Heidelberg
by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers and Stillman Rogers
Nestled in the German countryside, Heidelberg is an Old World city with a decidedly cerebral twist.
Mark Twain was enchanted by Heidelberg, Goethe fell in love here, and composer Sigmund Romberg chose it as the setting for his much-loved operetta The Student Prince. Allied forces spared it during bombing raids and, after World War II, chose it as the location of the U.S. command headquarters, USAREUR. This combination of visitors (and in the case of the bombers, non-visitors) and romantic fancy has made Heidelberg almost a legend, vying with Munich as the most popular German destination for American travelers.
First-time visitors still fall quickly under the spell of this atmospheric old city, just as writers, the fictional prince and post-war GIs did. Today, international meetings and conventions fill the hallowed halls of Heidelberg’s university during the summer, creating new waves of devotees to spread its fame.
