Heidelberg has a pleasant, old-fashioned appearance, with charming four-story buildings that share a similar architecture of matching facades and harmonious, earth-tone color schemes, topped with clay-tile roofs. No two buildings are exactly alike and yet they all blend seamlessly in a simple Baroque style. While the exteriors may be centuries old, they are maintained spotlessly with fresh paint and modern fixtures. The shop interiors are totally contemporary, if not futuristic, with all the latest goods on sale. Numerous restaurants will delight you with their gourmet fare and tasty beer.
We then visit the most important single sight in Heidelberg -- the magnificent castle on the hill. It is a romantic ruin, with enough buildings still standing to present a very good idea of how wonderful this complex was during its glory days in the 15th-17th centuries. The extreme mix of destruction and beauty conjures up the turbulent past of this strategic fortification, with crumbling walls and towers standing next to a complete palace containing a fully-restored interior. And while here, you get a fantastic view looking down on the Old Town -- more than just beautiful, this is one of the great vistas of Europe, and the castle itself ranks in a lofty league with those of Salzburg or Edinburgh.