Sunday, June 7, 2015

24 jam di Heidelberg - Part1


Post sebelum ni yang sepakej untuk trip Spring 2015
Western Europe 2015-Intro  Netherlands - Intro   
Netherlands - Part1- Keukenhof & Haarlem   
Netherlands - Part2 - Amsterdam city   
Germany-Intro
Germany-The Journey


Kitaorang pilih Heidelberg sebab nak tengok castle dan di tambah juga dia terletak di antara Amsterdam dan Munich.  Walaupun ada beberapa bandar lain lagi yang juga terletak di antara 2 bandar besar ni, tapi Heidelberg paling memanggil.

Sebagaimana yang aku tulis di post yang lepas, Heidelberg di sohorkan sebagai bandar tercantik di Germany.  Sebelum pergi aku agak skeptikal memandangkan dari research, aku nampak bandarnya kecil dan agak terpencil. Perjalanan train dari Amsterdam ke Heildeberg (termasuk 1/2 jam transit di Dusseldorf) ambik masa dalam 6 1/2 jam.  Bertolak dari amsterdam pukul 8 a.m dan sampai hampir pukul 3 p.m.  Selesai check-in, lunch, mandi dan berehat dalam sejam, kitaorang keluar menuju ke destinasi pertama.  



1. Heildelberg castle

Atas nasihat dari tourism centre ( lokasi tourism centre lebih kurang 20m dari main train station, Heidelberg Hbf dan 30m dari hotel kitaorang tinggal ), kitaorang ambik bas #33 (atau #32) ke Bismarkplatz yang jugak di kenali old city area. Bas berhenti tak jauh dari entrance masuk ke area castle.  Admission fee ialah €6.

The Castle ticket includes admission to the Castle courtyard, the barrel cellar and the German Pharmacy Museum, and the ticket for the funicular (round trip from the lower station to the station "Molkenkur" with stopover at Heidelberg Castle) is included! 

TIPP: It is even easier with the Heidelberg card – where the castle ticket is already included! On top you can use public transport for free and you get several special deals for guided tours, museums, leisure activities, restaurants and shopping  - sumber  www.heidelberg-marketing.com

Keluar dari funicular station Molkenkur, ada satu perkampungan kecik di luar pagar castle.  Bagi yang berhajat nak makan at area sini, ada beberapa restoran kat atas sini.  Tapi agak aku, kena order vegetarian atau seafood lah.


Sejarah ringkas Heidelberg Castle

The rich and eventful history of Heidelberg Palace began when the counts palatine of the Rhine, – later prince electors – established their residence at Heidelberg. First mentioned in 1225, this was destined to become one of the grandest palaces of the Renaissance.

Until the Thirty Years’ War, Heidelberg Palace boasted one of the most notable ensembles of buildings in the Holy Roman Empire. In brisk succession, the prince electors commissioned a series of imposing constructions: Gläserner Saalbau, Ottheinrichsbau, Friedrichsbau and Englischer Bau. Each one is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. Their magnificent façades create a resplendent frame for the courtyard.

In the late 17th century, the palace was repeatedly attacked and ultimately destroyed by the French in the War of the Grand Alliance. These catastrophic events are commemorated in a spectacular fireworks display, held several times each year. In 1764, after some makeshift repairs, the battered palace was heavily damaged again: this time by the forces of Nature, in the form of two devastating lightning strikes. The once-proud residence caught fire – and was left in ruins.

The 19th century brought a new wave of admiration: a sight both terrible and beautiful, the ruins epitomised the spirit of the Romantic movement. Heidelberg Palace was elevated to a national monument. The imposing edifice and its famous garden, the Hortus Palatinus, became shrouded in myth. The garden, the last work commissioned by the prince electors, was never completed. Some remaining landscaped terraces and other vestiges hint at the awe-inspiring scale of this ambitious project. In the 17th century, it was celebrated as the “eighth wonder of the world”. While time has taken its toll, Heidelberg Palace’s fame lives on to this day. 

Sumber: website rasmi Heidelberg Castle; schloss-heidelberg 


 The funicular tunnel

 Exit ke castle


 Pintu gerbang menuju ke castle


Bahagian paling luar.  Banyak dah rosak dan sesetengahnya dalam proses pembaikpulih


 Friedrichbau building (depan)

Friedrichbau building (belakang)

 Pangkin kosong & sebuah tingkap

The Ottheinrich Building

Nowadays, the Imperial Hall and Herrensaal (Knights' Hall) in the Ottheinrich Building are used mainly for exhibitions and events. The German Pharmacy Museum has been housed in the basement since 1958.  

Aku tak sempat nak masuk ke dalam exhibition hall sebab dah petang dan dia orang dah tutup hall tu

 Satu dari banyak sculpture pembesar-pembesar Heidelberg yang di ukir sekitar kurun ke17


Since hari dah petang sangat, kitaorang tak dapat masuk ke dalam  castle. Cukup sekadar berlegar-legar di sekitar istana.  Kitaorang ada terjumpa satu Malaysian kat sini.  Sempat berborak panjang.  Katanya dia datang ke German atas urusan kerja dan ambik kesempatan jalan-jalan ke Heidelberg.  Dia suggest aku ke Berlin kalau ada masa.  Insyaallah next time.  Thank you bro.. terasa seronok dapat jumpa orang Malaysia.

 Scenery dari Heidelberg castle. The old city; Altstad dari istana

 ** Tips; Kalau nak ambik gambar cantik Altstad dari castle, aku rasa baik datang pagi sebab masa tu matahari duduk di belakang kita.  Kes aku, aku berdepan matahari dan silau sangat. Gambar jadi terkurang cantik sikit.   Tetapi kalau nak ambik gambar castle dari Altstad, lebih elok petang sebab bila petang kita akan membelakangkan matahari. 



2. Marktplatz


Turun dari Heidelberg castle, kitaorang merayau di area Marktplatz.  Marktplatz area sangat happenning sebab ada banyak restoran, bar dan shoplots.  Orang German dan beer tak dapat di pisahkan, so kat mana-mana boleh nampak orang minum alkohol.  


 Kedai souvenier kat Marktplatz.  Aku nampak harga souvenier kat sini agak ok.  
Aku tak beli.  Kes malas nak angkut bawak balik.




 Kat celah manapun boleh tengok orang lepak sambil minum


 Marktplatz. 


Bangunan ni ialah Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) yang 
dibina antara tahun 1344 to 1544. Ia jugak merupakan tempat burial 
55 Prince Electors.  Seram jugak aku bila baca sejarahnya. 
(Photo credit; CK)


3. Altstad

Dari Marktplatz,kitaorang berjalan ke Altstad (old city). Aku sebenarnya tak tahu mana border antara Marktplatz dengan Altstad sebab jaraknya cuma sepelaung je.    


The oldest part of the city, the Altstadt sits just below the Schloss. It extends along the river for a mile, with Karlstor on one end, and Bismarckplatz on the other. In between, is a wonderful combination of old and new buildings, narrow streets, market squares, arts, history, science, shopping, eating and relaxing.

Stuktur yang paling penting dan maybe most visited stucture di Altstad adalah old bridge atau alte brucke.
 Alte Brucke yang merentasi sungai Neckar

Sedikit sejarah Alte Brucke:
Built of Neckar valley sandstone in the 18th century by Prince Karl Theodor, the famous Old Bridge (Alte Brücke) is one of the last large examples of classical stone bridge building. It links the old town to the banks of the Neckar at the eastern end of the Neuenheim district. The precursors of today's Old Bridge were all made of wood. As they were continually being destroyed by wars and floods, Prince Karl Theodor ordered the construction of a stone bridge across the river (1786-1788). On the city side is the medieval Bridge Gate, part of the former city wall. 
- sumber: www.heidelberg-marketing.com

Sculpture Prince Elector Carl Theodor, orang yang bertanggungjawab dalam binaan Alte Brucke



Tapi yang paling menarik hati aku ialah pemandangan dari Alte Brucke.  Tak jemu mata memandang.  Yang pasti, Heidelberg memang cantik sepertimana disohorkan.

Scenery dari Alte Brucke

 Heidelberg castle (schloss) dari Alte Brucke.

Satu lagi sculpture yang terkenal di sini ilah Heidelberg bridge monkey.  Aku tertarik bila baca sejarah kewujudan dia.



Sejarah bridge monkey:
West of the Bridge Gate, the Heidelberg Bridge Monkey now holds a mirror up to those who look at it. The bronze sculpture by Professor Gernot Rumpf was installed there in 1979. But there was a bridge monkey in Heidelberg as far back as the 15th century. Old drawings of the town show it next to the tower on the north end of the Old Bridge. It disappeared during the Palatinate War of Succession (1689/93) however.
The legend surrounding this curious statue tells us that it symbolizes the fact that neither the city-dwellers nor the people who lived outside the city were better than the other, and that they should look over their shoulder as they cross the bridge to remember this.

- sumber: www.heidelberg-marketing.com


Dari Alstad, kitaorang bergerak balik ke Marktplatz untuk naik bas balik ke hotel.  Niat asal nak tengok sunset di Philosopher's Walk tapi kaki dah menolak walaupun hati masih nak.  Terpaksa mengikut kata kaki untuk balik hotel dan call it a day.  Philosopher's Walk adalah taman botanic di atas bukit setentang dengan Heidelberg castle dan disohorkan tempat yang sangat cantik untuk enjoy scenery sungai Neckar.

Kitaorang kemudiannya tersalah naik bas (sebenarnya naik bas yang betul tapi ternaik hala yang salah) yang membawa kitaorang ke residential area.  Aku redho aje sementelahnya lagi di bawa ke tempat yang cantik nun diatas bukit.  Di penghujung route, kitaorang terpaksa naik bas lain untuk balik ke hotel dan aku sempat menikmati sisa-sisa sunset di sini. 



Malamnya kitaorang pengsan.  Masing-masing tidur macam kayu sebab keletihan. 

To be continued.. 





 

2 comments:

  1. bestnya layan sunset atas tu. time sy pegi dulu hujan! arghhh!

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    1. Nasib masing-masingkan John: Kitaorang ada gak terkena hujan kat tempat lain. Kat Heidelberg cuaca elok, kamera lah pulak buat hal. Kalau perasan kat sesengah gambar nampak patchy kat tengah2. Problem in between lense dengan filter.

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