A centuries old bridge below...,
... an enchanting old town in between...
... and a romantic castle above:
altogether, they make for one of Germany's most popular destinations: Heidelberg!
I start by climbing the so-called Philosopher’s path -
following in the footsteps of long-gone students and scholars from Heidelberg University.
Today, local people and visitors alike take this path.
From the top, they get the best view of the city.
Heidelberg is very high up on the to-do-list for anyone visiting Germany.
This summer though the corona virus pandemic has kept many travellers away.
What does that mean for locals and for tourists who, like me, do manage to come?
What's the city like without the masses of visitors? Let's find out.
Heidelberg Palace is a must.
Today, it's a ruin, but it's the ghostly air of mortality that makes up its charm.
The castle was closed for three months in spring because of the lockdown.
Now, it's open to visitors again.
But to make sure our cameras didn't slow them down, we got a special tour.
And it started off with an important announcement.
I'm afraid guests will have to wear masks during the tour.
I wanted to ask if it's alright with you if I take mine off.
I'll keep my distance, and you'll be able to understand me much better.
Sure, no problem!
Yes? Then, I'll take it off...
.. And off we go.
The arrows point the way for visitors.
Christiane Berger Waldenegg gives me a quick run-down of the Heidelberg Castle's history:
Starting in the 13th century, it was the residence of the Prince-Elector of Palatinate.
Each successor renovated and expanded it according to his own taste and wishes.
It was destroyed again and again, the last time by French troops in the 17th century.
In the 19th century, preservation work on the ruins and a partial reconstruction commenced.
The palace of Prince-Elector Frederick the Fourth.
Normally, some of the inside chambers are open for viewing, but now they're also closed due to the virus.
First, we've had a lot fewer visitors to Heidelberg.
Most of the ones we do have come from Germany, and we're glad of that,
but the Americans and the East-Asians aren't coming – though it's picking up now, we've noticed.
And we don't give nearly as many tours as we used to.
But what's a real shame is that, normally, the Heidelberg Castle Theater Festival is held here in the castle yard.
They rehearse here, and that's always nice to watch – for us, too.
But all that's been canceled, and it's really a shame.
But the Prince-Elector's wine cellars can be visited.
This is the world's biggest wine keg ever to be filled.
Larger wine kegs do exist, but they were never filled.
This one's been filled at least three times.
Come on, let's go on up.
On top of the giant barrel is a little dance floor.
Six or seven couples could cut the rug – or the wood – at a time.
From here, we have a good view of Perkeo, an important figure in the Heidelberg Castle.
He was a court jester and cup-bearer. And he spoke Italian and German.
And whenever anyone offered him a goblet of wine, he'd answer in Italian: Perchè no? - Why not?
And people in Heidelberg turned that into Perkeo.
Heidelberg's old town feels almost deserted.
Maybe it's the rain, but perhaps it's also the Corona crisis.
To answer that question, I meet up with Mathias Schiemer, managing director of Heidelberg-Marketing.
Mr. Schiemer, walking across the squares here in Heidelberg,
how would you say the numbers of tourists have changed compared to this time last year?
In January and February, we had 14 percent more overnight stays,
even though the pandemic was already known to be on the way.
But the figures dropped rapidly in March and April. We had cancellations of up to one hundred percent.
And the hotels and restaurants were devoid of life. They closed up as required, and it was eerie.
How do the visitor figures look right now? Looking around, we can see there's some activity.
Of course, many Germans are here. But how many visitors have come from abroad?
We won't leave people out in the rain.
We've allowed the restaurant owners to expand their outdoor seating with no extra charge,
as patrons aren't supposed to sit inside and fairly close together, like some do.
And you can see the effects by the increase in tourists. We're a beautiful city, and we profit from it.
Heidelberg is a hot spot, and we've always benefited from domestic tourism.
Seventy percent of our overnight guests are domestic tourists, so, of course, that's a nice little bonus.
Normally, many of the visitors come by boat, from the river cruise ships.
Are they staying away, or are things starting to move again?
There are two categories of river cruises:
one is the big cruises that tour the Rhine, call at Mannheim and then come to Heidelberg.
They're not coming yet, because they're booked almost exclusively by American and Chinese tourists.
And the international borders are still closed.
But we've already had two river cruise ships from Switzerland arrive this week and last.
And the nice thing is: you can see the city coming back to life again.
In the absence of the international tourism, the whole atmosphere is a bit more relaxed.
Isn't that nice for the visitors coming here now that they can take it a bit easier and enjoy the city?
Yes and no.
We're missing the international visitors.
Heidelberg's always been an international city – that comes from the university,
and many of the students haven't returned here yet, just because the borders are closed.
The international element is missing now in Heidelberg.
The rain's fnially let up– at least for a little while.
And right away, the Old Bridge over the Neckar livens up a bit.
In front of Heidelberg University, I meet historian Kristian Willenbacher.
The university is Germany's oldest – founded in 1386.
The University museum is closed due to the corona crisis, but the biggest tourist attraction is still open.
Where have you brought me, for heaven's sake?
It looks a bit like a squat, with graffiti all over, but in fact,
we're here in Heidelberg's student jail – the old students' prison.
At first, the cells were a thoroughly serious matter, but they turned more and more into a bit of fun.
They were meant for misdemeanors, such as public drunkenness.
So everybody wanted to sit in this fabled student prison at least once.
After 1879, the sentences ranged from three to a maximum of 14 days.
And you see this graffiti everywhere. You can sum it up as: the doors stood open.
I had to pay rent, if I wanted to stay in here, so it became a kind of privilege. I could bring paints and get creative.
If I was hungry, I could have food brought to me – and from a fine restaurant.
The university knew full well that they'd set up a kind of party zone of the late 19th century here.
There's no other place like it in Germany. And I even bump into an old acquaintance from the castle:
Perkeo, the cup bearer.
But this is Kristian Willenbacher's favorite graffito.
The famous Innocent, drawn with lots of love. Most of all, I like these angel's wings.
Of course, it's a very obvious hint that only victims of the justice system were locked up here.
Poor youngsters!
It's easy to get the impression that Heidelberg is all about old, historical sights. Not so!
Just across the river, everyone gathers on the Neckar greens to enjoy the summer.
Evening has fallen in Heidelberg.
The day-trippers have moved on, but the tables in the restaurants and bars are crowded anyway.
It's a welcome piece of normalcy in this summer of crises.
A lot is different this summer in Heidelberg. I for one really enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere.
Although we certainly all hope that the city will soon be able to welcome guests from all around the globe again.
That's it for today. Thanks for tuning in.
Take good care of yourself and see you next time, somewhere in Germany.