About Heidelberg

Gingo Biloba

Dieses Baums Blatt, der von Osten
Meinem Garten anvertraut,
Gibt geheimen Sinn zu kosten,
Wie’s den Wissenden erbaut.
Ist es ein lebendig Wesen,
Das sich in sich selbst getrennt?
Sind es zwei, die sich erlesen,
Dasz man sie als Eines kennt?

Solche Frage zu erwidern,
Fand ich wohl den rechten Sinn:
Fühlst du nicht an meinen Liedern,
Dasz ich Eins und doppelt bin?

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832)

English:
In my garden’s care and favour
From the East this tree’s leaf shows
Secret sense for us to savour
And uplifts the one who knows.

Is it but one being single
Which as same itself divides?
Are there two which choose to mingle
So that each as one now hides?

As the answer to such question
I have found a sense that’s true:
Is it not my songs’ suggestion
That I’m one and also two?

Goethe wrote this poem after his visit to the Heidelberg Schlossgarten in 1815 and dedicated it to Marianne von Willemer.

Renowned for its romantic and picturesque cityscape, Heidelberg is home to the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, the oldest university in Germany. Almost every one in five people here is a student, making it one of the most student-friendly towns in Baden-Württemberg. In fact, students in Heidelberg are never bored because there is always so much going on.

If you are into sports, the university provides a wide range of activities and courses for free; if you enjoy partying and meeting new people, there are more than enough get-togethers for international and local students alike; if you’re a music lover like me, there are occasional free concerts held in the magnificent Alte Aula (old lecture hall) and festivals or markets with live music.

This is also one of the most visited tourist destinations in the federal state. Why? Just have a look at these pictures!