Heidelberg as a Base: Long Trails and Cycle Routes

Heidelberg is a small city with a lot nearby, so the useful way to think about a longer trip is a hub with spokes. You sleep in one place and travel out each day, or you leave on one of the regional long-distance routes that pass through the Neckar valley. This page sets out both options and what each one asks of you.

Option one: a hub stay of three to five nights

A hub stay needs no tour operator. Spend the first two days in town on the castle, the Old Town and the Philosophenweg, then use the remaining days for trips by train, bus and boat. Good candidates are Speyer for its Romanesque cathedral, Schwetzingen for its palace gardens and Neckarsteinach for its four castles, which you can reach by S-Bahn or on a Weisse Flotte cruise of about 1.5 hours each way.

The HeidelbergCARD helps here. A four-day card costs €40 for adults and €34 reduced, and a two-day card is €36 or €28. It covers buses, trams, RE, RB and S-Bahn trains across the whole VRN network in second class, so most of those trips cost nothing extra. The card also includes the castle ticket with funicular. See heidelberg-marketing.de for the full list.

Option two: the Neckarsteig on foot

The Neckarsteig is a marked long-distance trail from Heidelberg to Bad Wimpfen, around 127 km along the Neckar and through the Neckartal-Odenwald nature park. Most walkers split it into daily sections and stay in towns along the way, returning by train when they finish. The terrain rises and falls often, so plan shorter days than the distance suggests. Rooms and luggage moves are for you to arrange.

Option three: cycling the river

A cycle path follows the Neckar upstream from Heidelberg and passes the same castles and villages. It suits easy days with long lunch stops. Do not swim in the Neckar near Heidelberg, which is a working shipping channel with locks and weirs.

Option four: a driving route

The Burgenstrasse, a castle route, begins in this part of Germany. Drivers can follow it north and east across several states, stopping at towns and castles. It needs a car and your own bookings, and it passes through Heidelberg without making it the focus.

Timing and closures

  • The funicular has a yearly maintenance shutdown early in the year.
  • A closure is proposed from early October 2027 to the end of March 2028 for bridge works, with replacement buses. Check bergbahn-heidelberg.de before booking a winter stay.
  • Castle illuminations in 2027 take place on Saturday 10 July and Saturday 4 September, and rooms near the river fill early.

Read more: Heidelberg sightseeing and the five-day plan . To compare hotels, search Heidelberg stays on Booking.com .