Philosophenweg

Name: Philosophenweg
Address: -, Heidelberg Baden Wurttemberg, Heidelberg, DE

Hiking ·Heidelberg

4.61.8K

#1Hiking in GermanyTravelers' Choice 2025

Ideal for couples

Make a plan here

Directions Bookmark

About

Philosophenweg is a roughly two-kilometre hillside path in Heidelberg, Germany, climbing from Neuenheim towards Heiligenberg.

Why go

The regular path looks out over Heidelberg’s city and castle.
An Eichendorff bust stands on a garden platform, with a poem engraved on its pedestal.
The Hölderlinstein at the eastern end commemorates the poet’s Heidelberg-Ode.

The trail

Upper route: The upper route runs farther uphill through woodland; the regular path has better views of the city and castle.

What you see

Heidelberg’s oldest quarter.

Photo spots

Merian engraving siteThe site of the Merian engraving is along the path.Along Philosophenweg.

History

One account links the name Philosophenweg to poets and thinkers in Heidelberg in the early 19th century. Another attributes it to students who used the path for romantic walks and private meetings.

early 19th centuryThe name Philosophenweg became associated with poets and thinkers including Hölderlin, Eichendorff and Scheffel in Heidelberg.
1993A memorial stone was installed in the Hölderlin-Anlage for the former Engelskirche in the abandoned settlement of Dagersbach.

How to get there

On footThe entrance from Neuenheim is signposted but inconspicuous and can be difficult to find.
On footFrom the Alte Brücke, the Schlangenweg zigzags uphill, partly by stairs.

Shorts

Sources: Philosophenweg (Heidelberg) - Wikipedia · Heidelberg - Wikivoyage (see) · checked 24 Sep 2026

Where

-, Heidelberg Baden Wurttemberg

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

Did Eichendorff study in Heidelberg?

Yes. He studied in Heidelberg for several months.

What is on the Eichendorff bust’s pedestal?

One of Eichendorff’s poems is engraved on the pedestal.

What does the Hölderlinstein commemorate?

It commemorates Hölderlin’s Heidelberg-Ode.

How invme works

See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.

Join free

Reviews on invme

Comment Share