As Bjorn had recommended a few things to do, we set off on a walk up the Philosophers Walk which passes yet more university buildings as you climb higher up the hillside. All along the way there are points to stop and enjoy the view over Heidelberg, the castle and the whole valley below. A winding snake path (Schlangenweg) took us back to ground level at the old bridge as we headed for a tour of the Old University.
The University museum has pictures and exhibits from the history of the uni which although were in German, we got a general understanding of anyway. In the same building is the Old Hall in which famous-alumni once defended their dissertation theses, but it is now used as the main banquet hall. There are beautiful paintings and carvings on the walls and ceilings of the hall.
Our next stop was a somewhat unusual one, the Students Prison. Between 1778 and 1914, if a student committed any minor offence in the town such as breach of the peace, being drunk and disorderly or chasing pigs and piglets through the town, they were sentenced to stays in the prison which would last from 1 day up to about 2 months. Although they were locked up in the same building, they could get visits from friends, order meals from restaurants and go to classes. When locked up, most would pass the time by carving or painting drawings and sayings into the furniture and onto the walls and ceilings. Most of these are still on the walls today and although just a house with a few rooms, made for one of the best things we have seen on the trip.
We then made our way up the 315 steps to Heidelberg's most famous attraction, the castle. Although mostly a ruin, the castle is still very impressive and housed many of Germany's past leaders. The oldest parts of the castle are from the 12th century and bits were added on over the years before large parts were destroyed during wars and by fire. The castle also has beautiful gardens and has the largest wood wine cask in the world which contains 221,726 litres and could serve 5,000 guests. We got a guided tour which took us through the history and the different sections of the castle.
Our busy day didn't end there as we got on the funicular railway (Bergbahn) which goes up the large “mountain” which overlooks Heidelberg. The lower section is considered the most advanced cable railway in Germany and the upper section the oldest electric-powered cable car line. We decided to go up to the very top, but as we stepped on at the bottom, Sam didn't really like it as we started our climb so we only made it half way up. Sam decided it was then best to walk back down which didn't take long and kept us fit anyway.
We had a look around the shops before heading back to Bjorn's for some dinner and chat. Omelette was on the menu for tonight and it was pretty simple, some croutons, egg, milk and butter, and it tasted great and its so quick to make. We then chatted about everything from politics and economics to religion and sport. We were fascinated by all the things we learned and how much Bjorn knew about everything!!! Although Dorothea was extremely busy with her studies, it was amazing staying with them, they were so friendly and kind and we couldn't have asked for a better first experience of couchsurfing. We hope they will come to Scotland at some point to visit us.
