Real world issues are also tackled in this idyllic setting. Heidelberg boasts international powerhouses in the fields of environmental protection, genetic engineering, and information technology.

In 1996 Heidelberg was awarded German's top prize for nature preservation and environmental protection. And in 1997, the EU presented it with the "European Sustainable City Award."

Heidelberg is a hub of biotechnology research as part of the "Rhine-Neckar Bioregion." It's also a multimedia town boasting large publishing houses and software giants. The German Academy of Sciences and the Center for Jewish Studies are based here, as are the German Cancer Research Center, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, five facilities of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, and more than 30 schools for language and management training. It is a European telecommunications research center (EURESCOM), and international corporations such as IBM, ABB, Heidelberger Zement, and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen with its new Print Media Academy all have major facilities here.

The city also shares its expertise with guests from around the world. Various institutions offer seminars and special visitors' programs that you can sign up for through the Heidelberg Convention & Visitors Bureau,

Internet: www.heidelberg-marketing.de