Lange lieb‘ ich dich schon,
möchte dich, mir zur Lust,
Mutter nennen, und dir schenken
ein kunstlos Lied,
Du, der
Vaterlandsstädte
Ländlichschönste, so viel ich sah....“
(Since long I’ve been
loving you now, (and) wish to call you mother in my pleasure
or joy,
And give you an inartificial
tune,
You(most) dearest in landscape amongst
fatherlands,
I have seen so far…)
the Verse was how Friedrich Hölderlin
described what is said to be one of today's most romantic city in Germany
' Heidelberg'.It took away the heart of the Famous Poet- Philosopher Johann
wolfgang von Geothe who visted HD several times in his lifetime and wrote
several poems describing the Autumn and the Spring in the city.What makes this
city one of Germany's most popular tourist destination is hard to describe.
The city, which is a home of
over 150,000 people, stands with its massive gothic and roman architecture in
the south of Germany in the state of Baden würtemberg.Heidelberg lies on the
river Neckar at the point where it leaves its narrow, steep valley in the
Odenwald(wald for forest) to flow into the Rhine valley. 20 kilometres
northwest of Heidelberg, it joins the river Rhine at Mannheim. It is also a is
part of a densely populated region known as the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan
Region.
No sooner had I arrived this
university city by express train from Frankfurt International Airport,I was
immediately taken in by its leisureliness and wanted to stand aloof from
worldly affairs. It truly is one of the most charming cities I have ever seen.
On my first day, apart from various churches including St.Peter’s Church and
the 600 year old the Church of the Holy Spirit Church, I visited Carl Bosch
Museum which shows the life and work of Chemist and Nobel Prize winner. I also
visited German packing Museum which gives me an overview on the history of
Packing and wrapping things. My host, an Adventist Pastor enlightened me that
Heidelberg is 600000 years old. The oldest jaw bone of mankind was found in
1907 here and therefore name after the city as ‘Heidelberg man’
Heidelberg is also home to one of Europe's oldest
educational institutions, the Ruprecht Karls University founded in 1386 by
Rupert I Elector Palatine. It is commonly known as the University of
Heidelberg. Among the prominent thinkers associated with the university are
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Jaspers, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Jürgen
Habermas, Karl-Otto Apel and Hannah Arendt. The poet Mohammed Iqbal is alumni
of this great University. Eight Nobel laureautes received their awards during
their tenure here. Medicene,Philosophy.Anthropology and Physics being the
highlights .
The most charming sites of this
city is however the Heidelberg Castle and the Philosophen weg(Philosophers
way) On one side of the valley stands the Castle which was almost
destroyed by the French. On the other side of the valley Philisophenweg
(Philosopher’s Way), winds upwards through orchards and quiet leafy clearings
to a series of peaceful viewing gardens – the perfect place for a picnic! We
took a guided tour offered by ‘Heidelberg Marketing’ that took us to the
castle. Sailing on the river Neckar in the world’s biggest solar-powered
cataraman ‘Heidelberger solarschiffarhrstssi elschafty nott’ was amazing.
Powered by the sun it glides along the river in a fifty minute round trip. We
also went to the wine cellar Here we saw the largest wine barrel in the world-
holding 55,345 gallons of wine. There is much charm in this old city along
steep river shores
But Heidelberg is not just
about the grandiose. The many alleyways offer up all sorts of delectable
treats, including the Cafe Knosel. This legendary shop's claim to fame is the
"Student Kiss", a nougat and praline delight that young swains
purchased as a means to secretly declare their affections to well-chaperoned
single ladies in the 1800s.
On the slightly more macabre
side of things, the Karzer student prison is definitely worth a peek. The graffiti-covered
cells once housed university students from the early 18th to the early 20th
centuries who were incarcerated for everything from public brawling and unpaid
debts to releasing pigs into the streets. It's fascinating to study the
wall-to-wall graffiti from the different time periods, ranging from poetry and
protest slogans to caricatures and signatures. Heidelberg is where one can
observe the workings of man and nature over the centuries -- much of which
still lingers in its modern day life. Little wonder, 3.5 millions of tourists
from all over the world are drawn to experience the mystique of Heidelberg
every year.
No comments:
Post a Comment