My Obsession With Castles: Heidelberg Castle

I have this obsession with castles that probably began as a young child reading fantasy novels, and then developed as I began traveling around the world and insisted on visiting as many of these famous sites as I possibly could.  I went through a phase when I was younger where I read as many novels as I could that had settings in castles, and if you combined that with ghost stories...well, I was completely hooked.  I will still drop anything today for a ghost story that takes place in a castle, so if anyone knows of any of these, please let me know and I will run to the bookstore or library.  In fact, I will probably go RIGHT NOW!!

Today, I'd like to feature Heidelberg Castle, a famous ruin in Germany, as I recently came across a beautiful print of this castle in an Etsy Store I was browsing.  I haven't heard a lot about it, so I thought I would feature it in this edition of My Obsession with Castles.

Heidelberg Castle, Germany

Heidelberg Castle was first mentioned as early as 1225 and is actually part of two original castles.  In 1537, the upper castle was apparently destroyed by lightning-bolt, while the lower castle is the one that we continue to see on the hillside today.

Heidelberg Castle was considered a Gothic and Renaissance masterpiece, but today a large part of it is in ruins.  In 1689, French troops set the castle and the town on fire, an occasion which is still commemorated with fireworks three times a year.  Although rebuilt by Karl-Ludwig, it was destroyed yet again in 1693 during the War of Succession.

There is a lot of history to this castle.  While the history is too long to recite here in this blog post, and it really is not my purpose to give a history lesson, I found some facts, in particular, really fascinating.  First of all, Victor Hugo visited the castle in 1838 and really enjoyed strolling around the gardens.  I would imagine it was not his inspiration for Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) and Les Miserables.  I wonder if he used any of the scenery for his other passionate creative outlet, drawing, as Hugo was a very prolific artist, producing over 4 000 drawings in his lifetime.  I can't imagine the beautiful scenery in the German mountains would not have found inspiration in his work.  Second of all, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate was born at Heidelberg, the same woman who later married the brother of Louis XIV, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans.   I know from my own history lessons that many royal houses in Europe owe their descendency to this marriage, including the Spanish, Italian, Austrian, Bulgarian, Tuscan and Neopolitan royal families.  She is also the great-grandmother of Marie Antoinette.

In the eighteenth century, Heidelberg Castle was often used as a site for concerts, musicals, operas, and musical productions in the courtyard, to the delight of all.  Unfortunately, the early nineteenth century saw the castle being misused as a quarry, the castle stones being used to build new homes in the old town. 

Today, Heidelberg's reputation has spread around the world, with more than three million tourists a year.  Some renovation has occurred, but the main renovations are to preserve what is there and not for reconstruction purposes. The place is idyllic for weddings, and the scenery is breathtaking.  There are many observation towers from which to view the town and surrounding countryside.  If you wish, you can visit during the Heidelberg Castle Summer Festival and be treated to operas and other musical entertainments in the courtyard.

For those who like to exercise, you can take the 315 stairs to the castle (yes, they are numbered) or you can take the ten degree ramp that will make you legs burn.  For those who like to take things somewhat easier, there is a funicular that runs up the side of the mountain, giving the tourist a fantastic view of the town and surrounding countryside.  Whatever way suits your fancy, if you happen to be in this area of Germany, this is a must see tourist attraction!!


Sources
Heidelberg Castle - Majestic, Scenic, Breathtaking
Heidelberg Castle - Wikipedia.com
Pictures from postcard.ca