Heidelberg

I lived on the Haupstrasse for a coule years and the main thing I try to tell people when going to Heidelberg is to take a stroll up the Philosophenweg across the river. You cannot get a better view of Heidelberg and there's an old ink drawing of what the Altstadt looked like back in the 1600's before the castle was destroyed. The view up there is the highlight of the city to me. You'll find no shortage of places to eat on the Hauptstrasse and most are decent. If you want a unique eating experience, check out the Schnitzelhaus near the river on the Neckarmunzplatz. They have 103 different kinds of schnitzel. Our favorite restaurant was probably the historic Roten Oxen on the Hauptstrasse near the castle. For cheap accommodation right in the Altstadt, consider staying at the Dubliner. It's an Irish Pub smack in the middle of the Altstadt but they have cheap hotel rooms as well. They have a "suite" on the top floor for about 90-100 euros a night that has a small balcony with a great view of the Hauptstrasse. I think a double only costs around 75-80 euros, cheap for the Altstadt.

I'm surprised that even among the guidebooks that recommend Heidelberg, most make little to no mention of the Thingstätte. The Heidelberger Thingstätte is an outdoor ampitheater built by the Nazis for propaganda rallies, located above the Philosopher's Walk. It's one of the largest undamaged building projects that remains from the Third Reich period. Given the interest that so many travelers have for this period, I'm surprised it isn't more well known. And a short walk further up the mountain, you can also see the ruins of a medieval monastery complex. I also really like the Neckar river valley, the Odenwald nature park, and the nearby Bergsraße wine towns, but with only one night, you probably don't have enough time to explore these.

We stayed in the Hotel Heidelberg a couple of years ago and they had a s-bahn station right outside that went right to the Old Town, easy way to get there with out having to worrying about parking. Nice staff, and good food too!

I would highly recommend Gasthaus Hackteufel. We've stayed there twice. It's located on a quaint street a few doors down from a micro-brewery. The hotel also has a very good restaurant.