Heidelberg Castle

The origins of Heidelberg Castle stretch back a long way. Around 1182, Conrad of Hohenstaufen, Count Palatine of the Rhine, moved his court to Heidelberg. A castle was first mentioned in a document in 1225 when Louis I received it as a fief. For a long time, it was assumed that the lower castle was only built between 1294 and 1303, but recent archaeological investigations now date its construction to the first half of the 13th century. When Ruprecht III became German King in 1401, there was a great lack of space in the castle, leading to extensions. In 1415, the castle served as a prison for the deposed Pope John XXIII. During the Baden-Palatinate War of 1462, Elector Frederick I used the castle to hold captured princes. Martin Luther visited the castle during the Reformation. In the Thirty Years' War, the castle suffered its first damage and changed hands several times. The most severe destructions occurred during the War of the Palatine Succession by French troops in 1689 and 1693. Following these events, the castle was only partially restored, and the residence of the Electors was eventually moved to Mannheim.

Heidelberg Castle is located in Heidelberg, a city in the district of the same name in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It stands at an elevation of approx. 201 meters above sea level.

Today, Heidelberg Castle is an impressive ruin that is accessible to visitors and can be explored. It offers deep insights into the history and architecture of the region.

• Grand Ducal Palace (Residence), approx. 0.3 km away
• Palais Graimberg (Residence), approx. 0.3 km away
• Palais Buhl (Residence), approx. 0.3 km away
• Palais Weimar (Residence), approx. 0.4 km away