In the city of Heidelberg, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany

 "I once heard a California student in Heidelberg say, in one of his calmest moods, that he would rather decline two drinks than one German adjective." — Mark Twain

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(in southwestern Germany) The city of Heidelberg, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, is found on the Neckar River where it emerges from the forested hills of Odenwald into the Rhine plain. First mentioned in 1196, Heidelberg was the capital of the Rhenish Palatinate (Pfalz) and the residence of the electoral counts palatine until 1720. It was devastated in 1622 during the Thirty Years’ War and almost completely destroyed by the French in 1689 and 1693, so most of its important buildings are in the Baroque architectural style (which prevailed until the late 18th century) rather than Gothic medieval. The city passed to Baden in 1802 and experienced considerable growth in the 20th century.

+ Rising tall and rugged above the town of Heidelberg is the famous Heidelberg castle, which is a historic landmark that you won’t want to miss. For more than 500 years, Heidelberg Castle served as home to the Prince Electors of the Palatinate, though now it is a great tourist attraction that millions of tourists from around the world flock to see every ("normal") year. As you travel throughout the awe-inspiring city of Heidelberg, from nearly every angle you are likely to see a silhouette of the grand castle in the distance. This magnificent red sandstone structure, 100 meters above the river, still dominates the city. Construction began in the 13th century, but the most notable work was done in the Renaissance period and includes the Otto-Heinrichsbau and Friedrichsbau. In the cellar of the Friedrichsbau is the Heidelberg Tun, an enormous wine cask with a capacity of 185,500 liters. The castle can be reached from the lower city by a cable railway, which continues to the summit of the Königsstuhl (hill). The only other buildings to escape razing in 1693 were the Heiliggeistkirche (Holy Ghost Church), the Marstall (formerly the Royal Mews), and the Knight’s House. Other landmarks include the Old Bridge, the Town Hall, and the Jesuitenkirche (church).

+ The University of Heidelberg (Ruprecht-Karl-Universität), the oldest higher educational institution in Germany, was founded by Rupert I and chartered by Pope Urban VI in 1386. Its Geological-Paleontological Institute houses the "Heidelberg Jaw," a fossilized jawbone, some 500,000 years old, which was found in the vicinity (in 1907).

+ Today's visitors to Heidelberg follow in the footsteps of the late 18th- and early 19th-century romantics, most notably the poet Goethe and Britain’s William Turner, who was inspired by Heidelberg to paint some of his greatest landscapes. In 1878, Mark Twain began his European travels with a lengthy stay in Heidelberg, recounting his observations in A Tramp Abroad. Heidelberg's rich literary history, and its thriving contemporary scene, led to it being designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2014.