Heidelberg

We went on a little day trip to Heidelberg a few weeks back. It is a charming little town in the Rhine Rift Valley that looks over the Neckar River.  It is gorgeous there with a beautiful view, an awesome castle, a big bridge, and many shops for browsing.  I love all of the pedestrian zones throughout Europe, which makes chasing two little boys around a bit less hectic.  

We rode the funicular up the mountain to get to the castle.  

 Maddie is staying with us for 3 months and arrived that weekend, so this was her first trip.

 A family picture from the top.

 The view.

 The boys playing at the castle.

 The earliest castle structure dates back to the 1200's, but the upper castle was struck by lightning in the 1500's. The current structures were expanded by 1650, before damage from later wars and fire.  There is an interesting history of the castle on Wikipedia, so if you are interested in some light reading, click here. 

 A cool big door that we were knocking on.  Nobody answered.

 We went inside to see the biggest wine barrel.  We thought this was it, but it wasn't.

 This is the world's biggest wine barrel.  See Josh and Brigham up there?

 I love this picture.  I don't know why, but I do.

 This is the gate that leads to the bridge.

 The castle definitely dominates the hillside.

 Another family photo, this time from the other side of the river.

Heidelberg is only a short drive from our house and has much to be explored.  We will definitely go back.