Student cities always seem to have a young and fun feel to them, and Heidelberg is no exception. One of Germany’s most well-known cities - although with a population of just 140,000 it’s not that big - Heidelberg is a pretty special place to visit. As a child, my parents took me there on a camping tour of Europe and I always remembered buying a sticker saying “I love Heidelberg”. It was about twenty years later that I got to see my beloved Heidelberg again, but I was lucky to be living in nearby Heilbronn, and could visit many times.

Taking a stroll around the inner city of Heidelberg is a perfect way to spend an afternoon. I’ve taken visitors from Australia, Asia and other parts of Europe to Heidelberg, and everybody agrees it’s a typically German town. Cute buildings, delicate decoration, great places to drink beer and often a festival or music show to watch, the atmosphere is great at any time of year, but especially at Christmas time with the markets going full-steam.

If you walk through the city center past the university buildings and then look up, the amazing ruins of the Heidelberg Castle strike you. It’s one of those romantically-shaped castle ruins that conjure up all kinds of stories in your imagination. My favourite view of the castle is from the old bridge across the Neckar, and I’ve taken numerous photos of friends on the bridge with the castle in the background. Before you cross the bridge, there are a couple of interesting things to note – the monkey sculpture (touch him for luck – or touch the mice to have lots of children!) and the high tide marks showing where previous floods have come to.

On the other side of the bridge you can look back over the city of Heidelberg, and the best views come from slightly up the hill on the Philosophers’ Walk. This is a cosy green trail that winds through forest and houses; it’s said that many philosophers and other academics from the Heidelberg University have walked along this trail dreaming up new theories and ideas, and it’s easy to understand that this quiet place so close to the city would be a good place for thinking.

With Heidelberg lying on the Neckar River, it’s also a great place to take a cruise – just for an hour or for a day trip to another village. The town is also found on a major train line, and taking a train trip to Heidelberg from Stuttgart takes you through really gorgeous countryside.