Author: kayrpea61

Heidelberg

Our first glimpse of the Heidelberg Castle is from one of the narrow streets leading from the river up to the main street.

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We have learnt that the castle was built as early as the 13th century. It ranks as one of the most important Renaissance ruins north of the Alps. One resident was the ruler of the Palatinate and Heidelberg, Elector Friedrich V who, in 1613, married Elizabeth Stuart. She was the daughter of James I of England, and the marriage was one of political convenience to bond their two Protestant states.  Unfortunately for them, Catholic forces defeated Friedrich’s in 1622, taking possession of Heidelberg, and forcing the couple to live out their lives in exile.

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At a height of 80 metres above the old town, the castle has an imposing presence.

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Heidelberg is also known for Hauptstrasse, at about 1.6km, thought to be the longest pedestrian street in Germany. We are faced with a choice – to climb to and explore the castle, or to explore the shopping street. With rather limited time at our disposal, and some cravings for coffee, wandering the shopping street wins! We are not disappointed.

The coffee and cakes are indeed very good.

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There is something about watching a fountain when it is raining

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It takes more than a shower or two to deter the window shoppers on Hauptstrasse.

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The Church of the Holy Spirit was built over 150 years in the 15th and 16th centuries and faithfully restored after a fire in the 18th century. It was shared by Catholics and Protestants, sometimes simultaneously, over several centuries.  Now used exclusively by Protestants, the dividing wall was removed in 1936.

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Not far away, is the interesting facade of the Jesuit Church, built in the 18th century.

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Built as the home of a cloth dealer in 1592, the Hotel Ritter is claimed to be one of the most historically significant and artistically valuable houses in the town.

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It was nice to see a promotion to attract tourists “down-under”.

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Footnote: As Heidelberg is not on the Rhine, our afternoon excursion saw us taken by coach from Speyer to Heidelberg, while our cruise ship continued to Mannheim.  Our coaches took us back to the ship at Mannheim in time for dinner. 

At the appointed pick up point and time, our coach captain was rather concerned that his headcount was two short. It was then I received a text message

“Hold the coach, we’re coming!” 

The length of Hauptstrasse, and the attractiveness of its shops, had taken its toll on our travelling companions.

Speyer

As we journey north along the Rhine, we come to Speyer (English translation ‘Spires’). We learn that it is one of the oldest towns in Germany, having been founded by the Romans. The site of the town was chosen as one of the few places between Basel & Mainz where the banks of the Rhine are high enough to avoid regular flooding but still easily accessible for the trade on the river.

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For our [all too] brief visit, we follow a path through parklands from the Rhine, arriving at a rather grand square in front of the cathedral.  Facing us is the impressive facade of a school.

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The pedestrian mall we stroll along seems relatively new, perhaps explained by periods of destruction and decline during various wars, many of them religious! In the 17th century, Speyer took the side of the Protestants, in spite of many strong connections with, and visits from, Popes.

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Cafe Hindenburg conjures up interesting mental images.

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Not sure what this fellow is up to, but his perch looks a bit slippery!

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The site of the Speyer Cathedral dates from the 4th Century, while the Romanesque building was begun in the 11th Century.  Like the town itself, the Cathedral suffered many lootings and sustained serious damage, as a consequence of which, a major restoration was begun in 1957.  In 1981, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Listing as “a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire”.

No fewer than eight former Kings and Emperors (11th & 12 century) are buried in the crypt of the Cathedral.

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As we leave towards the river, we encounter these fine characters, presumably a modern memorial to the eight Kings and Emperors buried in the Cathedral. It is interesting that they face the departing visitor, rather than greeting us as we arrive.

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Lock me up (or down)

My first experience of a lock was on the Thames, near Marlow, Buckinghamshire, in 1997. That was on a smallish craft on which we were celebrating a family birthday, with friends.

In September, on the first night of our cruise from Basel (Switzerland) to Amsterdam (The Netherlands), we passed through locks before reaching Strasbourg (France).

Luckily, the first lock we reached was before bed time!  Clearly, the 110m (361ft) long cruise ship is designed to fit neatly into the width of these locks.

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All clear to proceed.

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The ship was launched less than 5 months ago, so the Captain doesn’t want to scratch the paintwork!

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Easy does it, Skipper!

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All so calm and peaceful in the night light. We would later pass through several more locks, mostly at night. The thrill of the first still lingers.

Next morning, we toured Strasbourg, beginning on the canals. We had to be ‘lifted’ to enter the old town, through a lock, of course!  Different scale, same degree of fun.

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