The Heidelberg Castle is said to be one of the three great castles along with Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenzollern Castle.
However, Heidelberg Castle is often described as an abandoned castle. On the other hand, it can also be said that it has a certain charm precisely because it is abandoned. Many poets, painters, and writers have been fascinated by it since before the 19th century, and many romantic artists in particular have visited it.
Why have so many people been fascinated by this abandoned castle? It has to do with not only the scenery of Heidelberg Castle and the castle town, but also its tragic history.
The Western Roman Empire was destroyed in 476, but in 800 Charles I of the Franks was crowned Roman Emperor as the successor to the Western Roman Empire, which is said to be the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire (800-1806).
And “Pfalz” is now a place name, but in the Holy Roman Empire it referred to the “Electorate of the Palatinate”. In the Holy Roman Empire, the emperor was elected, so the “territory where it was permitted to run for election” was called the “Electorate”.
The Palatinate in particular was the leading electoral province, and construction of Heidelberg Castle began there in the early 13th century.
However, since ancient times, “territory” has often been the source of religious skirmishes.
What started as a territorial dispute between small countries and a religious skirmish (Protestant vs Catholic) developed into an international war. During the Thirty Years’ War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648, Heidelberg Castle became a battlefield and was left in ruins.
However, the seeds of war were still smoldering after the war, and this time it was targeted by King Louis XIV of France.
This was the War of Palatinate Succession. This war, which took place around 1689, was more of a one-sided destruction than a war. It was so terrible that the French army, whose goal was to “ravage the Palatinate,” not only destroyed castles, but also burned down towns where ordinary citizens lived, completely burning them down… In any case, it was a war that left nothing behind.
After falling during the war, Heidelberg Castle was left in ruins and turned into a quarry where surviving citizens could rebuild their homes. It was artists such as painters and poets who saved it.
Around 1890, artists stepped up and said, “This castle must be restored!!” and the government drew up a restoration plan. More than 120 years have passed since then, but restoration work is still ongoing.
The interesting thing about Heidelberg Castle is that construction began in the early 1200s and continued until the early 1600s, when it was bombarded during the Thirty Years’ War. In other words, it was expanded over nearly 400 years as the castle’s owners changed. During that time, it has been built in a variety of styles, including Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance, reflecting the background of each era.
The first thing you see when you enter the castle is the “Elisabethentor (Elizabeth’s Gate).” One of the castle’s owners, Frederick V, who lived during the Thirty Years’ War, built it overnight as a birthday present for his wife, Elisabeth, who was the same age as him, when he was 19 years old!
The most eye-catching feature in the courtyard is the Friedrichsbau (Friedrichs Building). It was named after Elector Palatinate Frederick IV.
On the right side of the “Friedrich Building” there is a long, slender tower with a sundial. If you look closely, you will see a very interesting sundial. It is named
“Gläserner Saalbau (Glass Hall Tower)” after the Hall of Mirrors decorated with Venetian glass on the third floor.
Just behind the Friedrich Building there is a terrace called Altan, from which you can see the Neckar River, the Neckar Valley, and the old town covered in red roofs. Altan means “red in the morning and evening” in old Arabic.
Immediately next to the Altan, and next to the “King’s Hall” or banquet hall, is the “Barrel Building”, built for the wine barrels.
This barrel can hold the equivalent of about 308,000 bottles of modern wine (720ml)! There is a staircase so that you can see inside the barrels from above.
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