Heidelberg castle

A guide to it’s terraced gardens and ruins

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60 mins

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3 km

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7,99

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Audio

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Unsuitable

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Start: Schlossberg 55
Finish: Altan Hall (Burgweg)

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Anne Noble Preview - Prison tower
Listening preview

Heidelberg Castle has beguiled visitors for centuries. On this walking tour, you’ll discover its princely residences, battle-scarred fortifications, and terraced gardens carved from rock. You’ll also hear the history behind the castle grounds, where royal romance, French destruction, and Renaissance hydraulic engineering created this captivating ruin.

This tour starts close to the castle garden’s entrance, near the funicular railway. You’ll weave through the various terraced gardens and castle moat and discover how war and lightning created the ruins that drew poets like Goethe, turning this castle into an icon of Romanticism.

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  • Marvel at the terraced gardens, where 20-meter retaining walls were built by blasting away solid rock

  • Hear about the mighty fortifications built by Ludwig 5th to protect the castle from invasion

  • Explore the defensive moat that once housed deer for the prince’s hunting pleasure

  • Find out how the castle’s medieval toilets functioned

  • See the blown-apart gunpowder tower that offers a perfect cross-section view of medieval defensive architecture

  • Visit the Father Rhine fountain, depicting the important river as a reclining Greek god

  • See spectacular views of the Neckar River, the Alte Brücke, and Heidelberg Old Town

Tour Highlights

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Listen hands-free with GPS playback

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Get turn-by-turn directions

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To do the tour all you need is the free audio tour VoiceMap app for iPhones and Android devices. Install it on your smartphone via Apple AppStore or Google Play's store.

After you have purchased the tour you will receive an activation code by email. 

Find your tour in the app by entering your code that you received in the email from us. 

Download the tour to your fully charged smartphone.

Fetch some earphones and explore with your very own, personal, guide in your ear.

The guide will direct you to your next location so instructions are given as you walk along. A GPS led map is also available mapping the route as you progress. 

Pause the tour anytime in cafes and shops, and take as many photos as you please!

Install the tour

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“A must-have guide if you’re visiting the castle.”

Testimonials

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“Great tour, very thorough and easy to understand.”

“Thoughtfully narrated, with rich historical detail.”

  • No fixed time - take the tour whenever you want

  • Decide your own pace. No group dynamics

  • Easy to use - GPS led map and audio instructions

  • Narrated by professional guides and experts

  • Take a break when you choose

  • Very cost effective

  • Lifetime ownership

  • Virtual playback - explore the tour from home

Audio tour benefits

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  • All tours are in English.

  • The majority of tours have good accessibility with occasional steps, and some buildings have narrow entrances. However, these do not prevent completion of the tour. Please read on for specific details:

    The Heidelberg Castle tour is not recommended to those with accessibility constraints due to steep terrain and a high volume of steps.

    The Mainz tour has one steep section leading up to St. Stephan’s church, and a narrow path on route to the citadel.

    St. Paul’s church in Frankfurt, has steps leading up to the main entrance ‍and upon entering the main hall.

    Wiesbaden has a set of steps at the Schützenhofquelle, leading up to Coulinstrasse. There is a car parking entrance at this location and it is possible to enter the car park and use the lift to go up to Coulinstrasse.

  • Yes. In Germany it is impossible to avoid cobble stones, so make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes.

  • Yes. Details for private, guided yours can be found in the menu at the top of this page.

  • Once purchased, audio tours are not refundable. However, tours are valid indefinitely, so you can take the tour at any date, gift it to someone else, or enjoy a tour via virtual playback.

  • Yes, all the tours have lots of walking and are perfectly doable with a dog. However, some buildings may restrict pets (with the the exception of guide dogs) so check upon entering.

FAQs

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Heidelberg castle and Schloss in Heidelberg, Germany.

Purchase via Voicemap 7,99€