Heidelberg audio tour - cafes and other recommendations!
What makes Heidelberg so unique? Why does it feel so different to other German towns? Walking along the narrow streets you will hear how French troops burned Heidelberg to the ground and then about its re-birth as a baroque city, "beautiful and straight". The baroque features of the buildings then spring to life all around, as do the hidden remnants of the former medieval Heidelberg. Discover why there are so many madonnas in Heidelberg often perched above looking down upon the busy shoppers below and what the bronze monkey represents.
Student life features strongly in Germanys oldest university city:
- a student union canteen in an old medieval stable, - a dedicated student prison, - a new university building built around an old medieval witches tower, - a library in the architectural wilhelmian style, - famous students, both good and bad.
Heidelberg didn't escape the effects of World War Two either. Discover the book burning memorial and and stumble stones and the site of the old jewish synagogue, and who actually blew up the old bridge. Discover the influence the Americans have on this city too, both before and during the war.
Download the Voicemap tour and start discovering and exploring!
Updated 29.11.2023
The suggestions below follow the same route as the voicemap audiotour, downloadable by following the link, plus a few extra hints and tips. If you spot a change, perhaps a new cafe you tried and liked, please leave a comment.
Cafes etc.
Key to listings: D - dining, C - cafe/coffee, Vg - vegan, TG - to go, W - wine
Along the tour route:
D Vetters Alt Brauhaus - (Steingasse 9) A clasic brewery serving it’s own beers and hearty plates of German food. Open for lunch and dinner until late.
C, D, W Cafe Burkhardt (Untere Str. 27) Originally a wine bar Cafe Burkhardt is now the place to go for lunch or a bite to eat, especially for a choise of vegetarian food or gluten-free options.
C Ahmed's Middle Eastern Eatery (Untere Str. 23) Opening post lunch time and staying open until late, popular with the students, Ahmed’s serves very good falafel amongst other hearty plates of food. Plenty of vegetarian options.
D, C Rada Coffee & Rösterei (Untere Str. 21) For a great cup of coffee this is the place to head too. Home made cakes including gluten free options, too. Better still, they also offer gluten free lunch options.
C, TG OK Kool (Marstallstr. 7) The place for some great home made ice-cream, cakes and a good cup of coffee too, Limited opening hours, though!
C, TG, Moro Caffe & Thé (Haupstr. 160) Long time known as the coffee shop in Heidelberg. Stop here for a perfectly made cappucino and a (large) piece of home made cake.
Slightly off the audio tour route:
D Mahmoud's Altstadt - (Merianstr. 3) Slightly off the audio tour track, but located on a nice quiet back street, Mahmound’s is known for it’s middle eastern food, fresh salads and falafel.
C Panno (Ingrimstr. 22) On the street leading to the funicular railway up to the castle, this tiny cafe serves excellent coffe and great cakes too. Very chilled!
D Kulturbrauerei (Leyergasse 6) Yes, it is popular with the tourists, but the Kulturbrauerei has a lovely garden in the summer months, and brews it’s own beer.
W Weinstube Witter (Hauptstr. 224) A lovely old wine bar, with a lovely choice of local wines by the glass, and some small bites for when you suddenly realised you’ve been here a lot longer and perhaps drunk a glass or two more than planned :-)
Souvenirs
Letter & Co (Untere Str. 24) for a slightly different Heidelberg souvenir, this shop proudly stocks Kaweco pens, a firm which was originally founded in Heidelberg 1883.
Käthe Wohlfahrt (Hauptstr. 124) a dedicated Christmas shop selling german made Christmas decorations all year round.
University Souvenirs (Augustinergasse 2) Purchase Heidelberg university t-shirts, mugs and hats at the Student Karzer.
Heidelberg Castle
A trip to Heidelberg is not complete without a trip to the castle. Walking up is one option and there are various routes, the most common being the path next to the funicular railway.
The grounds of the castle are free to explore and offer some lovely views. To enter the castle you will need to purchase a ticket. Alternatively take the funicular railway (Bergbahn) up and entrance to the castle is included.
The funicular railway can be found at the corner of Kornmarkt and Burgweg/Zwingerstrasse. Ticket prices and other information are detailed in the link.
Beer, oh beer!
Not just known for apple wine, Frankfurt has some great bars for discovering craft and draught beers too!
Frankfurt is one of the few German cities that is not known for its beer….rather, it is a city know for its apple wine taverns and the numerous wine regions nearby. Indeed, it’s local brewery, Binding, is looked down upon by just about every German I’ve ever met. However, there are some great places to discover beer and spend an evening enjoying a pint, or two, so read on for some bars that specialise in having a wide selection of craft and guest beers. (PS If you have further beer bar suggestions, leave a comment!)
Naiv (Fahrgasse 4, City Centre) https://www.naiv-frankfurt.de/ Naiv has it all…guest beers, a restaurant, pizzeria and a bottle shop. Naiv has taken over the south stretch of Fahrgasse, close to the Alte Brücke. Lots of seating outdoors for summer nights and lamps to warm cooler evenings. This is a great place to hang and appeals to all.
Wir Komplizen (Egenolffstraße 17 Nordend) https://www.wir-komplizen.de/ A little piece of Berlin vibe in Frankfurt. Wir Komplizen has some great beers on tap and offers a menu with lots of vegetarian and vegan options. They even bake their own bread. Enter the coutyard to find the main entrance. Once inside there is plenty of seating and a small beer garden at the back of the property.
Brew Dog (Kaiserstraße 51, Bahnhofsviertel) https://www.brewdog.com/eu_de/frankfurt Less than a hop, skip and a jump from the main station, this bar is perfectly placed for travellers and commuters alike. Regularly changing tap beers and guest draughts to choose from and the bar serves hearty plates of food too!
Braustil (Oeder Weg 57, Nordend) https://braustil.de/en/ Braustil is a brewery and has the novelty of its bar being an old petrol station, just a short walk north from the city centre. It serves its own beers on tap, and has a good selection of bottled guest beers too. Food can be ordered from neighbouring the cafe and consumed on-site.
Drinksmith (Wallstraße 14, Sachsenhausen) https://drinksmithbar.com/ Drinksmith is very much a bar, but one that specialises in beer and cocktails. Situated right on the border of Old Sachsenhausen, there are plenty of eating options nearby before or after an evening at Drinksmith.