Pegontheroad

I haven't been back to Heidelberg for 6 years, and I'm wondering if it's still as touristy as it was the last time I was there in 2006

. In 2011, the U.S. Army was scheduled to depart from its installations, the Headquarters of U.S. Army Europe, Patton Barracks, and the housing areas, Mark Twain Village and Patrick Henry Village. The American presence was huge in Heidelberg before 2011.

I've been wondering if this move has lessened the impact of tourism on the city. I lived on post in the late 60's, and the city was a real German city, with streetcar tracks in the middle of the Hauptstrasse and real stores on the street.

The last time I visited, it had become overrun with tourists. Okay, so I am a tourist, too, but still...it had lost much of its charm.

I'll give an example. I went into a store that sold prints. In the 60's I'd found an ink drawing by Picasso of the head of Pan. The paper had yellowed a bit and I wanted to see if I could find another copy of the piece. This was some time in the late 1990's. I wanted to see if this was the same store from which I'd originally brought the drawing, so I asked the clerk how long the store had been there. He said, "200 years."

I was impressed.

But when I returned to Heidelberg in 2006, the store was gone, replaced by some Hagen Das or Texas barbecue.

Anyway, I'm wondering if Heidelberg is a little less Americanized now that the Ami's are gone.

azzure

This is interesting to me because we will be visiting with my friend's family near Karlsruhe (Herxheim) for two days before heading off to Munich. I researched the area a little bit; it looked like BadenBaden and some other Black Forest sites would be interesting. However, my friend's brother (who will be our chauffeur for those two days) has suggested Heidelberg! I certainly hope it's not full of Starbucks and Hagen Daz, as you say. This is my first trip to Germany.

I really would like to visit Burg Eltz, but since the brother is driving, I guess we will go where he wants to take us.

LSky

6 years isn't long enough to get rid of the chains Peg. BTW, what makes you think that the "Ami's" are gone. You're going to be there. Tourists are tourists.

dreamon

We were there last September for four nights and I didn't come away with an impression of lots of American voices. Yes, there were lots of tourists and yes, there was more than the usual sprinkle of eat and run places (one of which had the best pastries we ate while there) but it didn't seem to have as many tourists as you'd find in other famous cities.

We were the tourists and we enjoyed ourselves. Not breaking my neck to go back there (I didn't like German food) but a very pleasant stay and plenty to see and do for us.