Heidelberg
We drove to Heidelberg in the early July. The first thing to do was to eat a breakfast as usual. There weren't many options before 9am but we managed to find a cafe that offered a buffet style breakfast - hearty bread and rolls, jam, honey, yogurt, sliced meats, cheese, sausage, etc... traditional German breakfast!
After then, we headed Heidelberg Castle, or Schloss Heidelberg . It sits on the slope of Koenigstuhl hill and there are two ways to get there: walk or Bergbahn (funicular railway). J chose the latter.
It took only a couple of minutes to the castle station and wonderful views of the old town, the old bridge and the Neckar River from the Stück-garten of the castle.
Thought the gate tower, we entered the castle courtyard. The earliest castle foundation would be built in the 13th century while the most of the current buildings were built between the 15th and 17th centuries. Then, there were wars and lightning bolts, etc..., the castle became ruins around 1800. At least it has been preserved and known as one of the most romantic ruins in Europe.
A part of the buildings is now the German Pharmacy Museum that shows the history of pharmacy. Also the largest barrel in the world is displayed in another building.
We walked down from the castle to the old town. It was surprisingly quick and easy. We went and saw the old bridge that we saw from the castle. The medieval gate with the white towers were eye-catching!
The weather was beautiful and got pretty hot. It was time for us to find somewhere to rest and eat.
Kulturbrauerei was a brewhouse in the historical building that was a dance hall over 300 years ago. The high ceiling, tall windows and rustic interiors created a charming atmosphere.
We both had Sauerbraten von der Ochsenbacke mit Rotkraut und Hausgemachte Spätzle. My first sauerbraten in Germany! It was good but very meaty for me!
We walked in the old town a little more. It wasn't a big town. I think we got a whole picture of the town.
Before going back home, we stopped by at a local bakery to get some treats. There were many thin crackers called Vollkornknäcke at the window. Vollkorn means whole grain. Knäcke means crisps or perhaps in this case a short version of Knäckebrot (Crispbread). Although we didn't buy any, we were simply curious about them.
We chose four treats! Nussecken, literally translated into nut corners, is one of cookies I have seen at every bakery I visited so far. It has two layers: a caramelized hazelnut topping and a shortbread base. It has a kinda cakey texture. Two corners or three like this one are covered with dark chocolate. This one was pretty good but I haven't met any bad Nusseken so far. Another was a boat-shaped cookie filled with nutty sweet paste. That was recommended by a lady who was shopping there at that time. It was delightful. I wish I knew the name of the cookie. A custard pudding tart was another wonderful treat.
The last but not least was Zwetschgenkuchen. (Prue plum sheet cake). The crust was very thin. Prune plum was pretty tart, which matched sweet streusel very well. I liked it but I guess it was J's least favorite out of four. It was a nice day trip to Heidelberg!
