Heidelberg Castle: A Guide to its Terraced Gardens and Ruins

(7 reviews)

Heidelberg audio tour: Heidelberg Castle: A Guide to its Terraced Gardens and Ruins

This is a 1.6mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Heidelberg

Germany

$8.99

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About the Tour

Heidelberg Castle has beguiled visitors for centuries. On this walking tour, you’ll discover its princely residences, battle-scarred fortifications, and terraced gardens carved from rock. You’ll also hear the history behind the castle grounds, where royal romance, French destruction, and Renaissance hydraulic engineering created this captivating ruin.

This tour starts at the castle’s entrance archway, where you’ll explore the massive western rampart and circular defensive towers. You’ll also weave through the various levels of the terraced gardens created by engineer and architect Solomon de Caus in the early 1600s. Along the way, you’ll discover how war and lightning created the ruins that drew poets like Goethe, turning this castle into an icon of Romanticism.

I’ll tell you about the elaborate Elizabeth Gate that Friedrich V built overnight as a birthday surprise for his wife, and show you bathing terraces equipped with heated rooms and water organs. The tour ends at Altan Hall, the final defensive structure protecting the inner courtyard.

On this 60-minute tour of the Heidelberg Castle Gardens, you’ll have a chance to:

Marvel at the engineering feats that created these terraced gardens, where 20-meter retaining walls were built by blasting away solid rock
See the remnants of grottos adorned with shells and corals, and hear about the mighty fortifications built by Ludwig 5th to protect the castle from invasion
Explore the defensive moat that once housed deer for the prince’s hunting pleasure, and find out how the castle’s remarkable toilets functioned
Discover Prince Elector Karl II’s unusual hobby of setting cannons opposite each other to make the cannonballs collide and explode mid-air
See the blown-apart gunpowder tower that offers a perfect cross-section view of medieval defensive architecture
Visit the Father Rhine fountain, depicting the important river as a reclining god with a Greek amphora
See spectacular views of the Neckar River, the Alte Brücke, and Heidelberg Old Town from the Scheffelterrasse (Scheffel terrace)

This tour introduces you to the remarkable blend of military engineering, princely luxury, and romantic ruins that have made Heidelberg Castle a beloved destination for over 400 years.

Please note: The tour explores the castle’s free outdoor areas. Optional bonus content is included for visitors with inner courtyard tickets.

Tour Producer

Anne Noble

6 tours

I am a British native living in Frankfurt since 2013, before that I lived in New York City and originally come from London. Can you tell I used to be a corporate person?

My ex-pat lifestyle sparked my interest in getting to know new places, delving deep to find new, exciting experiences but also places of common familiarity; what makes Frankfurt so typically German, are there British and American influences? This is why I became a tour guide and city guide author. My book, Walk Frankfurt: A guide to a short break in Frankfurt am Main is available on Amazon and a second book, A guide to a day out from Frankfurt, will be published in May 2026. Hired by an Australian journalist, my knowledge also earned me a mention in the Virgin Australia In-flight magazine, when they decided to feature Frankfurt.

My own life long passions mould my tours, food, history, architecture and wine. Frankfurt has great markets both indoors and outdoors. I’ve spent many an hour there buying local produce to make Frankfurt specialities at home, such as green sauce and buying produce only available when in season. I know when all the best festivals are taking place and where, and regularly update my blog, on the Walk Frankfurt web page, so you can find them too.

I am a member of the German Tour Guides Association (BVGD) and offer private tours of Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Mainz and Wiesbaden. I know the cities inside out, their own specialities and their connections to each other through history too.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge, humour, joy of life and joy in having a glass of wine (not too many, mind!)

Preview Location

Location 14

The gun powder tower

To the left is an old, rotund tower blown in half and offering an almost perfect cross-section of its internal sections.

Come to a stop at the terrace in front of it whilst I explain more.

The tower dates back to the 15th century and was massively reinforced around 16... Read More

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Major Landmarks

Heidelberg Castle
Stückgarten Schloss Heidelberg
Englischer Bau
Ruprechtsbau
Haupttor Schloss Heidelberg
Torturm
Elizabeth Gate
Oberer Fürstenbrunnen
Garden of the Palatinate
Bäderterrasse
Rhein-Grotte
Neptune Brunnen
Scheffelterrasse
Joseph Victor von Scheffel Monument
Schlossgarten Heidelberg
Unterer Fürstenbrunnen
Pointed Caponier
Apothekerturm
Bell Tower
Barrel Building

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Kurzer Buckel, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Total distance

3km
Final location
Schlosshof, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Distance back to start location

196.69m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starting point is outside the castle grounds' main entrance, at the Kurzer Buckel and Neue Schloßberg junction. It is accessible via the funicular railway or by walking up to the castle.

The walking route starts at the base of the funicular railway. Ascend Burgweg and continue via Kurzer Buckel. The path and steps are steep but well-maintained.

The funicular railway takes just a few minutes to ascend the hill to the castle. The train ticket includes entrance to the castle courtyard and a return trip back to the Old Town. It is recommended to tour the gardens first, prior to entering the courtyard.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

The castle grounds has a cafe to buy refreshments. However, the food choices are limited so I recommend taking your own provisions if you suffer from food intolerance. Alternatively the castle grounds are an ideal place to have a picnic with plenty of benches dotted around quiet nooks and crannies.

If you are spending the day in Heidelberg below are some recommendation of places to eat and drink in the Old Town:
Moro Caffe & Thé (Haupstr. 160) The coffee shop in Heidelberg. Stop here for a perfectly made cappuccino and a (large) piece of home made cake.
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.
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.
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. They also offer gluten free lunch options.

A more comprehensive list of places to eat or grab a snack can be found on my Heidelberg blog page, https://www.walk-frankfurt.com/blog/heidelberg-audio-tour.

Best time of day

The Heidelberg castle grounds are open during daylight hours and visiting early or late on will mean you miss the congestion of tour groups.
Any time of year is perfect for this tour, however the grounds are closed on December 25th, Christmas Day.

Precautions

Summers are hot so bring a bottle of water with you and a hat.
Sensible walking shoes are recommended, especially for managing the cobble stones.
There is a steep ascent at the castle and steps to enter the moat, so these parts of the route are not suitable for prams, wheelchairs or those with walking difficulties.

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