In Heidelberg and around Heidelberg, in the summer semester 2025 Discover Germany
Lessons outside the classroom: Excursions of the German course Grundstufe 3B of the Kolleg für deutsche Sprache und Kultur
Excursions to the nearer surroundings of Heidelberg are popular learning opportunities to speak with each other authentically, to discover new things immersively and to learn sustainably. The Grundstufe 3 has the GER-level A2.2 – B1.1, so that we were able to do initial research with short original texts in German. The planning of the excursions was organized independently by the students in May. In June, thanks to the Deutschland-Ticket, we were able to travel cheaply to all locations. On site, the sights were presented by the responsible group in short presentations. Afterwards, writing workshops were held weekly in July, in which the students wrote down and revised their experiences using methods of creative writing. This is how these texts came into being. The project work thus prepares for independent, structured work at the university. Our special thanks go to Dr. Matthias Wermke, who brought us closer to his Weinheim with expert knowledge and lively stories.
Dr. Julia Campos, Kursleitung GS 3B
Thingstätte: Hidden in the woods
Do you want to visit the Heiligenberg? You can easily do that on foot. In April, we went on an excursion with the class to the Philosophenweg. The path is very well-known and you can also see a wonderful view of Heidelberg. The Philosophenweg is half an hour away from the Max-Weber-Haus and it is located in the forest, therefore it is fresh there. Along the way, you have the chance to see the river, the Old Town and the castle. The path goes through the forest, and you can see a lot of nature as well as sometimes animals. Once at the top, you have a great view of the city of Heidelberg. There are many places where you can take a break. You can see the Neckar and the Old Town. If you keep going, you will find the Thingstätte. This is an amphitheater in the middle of the forest.
The way there is quiet, and you can enjoy nature. The place is especially good for chilling. But my choice is either to have a picnic or to take photos with friends. The Thingstätte is famous for the parties on Walpurgis Night (April 30 / May 1) that used to be organized there. This amphitheater is very large and was built during the era of National Socialism, which also has something eerie about it. But today it is a quiet place where you can sit, think, or talk. It was cool and the air was fresh. On the way, we often took a break to take photos, drink something, or play a game. The path was green and quiet, you only hear birds and the wind in the trees. When we were at the top, we saw the city from above, the view was really great. If you have time, you can continue the path up to the Heiligenberg. You can visit the old buildings of the Michaelskloster and read some information about the Heiligenberg. This excursion takes at least 2 hours and you exchange experiences with each other.
I was surprised how beautiful this place is. I didn't think that something like this was located near our school, which we go to every day. I really enjoyed this excursion. This place is a bit special to me because I went there with my class and it was our first trip. It was exhausting, so we had no energy and felt tired, but we kept going anyway. I can only recommend a visit to the Thingstätte to everyone who likes to go for a walk, chill, or discover something new.
Esra
We liked the day a lot. We laughed together, took photos, and got to know each other better. We hope that you will organize an excursion via the Philosophenweg to either the Heiligenberg or the Thingstätte.
Aurora und Daria
Dilsberg: crossing borders
The return from Dilsberg gave me a nice feeling. It was like a gift. The feeling made my body light and my head calm, although I only felt it for a short time.
Tshering
Why was it a gift?
Dilsberg is a possible place for a hike for the students from the Max-Weber-Haus, because the journey to Neckarsteinach only takes fifteen minutes from the Heidelberg Altstadt train station, which is by the Max-Weber-Haus! In Neckarsteinach there are also wonderful sights. Our hike started with the viewing of the Alte Brücke. Later we went to the Dilsberg-Festung, which is not so far from the bridge.
What is so special about Dilsberg? It is located on the federal border between Baden-Württemberg and Hessen. Although we cannot see the border, we walk back from Hessen to Baden-Württemberg when we walk from the Neckarsteinach train station to the castle. After arriving at the castle fortress, we took a break in the courtyard. We enjoyed the view and the atmosphere in the middle of nature. Nevertheless, we felt tired because of the heat. Then we climbed the tower. The view changes as you ascend. From the old walls of the castle fortress to the green of nature. When we were on the fortress, we felt the majestic feeling. The panorama shows everything in green and there is a harmonious combination between nature and the buildings, how the river flows through the meadow or the valley, how the houses were built along the water, how the coniferous trees grow all the way up the mountain. In the end, we visited a cool cave. We were in paradise in hot weather when we went into the cool cave because we all felt refreshed. Although the passage of the cave was narrow and wet, it is a refuge from the heat. It was like a gift from God.
Po Fung and Nurislam
The hike was not over yet, but I had to return quickly because I have to be on time for my work. That's why I ran back before the whole group. I had to be at the train station at 12:40, otherwise I would have missed the S-Bahn. It was a crazy situation, because it was already 12:15 when I was still on the Dilsberg. Then I told myself that I can do it and it is not impossible. Actually it takes about an hour, but back only 15 minutes for me. It was madness that I reached the station 10 minutes earlier. I realized that I have to trust myself more. At 12:40 I got on the train and went to work. To be proud of myself is very rare, as life in the city is incredibly stressful. We are busy with our school and work all day, so we don't have more time to reflect and take care of ourselves. But in that moment I was proud because I had achieved the impossible. That's why it was like a gift.
Tshering
Historic heat in royal Speyer
In my post today, we're introducing you to our trip to Speyer, one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Germany. The Speyer Cathedral has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List for many years. In the cathedral, the atmosphere is very special; when you go inside, you can feel the historic air. First, we met at the Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof in the morning. Then we drove for an hour to Speyer. After that, we walked to the cathedral because the streets looked inviting. In that moment, I noticed I was in a different place. As I was thinking this, the sun shone in my eyes and I remembered that Hasan was wearing a warm jacket in this heat. How did he stay in that jacket? We had to laugh a little. Besides, you have to climb an eternally long staircase to get to the very top of the tower, which is like a workout, especially when you're wearing a winter jacket! It's very exhausting, but the panorama is worth it. From the tower, you have a beautiful view of the Rhine. It looks truly incredibly fascinating. From the tower, we also saw the whole city. That was a very beautiful experience.
Fatih and Zeynep
When I woke up, the weather was cool. That's why I took my jacket with me. After we arrived in Speyer, my fellow student explained why this city is so historically important. This city had a great atmosphere. While we were walking through the streets, we enjoyed the atmosphere. But the heat was very strong. It was a mistake to take the jacket with me. We took frequent breaks and stopped in every bit of shade. Finally, we arrived. It was cool in the church, which was good for all of us. The cathedral was really very impressive. It was built in the 11th century. We visited it. In the church, there are many royal tombs, and at the same time, it is a strong religious symbol. And we climbed the tower. The view was very impressive. We were 66 meters above the ground. That's why we could see the whole city.
Hasan
Another place we visited was the Altpörtel. It is one of the city gates. It was very interesting because it is called the highest gate, but to be honest, my expectations were not met; I had thought that it would be much higher. Instead, you can climb the tower of the cathedral and enjoy the beautiful and scary view. I said scary because it is actually very, very high. Then we returned to Heidelberg.
Zeynep
Prinzhorn Collection: Crazy, but for whom?
Visiting this collection made me search for the meaning of "crazy" and "normal," so I researched it on the internet. As a result, I engaged with many different ideas on the topic. I want to go a little more in-depth. This topic actually deals with individuality and the questioning of social norms and boundaries. There are a few art movements like Expressionism, Dadaism, and Art Brut that deal with the topic at hand. I have a few questions and would like you to answer them for yourself:
- What is actually "normal"?
- Is art both an expression of freedom and a mirror of society?
- "Crazy," but for whom?
- Is every picture considered art?
- Who decides that?
We will probably hear a lot of different answers. Overall, it can be said that there isn't just one single "normal" and the one truth. Lastly, I would like to give some basic information. The collection is located in Heidelberg, near the Altes Hallenbad stop. You can reach it on foot from Bismarckplatz and take bus 34 from the Max-Weber-Haus without changing. You can also use the tram or the bus to Bismarckplatz. The Sammlung Prinzhorn offers a different collection theme every six months. The current theme is the history of psychiatry. If you have the time and desire, I suggest you visit it sometime.
Muhammet
![ALOIS MARTY, ohne Titel [Psychiater als rauchender Affe hinter Gittern]](https://backend.isz.uni-heidelberg.de/sites/default/files/styles/img_free_aspect_0005/public/2025-09/prinzhorn-3.jpg?itok=0nYJN6dI)
Frankfurt: There and Away
Every Wednesday in June, we had planned a trip to a city near Heidelberg. I got up early and went to the main train station. I was alone there, but that was normal because most of my class lives in Mannheim. So I took a train to the city of our planned excursion: Frankfurt. When I was in Mannheim, I didn't see anyone from my class, but I thought that they were just in another part of the train. I was too tired and slept on the journey. But not only was our trip canceled, I also hadn't seen the message in WhatsApp! When I arrived in Frankfurt, I finally read the information, and I laughed a lot. I came to Frankfurt only to travel back again. But if we had gone there, we would have seen the opera, the tallest skyscrapers in Europe, old buildings like the Goethehaus and the Paulskirche, and the iron bridge.
Martin
Weinheim: Longing for the past
Do you love wine or history? If you answer yes, Weinheim is a good place for you. Weinheim is located north of Heidelberg. There are many interesting places, e.g. Burg Windeck, the Schlosspark and the Altstadt. You can visit not only a lot of nature, but also vineyards. Since we hadn't been to Weinheim yet, we don't know the city as well as Heidelberg. We needed a lot of information about Weinheim, so our lecturer gave us the contact of a Weinheim local. Her friend, who used to work as a lecturer at the Max-Weber-Haus, wrote to me via email about the sights. He said that our excursion would be a bit strenuous because it was going to be very hot. So we rescheduled it and then took the train to Weinheim a little earlier in the morning and met Mr. Wermke there. He was very nice and showed us his city.
Worth seeing is the Alte Zeder in the Schlosspark, which is a national heritage site. There we embraced the tree with our hands, made a video and photos. That was great fun for us. In the Altstadt you can see Fachwerkhäuser that have an old style. The Fachwerk reminds me of a Japanese village where there are many traditional houses with Fachwerk. The architectural style is different, but this method of construction used to be typical. To protect these buildings, they are renovated while people are living in them. I think it's great that the old houses still exist today and that you can see them. There are also many majestic buildings. Burg Windeck is a ruin that was built around 1100. From there you can have a beautiful view. I would like to say that Weinheim brings out an optimistic feeling in me. The wind touched my skin. I heard a song from the forest, yet it was quiet. The leaves fluttered to the earth, which is green. Truly, the view is like a beautiful picture, fascinating… It takes 30 minutes to walk to Burg Windeck from the Weinheim train station, or you can take a bus, but not to the summit. On the weekend there is a Biergarten where you can enjoy the view and drink beer. After the hike to the castle, there are many nice restaurants and cafés in the Altstadt where you can sit and relax. We wanted to spend more time with Mr. Wermke, but unfortunately we didn't have time to have a coffee in peace and had to go to the train station. From the Heidelberg train station, you can take the Regionalexpress train to Weinheim in about 20 minutes.
Noriko und Oezge
