Heidelberg Events
Heidelberg Castle Illuminations – September 5
The legendary Castle Illuminations capture the imagination of thousands of people every year.
Heidelberg Castle Illuminations © Heidelberg Marketing Foto Tobias Schwerdt
Heidelberg Castle Illumination and Fireworks: Twice a year, at around 10.15 pm, Bengal flares slowly bathe Heidelberg Castle in a mysterious red glow. As the last times in 1689 and 1693, when the troops of the Sun King Louis XIV burnt down the castle, leaving behind the world-famous ruins.
When the glowing castle slowly dies down, the second part of the spectacle begins – the brilliant fireworks over the Neckar. The Elector Friedrich V first had the fireworks staged in 1613, in order to provide a fitting welcome for his newly-betrothed wife Elizabeth Stuart. These fireworks laid the cornerstone for the later festivals of light held in the night sky over Heidelberg.
The fireworks can be enjoyed in a particularly atmospheric way from the Neckar meadows, where numerous guests wait for the sky over Heidelberg to be transformed into a sea of lights and the Old Bridge to light up in the colors of the fireworks. You can also get up close to the action on a White Fleet boat. In addition, the Philosophenweg on the northern bank of the river offers an excellent view of the spectacle.
The Nepomuk Terrace at the northern end of the Old Bridge provides the best entertainment with the best view, where a small beer garden invites visitors to linger between 4 pm and 11 pm.
There will also be plenty to eat and drink in the Old Town. From Thursday onwards, several Heidelberg showmen will be represented with their gastronomic stands on Bismarckplatz and in the Anatomiegarten, and on Saturday also on the Neckarwiese. Between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., there will be an arts and crafts market on the Kornmarkt.
Discover Heidelberg in Air-Conditioned Comfort
Discover Heidelberg easily and comfortably by bus. © Heidelberg Marketing, photo: Tobias Schwerdt
On a public sightseeing tour including a guided visit to Heidelberg Castle, visitors can discover Heidelberg and its famous castle ruins in a relaxed, impressive and, above all, air-conditioned way. Accompanied by an experienced tour guide, participants explore the city’s most beautiful corners on a journey through different districts, into the Neckar Valley, while enjoying fascinating stories about Heidelberg, told by a tour guide.
The tour continues with a walk through the romantic Stückegarten, the historic castle courtyard and past the Great Barrel, ending at the picturesque castle terrace with magnificent views over Heidelberg and, hopefully, a refreshing breeze reaching as far as the Rhine Plain. The funicular railway then takes participants comfortably back down to the Old Town.
The two-hour tour is offered in German on Fridays and Saturdays (except on 26 September 2026). The meeting point is the information board at the bus stop on Neckarmünzplatz.
Further Information & tickets »
Cholud Kassem – Under the Protection of Ritual
Exhibition poster for Cholud Kassem – Under the Protection of Ritual
As part of the exhibition series Retrospectives of Heidelberg Artists, the City of Heidelberg is presenting a solo exhibition by artist Cholud Kassem (*1956) at the Kurpfälzisches Museum from 1 August to 13 September 2026.
Kassem has lived and worked as an independent artist in Heidelberg since 1997. Her works are characterised by a clear and distinctive visual language that runs consistently throughout her different series.
In her work, Kassem combines aesthetic concerns with personal experiences and memories. Born in Iraq and raised in Germany, her life journey continues to provide new inspiration for her artistic practice. The exhibition features paintings, ceramic objects and video works spanning from the early 1990s to the present day. Guided tours of the exhibition with the artist will take place on 9 August and 6 September 2026.
Newly opened: The 3D TrickArt Museum Heidelberg
A new museum in Heidelberg: the 3D TrickArt Museum © LA.MAG
Visitors to Heidelberg will know the Old Bridge as one of the city’s most iconic photo spots. Now, another striking image is drawing attention: a dramatic showdown with the film monster Godzilla on the Old Bridge, spectacularly staged at the new 3D TrickArt Museum Heidelberg.
Within walking distance of the Old Town, 30 permanently installed 3D artworks by Japanese artist Masashi Hattori invite visitors of all ages to explore and interact. The paintings – some featuring spectacular Heidelberg motifs – are designed to come to life through the lens of a camera.
By standing on marked spots, visitors become part of the illusion, creating impressive and playful photo moments. An interactive experience for families, friends, school groups, and anyone who enjoys creative photography.
The new Valerieweg footbridge
The newly reconstructed Valeriewegsteg in Heidelberg © Heidelberg Marketing, photo Eva Bruce
After extensive construction work, the Valeriewegsteg near the historic Altes Karlstorbahnhof in Heidelberg’s Old Town has been completely rebuilt and is now open to the public.
This pedestrian bridge, which connects Heidelberg’s Old Town railway station with the Valerieweg and the Königstuhl hill, has been reconstructed to match the original. It now shines in new splendor and stands as a successful example of how tradition and modern infrastructure blend into Heidelberg’s cityscape.
Crossing the bridge takes visitors onto the Valerieweg, following in the footsteps of Valerie, daughter of Austrian Empress Elisabeth (“Sissi”). The path winds its way past rugged granite cliffs, leading uphill to the Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg, where it meets the Elisabethenweg.
Empress Elisabeth and her daughter Valerie visited Heidelberg several times for extended stays between 1883 and 1890.
Did you know …
…what the “Hackteufel” is?
Romantic Steingasse, home to the Hackteufel restaurant © Heidelberg Marketing, photo by Philipp Rothe
As the story goes, one Pentecost the devil came to the Neckar valley in search of souls. Standing on a rock by the river, he delivered his Pentecost sermon and promised the people along the banks abundant catches of fish and protection from flooding. Curious, some Heidelberg residents climbed up the rocky path. But then the bells of the Church of the Holy Spirit rang out through the valley: “Don’t believe him… don’t believe him…!” – and the people climbed into their rafts and set off for church instead.
Enraged, the devil hurled boulders after them, which came to rest in the riverbed. To this day, the resulting dangerous shallow between the lock and the Old Bridge is known as the “Hackteufel.”
The name “Hackteufel” was later given to an inn in Steingasse.
Did you know …
… that the Bunsen burner was invented in Heidelberg?
Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen, born on March 30, 1811 in Göttingen, died on August 16, 1899 in Heidelberg, was a German chemist. Together with Gustav Robert Kirchhoff, he discovered caesium and rubidium in 1861 and developed spectral analysis, which can be used to detect chemical elements in a highly specific manner. For this purpose, Bunsen perfected a particular gas torch, which had previously been invented by Michael Faraday and would later be called the Bunsen burner. During his time at the University of Heidelberg, Bunsen taught well over 3,000 students. In his honor, a statue was erected in the anatomy garden.
You can even take a Bunsen tour of Heidelberg.
One of his students was the chemist Henry Roscoe. About Robert Bunsen, he said: “As an investigator, he was great. As a teacher, even greater. As a man and friend, he was greatest.”
Did you know …
Charles Francois de Graimberg (1774 – 1864) in a portrait by Guido Schmitt, 1902 © Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg
… that a Frenchman, Charles de Graimberg, saved the Heidelberg Castle ruins?
Charles de Graimberg came to Heidelberg in 1810 to make copperplate engravings of the castle ruins and the town – and remained in Heidelberg until his death in 1864. Back then, he was shocked to discover that the people of Heidelberg were using the ruins as a quarry for their houses and the castle garden as a potato field. Furthermore, a contract had already been signed with a demolition company.
He campaigned for the preservation of the ruins with personal commitment and his own money, paid guards, even took up residence in the castle and his copperplate engravings made Heidelberg known to a broad public. He was successful.
And so, thanks to Charles de Graimberg, we can still marvel at this world-famous symbol of Romanticism today.
Did you know …
The Heidelberg Town Hall carillon was inaugurated in 1961 © City of Heidelberg
… that Heidelberg’s Town Hall has its own carillon?
The carillon at Heidelberg’s Town Hall is one of the city’s most charming landmarks – a musical symbol and a living piece of local history. Made up of 26 finely cast bronze bells from the renowned Schilling Bell Foundry in Heidelberg, the carillon has been enchanting the Old Town for over 60 years with its distinctive sound.
It was officially inaugurated on 10 December 1961, and since then, it has played a three-minute melody three times a day – at 11:55 a.m., 3:55 p.m., and 6:55 p.m. With a selection of around 50 programmed tunes across five seasonal and thematic categories – summer, Advent, Christmas, „secular“, and a May programme – the carillon is a musical companion throughout the year.
The largest bell weighs 60 kilograms and lays the foundation for the melodies, while the full set of bells together weighs a solid 800 kilograms.
Did you know …
The founding document of Heidelberg University from 1386 © Photo by Steffen Schmid
… that the founding document of Heidelberg University is still preserved?
Prince Elector Rupert I founded Heidelberg University in 1386. He established it with papal approval in his residence city. The founding rector was the Dutchman Marsilius von Inghen, who came to Heidelberg from the University of Paris.
It is now the oldest university in Germany and, at the time, was the third university in the Holy Roman Empire, after Prague and Vienna – but unlike the other two, it was already a full university with faculties of medicine, law, theology, and philosophy.
The founding document, dated October 01, 1386, specified that the new university should be organized after the model of Paris. It has been preserved to this day and is one of the treasures of the University of Heidelberg’s archive.
Did you know …
… that Heidelberg is the most sustainable city in Germany?
The latest city ranking by business magazine WirtschaftsWoche concludes that Heidelberg is the most sustainable and future-oriented city in Germany.
Among other things, Heidelberg impresses with its passive house district Bahnstadt, the new energy storage facility in Pfaffengrund and the lowest youth unemployment rate.
Furthermore, the ranking highlights the high value that science and research, education and training have for Heidelberg. Every fifth euro in the city’s budget is invested for the benefit of children and young people, and around 70% of employees in Heidelberg work in knowledge-intensive services.