Day 04 - Touring Heidelberg, Baiersbronn in the Black Forest

Early on day four, we departed Frankfurt on our tour bus en route to Heidelberg.  We took a wonderful guided tour of the castle, then got dropped off for some freetime downtown. We walked around for an hour or so looking in the shops and sampling the gelato, then rendezvoused back with our group and reboarded our bus for the two-hour drive to Baiersbronn in the Black Forest.

Along the way our tour guide Kate provided running commentary and an amusing lecture on German history (we’ve made it through the Black Plague and Guttenberg’s bible). We arrived at our hotel, checked the facilities, took a swim, then met up with our group for dinner at the hotel’s Michelin star-rated restaurant. Oh boy!


First stop, Heidelberg Castle Entering one of the gates at Heidelberg Castle...

Courtyard. Most of the castle was destroyed in a fire in 1764, for the most part only the stone walls/components remain. Interior courtyard wall, very ornate.

Another view of the same courtyard wall.  Just the facade remains, windows above open to the sky.
 

Another courtyard view...  ... and another.

Remains of a tower/turret.  A section of turret broke away and slide down the hill. 

Parts of the interior were recreated, here a statue that was in the castle somewhere...

Interior shot - wall and doorway ornamentation

Apparently the former inhabitants drank a lot of wine (maybe that is why the castle is in ruins?). 

Here the former castle cellar master "Perkeo" invites guests to purchase a glass of wine.  "Perkeo" was a pseudonym derived from his answer (in Italian) to the question whether he could drink another glass of wine.  His response was "perche no?" which translates to "why not".


Another interior shot - dress from the period.

A small part of the castle has been rebuilt in the original style...

Angela posing on a balcony, overlooking the river valley.

View of of the city of Heidelberg and the Neckar River from the castle above. 

Arrived at our hotel in Baiersbronn, Angela on our balcony, what a view!

The staff provided us a snack and some drinks to welcome us to the hotel... 

... and some flowers and a card.  Somebody must have told them we were celebrating an anniversary...