Heidelberg Castle - Guided Tours in English Langage

First the Guzzling, then the Morality - Frivolity, Indelicateness and Excessis at Court

From living and loving, guzzling and fasting; from the leg’s dress to the codpiece and from the bacon salad to the crap chair – the whole immoderateness of the court’s society. A contemporary formulated the duty to representation in 1733: „The common man, which hangs only at the exterior senses and little uses the reason, cannot fancy what is the majesty of the king, but by the things, falling in his eyes and stiring his other senses, he gets a clear concept of his majestie’s authority and power.“
And this is heard with this guidance!

Historical interpretation in costumes of the period.
Guided Tour in english language.(^top)

 
From the Middle Ages to Late Renaissance - A Walk through the most important Ruin of Germany

Open eyes and a looking glass are needed to take part in an architectural walk through the time-honoured masonry on the castle hill. Attention is drawn above all to the palaces of dwelling, called after the prince electors who had them build. Up- and downstairs are investigated the remaining rests from stack to roof. There is much to find out about the opulence and the architectural diversity of the famous ruin of the castle. (^top)

From Poets And Robbers

With Marianne von Willemer back in the year 1815: An era of romantics but also of wars, epidemics and robbers. It was a time of social change, while Heidelberg castle became more and more an aim for travelers and artists – and at the same time one had to preserve it from its destruction. Marianne von Willemer leads into the hidden corners of garden and castle and lets revive the long passed time in poems and reports. (^top)

In The Dark Of The Night
With the prince-electoral night watchman through the Heidelberg castle

The prince-electoral night watchman and his ready-for-jokes assistant invite to a tour with the lantern through the nocturnal castle. But they think to be in the year 1622: In the midst of the historical backdrop you suddenly seem to be placed back to the prince-electoral court, into the 30 Years War. All inhabitants of the castle are preparing the defense.
The Guests have to help, too, and to learn practical things needed for fending off the hostile troups. A bohemian Musquetier introduces you how to use his equpiment ans shows you how to "work on" the enemies with musket and sword.
And the barrel-maids report on the arduous days in a besieged fortress, on the great barrel and the secrets of the transformation of the wine, getting a really fine vintage from a bad wine.
A pleasure for the whole family.(^top)

 
About Knights, Dwarfs and beautiful princesses
Special guided tour with action für children over 5 years

What did the prince-electors als all their knights do the whole day in their huge castle over the town? Why was there a moat, where has the horses been and what had a menial to do? Where has been cooked, what has been eaten and what did the prince’s childern play? And why has the biggest barral in the world been guarded by a dwarf?
A spezial guided tour with games lights up the sumptuous sides, but also the unimpressive corners of Heidelberg castle. (^top)

 
Ottheinrich – between hypocrits and pharisees

We are writing the year 1556, the first year of Prince-Elector Ottheinrich’s government. One of his first actions is to introduce the Reformation, which had found already support among the people. However, not everywhere is clear sunshine. Is everybody ready to obey the new moral order? Did really all people renounce to the old belief? Wouldn’t the one or the other like to release with pleasure his sinful soul with sounding coin from the purgatory? Or implore in times of difficulties or illness one of 14 holy helpers in need? Historical figures will enlighten the different points of view. (^top)

 
In Vino Veritas or A Dead Musician 1556 –
A criminal game from the times of renaissance full of music and dance

In the year 1556 there are large changings at the court of te new prince-elector Ottheinrich. Although there is a court band frm the times of his predecessor, the young prince brings his own musicians with him: This releases a lot of envy and conflicts! While the guests walk through the castle, the first violinist is murdered perfidiously. The musicians give lessons in dancing and singing to the visitors and, besides, tips to debunk the assassinator. And when in the large final scene the offender is detected, one finds out the truth of the saying: In the wine lies the truth. (^top)

Poets and Robbers

With Marianne von Willemer back into the year 1815: An aera of romantics, but also of wars, epedemies and of robbers. It has been a time of social changes, while Heidelberg castle more and more became an aim for travellers and artists. But in the same time it has to be saved from its destruction. Marianne von Willemer guides into the hidden corners of the garden and the castle and lets liven up the past times in poems and reports. (^top)

 
The Brentanos – Szenes of a wedlock

Guests are coming along with the poets-couple Clemens and Sophie Brentano on a walk through thne ruin and the park. auf einem Spaziergang durch Ruine und Park. The Brentano's conversation is about well-known persons, friends, family and about Heidelberg with its sourroundings at the beginnin g of the 19th century. And who's listening them to their conversation around the castle, will after a few minutes see the old walls with the eyes of the romantics. (^top)

The „Student King“ – the story continued

Everybody knows about the bittersweet romance between the student prince of Heidelberg and his Katie. But not many people know what has happened to the brokenhearted lovers after they had to part. We know! And we will show you in a sequence of scenes right out of the good old days of the 19.century student life. (^top)

Minne, Musica, Master's song

With the court musician Susanna back into the year 1425! Hereby you meet the great poet and musician Oswald von Wolkenstein. Exciting views into the life of minstrels are to get, you can hear anecdotes from their adventurous life and all kinds of rumours about the conditions at court are to be heard in sussurations.
The public takes part very near, comes to know many things about the times and listens to bygone sounds and songs. Hereby you learn to know historic instruments, als, who wants, may take a dance. (^top)

First Class! Relationsships to the anglophone world

Who was the fretty english lady, who gave her name to a building in the heidelberg castle? Amusing stories about the mysterious winter prince or the little monkeys from england guide through the castle. Thereby is the word given to Shakespeare, Turner and Mark Twain. The walk on the newly renovated English Building will be completed by views into the court's festival rooms and the today's english garden. (^top)

Children Night-Watch

Yawning the nigh-watchman of the Heidelberg castle arises from his layer of straw. Isn't he sleeping during the day? But he urgently looks for new blood. Children have fallen suddenly into the year 1622, and now they follow the night-watch on his walk to secret corners and try out how it may be to guard a castle. The instruction is closed with a night-watch's certificate. (^top)

The Voyage to Jerusalem - When the Prince Elector takes a Journey

Emperors and kings of the middle age travelled from one residence to the next, and the palatine prince electors have often been en route in ther territory. Travelling was always an adventure, not only when Ottheinrich took a trip to the Holy Land. Also aims more nearby haven't been half bad: prince elector Frederick IV. had to clear a hall of pigs - and spent two florins for that. (^top)

The whole World is a stage
In the year 1614 the castle is the backdrop for courtly feasts with theater, dance and "masques". The dream-couple Frederick IV and Elizabeth Stuart has brought new glamour to Heidelberg. But there a murder happens. A quarrel between the actors? Has it been by jalousy? If only the princess-elector's little monkey could speak ... For the crime's intelligence the help of all participants is urgently needed! (^top)

All you need is love – How Love became romantic
A sentimental trip for confessing romantic people into the time, when love bursted bonds. The castle's romantic ruin offers the perfect background to learn by means of poems, letters, anecdotes and narrations from the time of romantic and Biedermeier the often not so gentrylike opinions and customs of the time concerning love-affairs. Dreaming belongs to the program of that guided tour. (^top)

The Dagger in the Raiment
The ruin, rich of history, as a portal to the magic world of the middle ages, full of protecting magics, holy lances, crowm oaths als helpful stones. Where could you get a better experience of this than in the mysterious walls of the honourabla castle of Heidelberg! Young and old are allowed to have them bewitched. (^top)

Can Love Be A Sin?
Why does one cook the clothings of a beloved? Which magic punishes unfaithfulness? Two Heidelberg women Zhave a chat about sweet sins and naked truths - quite historically. How the court was a wenches' guest - and the town assessed that going-on expressively. From a prince elector who hat two wifes at the same time. Poems, history and historical recipes for awakening torment and desire of love. (^top)

Healer, witches, midwifes
Woman, skilled in the art of healing, or prosecuted witch: a tightrope walk. The guided tour in Ottheinrich’s palace, Friedrich’s palace and in more parts of the castle tells of herb women, midwifes and the rare doctresses. But also for the male court’s doctors life wasn’t easy. Excesses ruined the noblemen’s health. Often not only the patient’s welfare depended from the right remedy, but also the doctor’s ... (^top)

  
All guided tours are bookable at any date for groups.

Translations are neither professional nor official. Natural speakers are pleased to help us in correcting mistakes.