Heidelberg Castle: Ancient Ruins in Germany

Heidelberg Castle: Ancient Ruins in Germany

today we’re visiting heidleberg Castle in Germany now why did I go to heidleberg Castle and how did I even hear about it well earlier this year I stopped off in heidleberg as a pit stop to grab some dinner I had no idea what I was getting into however I was quickly mesmerized by this beautifully lick Castle up on the mountain above the city it was both mysterious and alluring so I vowed to come back the next time I was in Germany recently I was in Frankfurt so I took the opportunity to jump on the train and took the hour and a half Trek back down to heidleberg which is generally located in the southwest of Germany once in the city I hopped on another train called a funicular Railway which is basically a train that takes you up the steep slope to the castle alternatively if you’re up for a hike you can walk up the winding Hill that said the funicular ticket is only €9 and includes admission into the interior of the Castle’s Courtyard so this might be one of the best views of the castle I around the whole thing yet but from here you can see the bridge you can see the entire town and quite frankly it’s mesmerizing it’s maybe one of the most beautiful places on the entire planet and that is saying that even though it’s kind of a gloomy day it’s still absolutely beautiful one of the things that really strikes you when you look down over this town is that it’s still an old German City meaning that the buildings are original it’s not built up back from scratched like a lot of the other cities were in Germany post World War II in fact there’s a super interesting story about this particular City you see back during World War II there was a major standoff here in Germany it was here in heidleberg and something amazing happened candidly it’s one of my favorite stories and it’s because people did the right thing on both sides now you had the Nazi commanders that were here blocked in heidleberg and there were the US forces that were outside of heidleberg and traditionally had that happened they would have just bombed the city they would have destroyed it and that would have been that but in this rare case the commander of the US forces broke protocol and reached out to the person in charge of the city here on the German are actually the Nazi side and they talked and they decided together that the Nazis were going to surrender and move out of the city but they did this because of how historic this place is and because it’s one of the cultural centers of the German Universe one of the reasons that they let it go is because of heidleberg University which is uh a major learning facility of higher education here in Germany and it was back then as much as it is now heidleberg Castle also known as schlo heidleberg is a famous room in Germany depending on the source the Castle’s history dates back to between the 12 or 1300s over a period of about 300 years the castle was expanded by its many inhabitants it’s got a bit of both castle and Fortress going on which is indicative of how it was used throughout the ages today it’s both uninhabited and strictly a tourist attraction but it’s known as a place of romantic ruins so the castle didn’t become uninhabitable by chance it actually was destroyed through a number of different natural disasters one of them was a lightning strike that literally hit the castle and burned the place down I believe that another one was actually gunpowder that exploded someplace else and blew up part of the castle and that’s not anything to do with the wars and battles that were fought throughout the years I mean this Castle is hundreds and hundreds of years old so it’s gone through and seen its fair share of Destruction and violence and everything else but it’s ultimately now uninhabitable it hasn’t been restored for the most part and it’s just it’s like an ancient Greek ruin and it’s really really neat to come see after exploring the outside of the castle walls I decided to head into the heidleberg castle Courtyard to do this you first pass over a dried up moat which really gives you a sense that this was a legit Castle in ancient times [Music] so stepping through the main entrance you have this spectacular view of the courtyard and you can really see the attention to detail built into every wall every stone seems to have a purpose interestingly the castle is built with a number of different architectural Styles and this is because it was built over time by multiple Emperors and rulers and kings and queens and whatever you want to call them but at the end of the day it is very different looking from stage to Stage man you don’t realize how thick these walls are until you actually see somebody carve out part of it you can see this behind me it goes probably I don’t know 10 or 15t back and it’s not on the other end so God knows how long it actually goes but now you start to understand if this is used in war where there not real missiles but old day kind of War this is what they built up so you couldn’t get in pretty cool so right over my shoulder is the Friedrich Building it’s the only one that’s been fully restored here in the castle one of the interesting things is that after they restored this part of the castle which was restored in the German Renaissance style they decided they being Germans it grew popular to believe that it was better just to leave the castle in its ruined state it made it a more interesting place to come to and evidently when you go inside of this part it’s fully restored but you can only go in there with a guided tour which I don’t have a ticket to but for now the outside is absolutely stunning you and I just enjoy that one thing that hi highberg Castle is known for are some giant wine barrels and believe it or not the one over my shoulder here is the small one we’re going to go check out the big one in just a moment the heidleberg ton was built in 1751 it holds around 220,000 L of wine which translates into upwards of 275,000 bottles I’m on top of the giant barrel and I’m going to show you guys how far down it is so hold on that [Music] is people at the bottom this is one big Wine Barrel and what’s interesting I found out is that people would actually pay their tithes to the king with wine and so PE this is kind of like a community wine place and they would pour all the wine that people pay to them the farmers and everything else into this giant barrel and we can imagine well I can imagine that didn’t taste that great however next to beer it was the second most drunk thing at all of the festivities so must have been decent I guess this is a statue right outside the giant barrel of wine local Fork Clore states that the famous 17th century Jester and Court dwarf pero of heidleberg is the tons Eternal keeper pero quickly became celebrated for massive wine consumption despite a small figure it’s said that he drank between five and8 US gallons of wine per day there are about five bottles of wine in a gallon so yeah it’s a lot real quick I’d like to thank you for joining me on this trip to heidleberg Castle and and we’ll catch you on the next one

Join me as I travel on this captivating tour of Heidelberg Castle in Germany. We’ll explore its storied past, which dates back to the early 13th century, and explore its unique features, including the Heidelberg Tun.

Discover the castle’s transformation through the ages and marvel at its resilience and restoration efforts, which have preserved its grandeur for generations to come.

About Heidelberg Castle:

Nestled on the lush slopes of the Königstuhl hill, Heidelberg Castle, also known as Schloss Heidelberg, stands as a majestic testament to the rich history and enduring legacy of Germany’s medieval architecture. With its stunning blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles, this iconic landmark has been a source of inspiration and wonder for centuries.

In this video, we will explore:

– The enchanting ruins of the castle that tell tales of bygone eras.
– The famed Heidelberg Tun, the world’s largest wine barrel with a capacity of over 220,000 liters.
– An amazing story about why Heidelberg Castle was spared during World War II.
– The picturesque gardens and terraces offering breathtaking views of the Neckar River and the charming town of Heidelberg below.
– The architectural marvels and intricate details that make Heidelberg Castle a masterpiece of historical preservation.

Immerse yourself in the romance and mystery of Heidelberg Castle, a symbol of enduring strength and beauty. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, architecture aficionado, or simply a lover of captivating stories, this journey through one of Germany’s most treasured landmarks is sure to leave you spellbound.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more historical explorations and travel adventures!

#heidelberg #heidelbergcastle #germany #travlevlog

Travel Links:
– Heidelberg Castle Website: https://www.schloss-heidelberg.de/en/
– Heidelberg Funicular Railways: https://www.bergbahn-heidelberg.de/welcome

Chapters:
00:00 – Discovering Heidelberg Castle
00:42 – Getting to the Castle on the Funicular Railway
01:18 – Heidelberg Spared During World War II
02:53 – History of Heidelberg Castle
05:37 – Exploring Heidelberg Castle Interior
06:18 – Heidelberg Tun – The Giant Wine Barrel
07:28 – Perkeo, the Tun’s Eternal Keeper
07:54 – Conclusion