European Adventure 2024, Day 27: Heidelberg
Excerpts from Dory’s journal
Photo captions by Stephanie
Day 27, 9:46 AM, 22/7/24
Strasbourg, France
Hello! I am currently on a couch in our apartment. We are leaving for Heidelberg! This town has a funicular, which we will ride up to the top and back down. It will be exciting!
Yours, Dorrel
Day 27 12:23 Pm, 22/7/24
Heidelberg, Germany
Hello! I am currently at a table in our hotel that we are going to be staying in. Germany is a country that is varied everywhere. There are Rhine lowlands, and there are mountains. Our hotel is very nice, because it opened just a week ago.
Yours, Dorrel
There are two separate legs of this trip. Halfway up we changed trains to a vintage wooden funicular. This is the view from the bottom of the first, more modern train. (photo: Dory)
A clock we peeped while waiting in line for the second funicular. (photo: Dory)
The vintage train just before we boarded. (photo: Stephanie)
View of the station as we ascended. (photo: Stephanie)
Day 27 3:40 Pm, 22/7/24
Heidelberg, Germany
Hello! I am currently on the old funicular part of the funicular (I called it mountain-rail in my journal because I had forgotten what it was called.) and it is very wooden. There are very tall trees around the funicular. I am on the side of a mountain! So exciting. Well, I must enjoy the moment.
Yours,
Dorrel
There was window into the engine room, where we could watch the wheels turn while the train descended. (photo: Stephanie)
A view from the top. (photo: Stephanie)
Day 27 4:26 PM, 22/7/24
Heidelberg, Germany
Hello! I am currently waiting in line for the old (illegible) funicular car to come up the slope. It is a breathtaking view from here. You can see the city, and the other line of mountains. And the valley is just so nice. Anyways, the tram is here! Bye!
Yours, Dorrel
Dory neglected to mention that at the halfway/change point on the funicular, we explored the ruins of the Heidelberg castle. It dates from the 13th century, was added onto and adapted over the centuries, but was heavily damaged in the 17th century and never repaired. (photo: Stephanie)
View of the castle from the city below. (photo: Stephanie)
One fun feature of Heidelberg are these fountains all over the place where you can rinse your hands. They were very careful to note that the water is NOT potable. (photo: Stephanie)