No. 4 of all the TOP 100 sights 2015 in Germany: HEIDELBERG

Heidelberg's Old Bridge over the river Neckar with Bridge Gate and the Heidelberg Castle in the background.

And which are the other TOP 100 travel destinations???

The TOP 100 sights and attractions in Germany

OK, now you know...

...let's return to Heidelberg.

Once again: the Bridge Gate with its twin towers...

...THE top photo motif in Heidelberg: the Old Castle ...

..and a view along the long pedastrian zone with the steeple of the municipal church (on the left). 

Old long-playing record (you remember?) "Alt Heidelberg du Feine" / "Old Heidelberg you fine one"

and: (Latin scholar to the front) "Gaudeamus igitur" --> ""So Let Us Rejoice" / "Lasst uns also fröhlich sein!" 

is a popular academic commercium song in many Western countries, mainly sung or performed at university graduation ceremonies. Despite its use as a formal graduation hymn, it is a jocular, light-hearted composition that pokes fun at university life. The song is thought to originate in a Latin manuscript from 1287. It is in the tradition of carpe diem ("seize the day") with its exhortations to enjoy life. It was known as a beer-drinking song in many ancient universities and is the official song of many schools, colleges, universities, institutions, student societies and is the official anthem of the International University Sports Federation.

This is...

...what I don't want to post about! ;-) 

For those of you who come occasionally to Heidelberg (like me, because it's only 110 km away from my home town), there are even more popular places to spend some pleasant hours or even a whole day.

  

Therefore you have to cross the Neckar to arrive at a district called Neuenheim.

On a Saturday morning, ...

...this is one of my favourite places in Heidelberg.

Especially: the streets around the Neuenheim Market with their charming little shops and cafés, many of them "French style"...

...but the star / my favourite of Neuenheim is the weekly market itself!

Selected farmers, butchers, other producers and merchants with a wide range of quality and bio/organic products from the vicinity offer their choice of products.

The price-performance ratio of the products is really great compared to the high level of quality!

At the end of the market day you can enjoy a coffee (or two) and some German or French pastries in one of the many enchanting coffee bars...

Café Auszeit / coffee bar "downtime" (literally translated)

Now you may understand why I prefer the "quality time" at Neuenheim far away from the flow of tourists in the middle of Heidelbergs Old Town.

The different faces of Tübingen

Have you ever been to the lovely German university town Tübingen?

No???

--> That's a mistake!

Tübingen, situated 30 km south of Stuttgart in central Baden-Württemberg, is really worth visiting.

Please cast a glance on some of the beautiful sites of this traditional university town I took recently...

View from the Neckar bridge to the Neckarfront with the steeple of the Stiftskirche (Collegiate Church) and the house including the adjoining small yellow tower where the poet Friedrich Hölderlin lived for the last 36 years of his life.

Same view as before, three hours later.

Obviously Hölderlin was at home at the time of the shot... ;-)

But Tübingen has much more to offer than a picturesque old town. 

In 2011 25.800 of the 89.000 inhabitants were students. So you can find a plenty of unique taverns or coffee houses and a rich and great variety of individuell shops apart from the big department store chains.

...and many traces of "free spirit" manners of expression:

--> together with red wine: sausage in curry sauce ;-)

 

Have you ever seen a "composition" of bills showing the current President  mass murderer of Syria Bashar al-Assad and the American actor Humphrey Bogart?

Obviously the degree of destruction of Assad's poster is an indicator for his popularity and additionally a gauge and metaphor for the desolate condition of his country.

But back to the more beautiful sites of Tübingen...

Autumnal atmosphere under a red sunshade in the old town in the late afternoon and...

...old-fashioned, but wonderful neon signs in the early evening light.

Did you like my short trip through Tübingen?

 

Market square with Tübingen town hall.

CU at Tübingen... ;-)

Take your camera with you...!