburg for 2 years in the military. Lovely city and we go back every year. We have a place to stay and many good German friends. I feel I have a very different attitude toward Europe then many tourists. Some beautiful cities people enjoy are not enjoyed by all. Rothenburg is one city we just loved but in the last 10 years it is nothing like it was in the 70, 80, and 90s.

I have been back several times in the 2000’s including last year (2025). I was surprised at the difference since the Americans have left. It has a different flavor...

I'm sure the presence of US military personnel had some influence on the flavor of Heidelberg, but as a visitor to Heidelberg on a few occasions in the 70's 80's and 90's, I honestly didn't feel that flavor. Heidelberg always felt quite "German" to me, much like other German cities of similar size. For sure, there's a different feel there today, not so much as a result of the departure of Americans, IMO, but because of 1) the influx of East-Germans that brought their own sensibilities with them in the 90's after the "Wende", and 2) the influx of foreigners from other Eastern-European countries, the Middle East, Asia and Africa in more recent years. My most recent stop there turned up a surprising slew of restaurants serving food from other continents.

I think if you had returned in 2025 to Freiburg, or Mannheim, Wiesbaden, or other cities in the former West Germany where Americans were not stationed, you'd have noticed similar changes.

Not sure if that is a typo or not, but Mannheim and Wiesbaden both had large military bases. Wiesbaden still does. The folks from Hberg all went there.

I have always enjoyed Heidelberg and never understood it being dissed. I don't understand Mainz being dissed either, with the comment to not bother visiting here. Rothenburg was sort of just blah. I do not understand the draw for this town. Nothing about it seemed very special.

No typo, Jo. I lived in Mainz in the 70's (and actually bought groceries at the PX there - peanut butter, for example, which was not available if you went "shopping on the economy", as they used to say, in local German grocery stores) so I'm aware of the military presence there and in Wiesbaden etc.... Freiburg, Wiesbaden, Mannheim were mentioned merely as less-than-major cities roughly comparable to Heidelberg in SIZE.

"...or other cities in the former West Germany where Americans were not stationed..." was just my way of saying that recent changes in Heidelberg also took place all across Germany, irrespective of whether the US military had been present.

Sorry for the confusion. I definitely could have worded those comments better than I did.

I'm surprised by the RS rating of Heidelberg as well. We were there in May 2025 and this is what I wrote in my Trip Report.

During the planning I wasn’t sure what to think of Heidelberg, the RS
guidebook dismisses it, but when I looked at photos and read other
things about it, I was intrigued. I was right, RS is wrong, we really
liked Heidelberg.

Off the to of my head, Heidelberg and Bordeaux are two cities that the RS Guidebooks get wrong.

I went to Heidelberg decades before I was in the military, it was nice then and ok when I came back in the first two decades of the new century.

Personally I’m glad that Wiesbaden didn’t have the RS stamp of approval either. Lived outside town but always considered it my home city. Our kids considered then and now that Wiesbaden was home.

Living in Europe and vacationing in Europe are two different worlds. Those here for the best this or greatest that were not for me. I got up and went to work, shoveled snow, shopped in the local bakery or butcher and so on. It was home, heimat or whatever but not a vacation that needed a stamp of approval by an Auslander. But…..RS opened doors and helped to go down a path I enjoyed.

We, 5 adults, stayed in Heidelberg last October for one night. We all agreed that two nights would have been better. Very walkable city with many restaurants to choose from.

1998-2000 Techno-Disco. Loved it. Sunshine Live. Explored the whole region. Went back almost every year. Have taken a break the last 10 years. Tourist hotspot, but there is so much more. I can only recommend it. The Neckar valley and all it has to offer. It's central to many destinations... Odenwald, Speyer etc. When you get the city and beyond it really nice.