For more than 250 years, Heidelberg's philosophers and university teachers have walked and talked along the Philosopher's Walk, inspired by a beautiful view of Heidelberg and a climate that much like that of the Italian Tuscany.


The Philosopher's Walk at the Heiligenberg derives its name from the fact that Heidelberg's philosophers and university teachers are said to have once walked and talked here. Even today, this world-famous path offers new sights and insights. Enjoy a beautiful view of Heidelberg and a climate that reminds you of the Italian Tuscany. Many sub-tropical plants flourish in the "Philosophengärtchen."

The temperate climate is perfect for Japanese cherries, cypresses, lemons, bamboos, rhododendrons, gingko and yucca trees, and several other plants from the Mediterranean, North Africa and Asia. Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788-1857) is one of the German poets who fell in love with Heidelberg and dedicated poems to the old town. A commemorative stone refers to the German Romantic who studied here 1807-08.

Further points of interest are the "Bismarckturm" (an observation tower) and a stone erected in memory of Liselotte von der Pfalz ( the sister-in-law of the French king, Louis XIV). The "Merianblick" (Merian's View) and "Meriankanzel" refer to the artist Matthaeus Merian. An enlargement of the copperplate engraving of Heidelberg he made in 1620 is displayed at "Merianblick." The "Hölderlinanlage" is a small park in memory of the German Romantic poet, Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1813).