Heidelberg is a lovely university town in southwest Germany, situated on a beautiful stretch of the River Neckar. Here, the cobbled streets of the old town buzz with life and atmosphere, while the medival castle and bridge bring a magical fairytale charm. Add in the picturesque river side walks and bike rides and you have the perfect location for a  wonderful family friendly city break in this part of Germany, or perhaps, like us, as an amazing stop over with kids on our European summer road trip.

We all loved our time in Heidelberg and it’s definitely on our list of places we would love to return to. Here’s what we got up to with the kids in Heidelberg.

Wander around the old town

The old town, (Aldstat) is pedestrianised and has loads of interesting shops, bith boutique and chain stores, restaurants, and cafes with seating on the street to watch the world go by in fine weather. When we visited, we got some slices from the pizzeria and ate them on the table outside, watching some breakdancing street performers! They even got my eldest to join in fun, which of course he thought was amazing. It was very fun and the kids absolutely loved it. There were lots of families eating out, having an evening walk and enjoying the atmosphere – something we have seen more of in mainland Europe than we do in the UK, and we love it!

The historic buildings are really pretty, and it looked especially nice at dusk when all the old style street lamps started to come on. ( I have a feeling this place would be magical at Christmas!)

There is an impressive church to visit in the centre of the pedestrianised zone, fountains, and pretty market squares, one overlooked by Heidelberg Castle which gives the whole area a fairytale feel. We also went past some lovely Ger.an bakeries, but unfortunately, we ran out of time to try, but they look fantastic with impressive window displays and cute tables to sit and eat in. We filled a whole afternoon walking the old.town and the kids weren’t bored at all- too much going on!

Heidelberg Castle

Perched above the town, Heidelberg Castle is a must see when in this city. Our kids loved exploring the castle’s ruins, towers, and courtyards.

There are picturesque views of the Neckar River and the surrounding hills, and don’t miss a stroll through the castle’s garden. To reach the castle you can ride on the funicular railway from the old town, which the boys loved.

The train continues past the castle stop, even further up the hillside to top the top of Mount Konigstuhl. When you get to the top, there are lovely views of the city and a kids’ adventure trail through the forest.

Riverside walk or bike ride

We saw the stunning river, wide, beautiful and flanked by forest, on our drive in to the centre of Heidelberg. 

There are lots of bike paths and walking routes along the river front (where you can also hire pedalo boats near the Theodor-Husse Bridge), and a lovely picnic spot by the river at the Neckar meadow (Neckarweise).

Along the northern side of the Neckar river, you can walk the Philosophers’ path – this 2.5k / 1.5 mile walk is an easy trail, with some uphill sections that offers great views of the city, castle, and old bridge. There are monuments to the Philosophers that walked this path for inspiration, remains of monasteries, and a garden with benches and sitting area.

Visit the Marchenparadies

This old-fashioned but extremely charming fairytale amusement park is a great way to spend an afternoon with young children.

Its €8 for adults and €7 for children. For some of the rodes you will need to also get  €0.50 tokens to ride them.

There is an adventure playground, climbing castle, train ride, and fair ground rides. You can reach this park by the funicular ( its a short walk from the funicular station on Mount Konigstuhl) or by car. Visit the website here for further information.

---

…