One of the loveliest cities of Europe, the great German university city of Heidelberg stretches along both sides of the wide Neckar River, a tributary of the Rhine. Pleasure boats thread a leisurely path along the river, enticing strollers and bikers to the shoreline the better to wave to passengers on the boat decks. The boats pass under the twin-towered Carl Theodor Bridge, one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. Completed in the 18th century, of stone, it has survived where eight of its predecessors constructed of wood had been destroyed by fire, ice or floods since 1310. Close by the Bridge are the Hirschgasse, the traditional dueling site, and the wonderful walkway along the river known as Philosophers’ Way.

Stepping along that path, you look high overhead. Half submerged in the clouds is the stunning Heidelberg Castle, 300 feet above the town. Said to be the most famous and the most imposing castle in Germany, the original structure dates from 1303. During the Reformation and the Peasants’ Revolt, what was a medieval fortress was enlarged and extended until by the early 17th century there existed a grand Renaissance-style edifice. This in turn was destroyed twice in the same century during the internecine wars in the reigns of Frederick V, and by Louis XIV"s inheritance claims. At various junctures of the wars, the whole town of Heidelberg was almost completely destroyed as well.

History whispers everywhere around me; it is not all war-related. Throughout 19th century romanticism, this castle and town held a special attraction for poets. Goethe visited here. He is said to have composed and recited some of his finest poems to Marianne in the lovely Hortus Palatinus, the famous Castle gardens, just coming into exciting bloom in this soft spring air. Today, a century after it was written here, I rest on a convenient iron bench, contemplating the lover’s timelessness of Heinrich Heine’s "In den Kussen, welche Luge" ("Oh what lies there are in kisses!"). Mark Twain enjoyed the view, presumably as much as I do; and the list of painters inspired by the Heidelberg landscape is long.

A tour of the Castle reveals, among the expected kingly rooms–the exterior of the castle is much more awesome than its interior–a marvel of the cooper’s trade, the Great Wine Cask, dating back to 1751. Nine yards long and eight yards high, the cask has a capacity of 55,345 gallons of wine! No modern samples were available; but following our visit, my companion and I took the local spring chill off nicely at a nearby vendor’s stall, with a glass of the tasty, warm and fresh spring wine known as gluwein. You must try gluwein in Heidelberg!

Down in the town, one trolley stop from the Castle, is Heidelberg University, the oldest university in Germany and one of the most famous in all Europe. It was founded in 1386. Originally modeled after the University of Paris and under the control of the Catholic Church, after the Protestant Reformation it became the center of Protestant learning. It grew to include schools of medicine, law, philosophy and science, with several hundred professors and lecturers, among them some of Germany’s most illustrious scholars. It was here that Sigmund Romberg’s "The Student Prince" was written. Here, too, Robert Schumann, as a student at the University, began his career as a musician. Today many of the University’s 30,000 students come from abroad.

There are many fine walks over the narrow cobbled streets of the University area, known as the Old Quarter. And no end of shops of all kinds, theatres, movie houses, and, in addition to some fine German restaurants, all manner of international foods, served up fast or in a civilized manner, according to your whim. And, for those who take pleasure in the brew, to speak of German restaurants is of course to commend the number and excellence of German beers.

Another important stop in this interesting city is the Heidelberg Zoo. Large and user-friendly, the Zoo features a bear-window, large enclosures for beasts and bird, a good dining hall for humans, and a delightful children’s playground.