A bus tour is always a good way to be introduced to a new city, and the daily Heidelberg City Bus Tour is attractive and efficient. Should you prefer to be on your own, public transport around Heidelberg is not difficult, even if your German isn’t quite up to the mark. Taxis are plentiful, and the trolley and bus lines very reliable. In the center of town is Der Bahnhof, the train station.
Directly in front of it is a most helpful tourist information center, which will provide the visitor with maps and explicit directions to almost anywhere in or outside of the city. The trolley and bus lines abet Der Bahnhof; vehicle operators are cordial and helpful, even if you pronounce "strudel" as though it’s a native California idiom.
Speaking of strudel, what is Heidelberg without–its strudels and noodles, and all kinds of delightful dining? A bit price-y, and you may put on pounds — but don’t leave the region without sampling the sauerbraten, or the hare or venison, served with delicious small dumplings and red cabbage. Wild boar can often be found on menus. The Jaeger Schnitzel(hunter’s veal) is famous and delicious. Such specialties often are at their tastiest in restaurants in the suburbs, or small towns on the outskirts of the city. Easily reachable by bus are Bruhl, Mannheim, Rohrbach, Ladenburg(where you can cook your own steak), or Speyer, which latter town also is the site of a beautiful 12th century cathedral, the largest remaining structure in Germany of the Romanesque period.
Other interesting southern German cities within a morning’s drive from Heidelberg along the Autobahn include Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Rothenberg, Nuremberg, and Munich, each with unique historical presence. The birthplace of the great German poet Goethe, Frankfurt is today a major city of industry and banking, and a transportation center. Nuremberg, besides being the home of the infamous Nazi war crimes trials, is the birthplace of the painter Albrecht Durer. Stuttgart is a gateway to the rich resort areas of the Black Forest, as well as a publishing and an automotive center. Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is a treasure chest of art and history, with many fine museums.
A word on local fun: if you go into a bar, and the bartender asks you to show "one pfennig" (a penny) and you don’t have one, you must buy a round of drinks.
