European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Lively Oldcastle cobblestones  the Joy of lifes amps photos by Dave Didio by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer there is a famous German song whose refrain begins a i have lost my heart in Heidelberg tech Hab mein Herz in Heidelberg Verlores Quot. F a Over the centuries this Youthful ancient City on the Neckar River has claimed the hearts of untold thousands of visitors from students to Royalty. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Sang its praises in verse  Mark Twain rated it among the most Beautiful cities in  owes its huge popularity to several factors the pastoral Beauty of the Neckar Valley the baroque splendor of the City its vibrant Youthful atmosphere  the wealth of history  legend associated with it. Nineteen year old Margaret sepoy who has been in Heidelberg since january fell in love with its Quot Castle  but the aspect the student from Holland mich., likes Best about the City is its relaxed atmosphere. Quot i Don t feel intimidated by anything right away i got a comfortable feeling  her Friend Dominic Salpietra from Baton Rouge la., said what she finds most appealing is Quot it s a student  a but Heidelberg is More. It is a Mammoth tourist. Attraction that draws More than 3.5 million Day visitors each year  an additional 523,000 who stay at least one night according to Georg Umenhofer head of guest services at the Heidelberg tourist office. The combined figures Are nearly 30 times the population. But Don t let these figures deter you. This is one tourist City that has not been spoiled by the masses of visitors. If you stretch history a Little bit Heidelberg is a half /  old. At least that is the age of the Jawbone fragment found nearby in 1907. Palaeontologists called the find Heidelberg Man  classified it the oldest Fossil human remains found in Europe. Y the earliest known settlement in the area a celtic Village located across the River on the Hill called the Heidelberg Castle sits on a Bill overlooking the kor Markt Square part of the City s oldest Quarter. Heiligenberg has been dated to 400 . Later in the first Century , the area became a roman outpost. The City was not founded until much later probably around 1150. The earliest written historical evidence is a document from 1196 that refers to  in the Middle Ages it became the capital of the Semi. Autonomous Pfalz palatinate  the seat of the powerful Witt Elsbach dynasty. ,. War nearly obliterated Heidelberg twice. The first time was in 1622 during the thirty years War. But the worst devastation came in 1693 during the War of succession Over the Pfalz throne. French troops razed the town  blew up much of the Castle. Surprisingly the City came through world War ii largely unscathed. In the 18th  19th centuries Heidelberg became a major Center of the romantic movement in music a painting  literature. In America Twain s Book of travel sketches a tramp abroad published after he spent the summer of 1878 in the City disseminated a humorous but admiring picture of Heidelberg that prompted an increase in american tourists. The tourist office s Umenhofer said one Story claims that after the Book was published so Many americans wanted to stay in the room Twain had leu pied no. 38 a in the former Schloss hotel that the hotel Felt obliged to put a no. 38 on every floor. A. A a a a because of the destruction wrought in the 17th Century the Quot old town Quot of Heidelberg today is a relative teen Ager by German standards. Most of the buildings Date Only to the 18th  19th centuries. There is. Practically none of the typical half timbered  White stucco medieval construction found in Many German  s. Heidelberg s predominantly baroque a architecture is More colourful  ornate less severe than the styles of the Middle Ages. Facades Are a palette of pastels Pale Green yellow Pink  of the oldest buildings in town the.  was built in the 15.th Century. The nearby hotel Ritter a originally the Home of a wealthy merchant a dates to 1592  was one of Only a. Handful of non religious buildings to survive the. Destruction by the French. There Are two landmarks that have shaped Heidelberg s identity More than any others. The first is the Castle the centuries old fortress  Royal mansion \ whose shattered Hulk looms above the old town. The second is the University the oldest in Germany. ,. The romantic old Castle May be the City s most visible aspect the  shows to the pubic Tabut the University. Is its heart throbbing with Youthful vitality despite being More than 600 years old it. Was founded in 1 386. Over the centuries the University s fortunes have parallel those of the City. In the Best times it has been a Center of continued on Tage 12 10 stripes Magazine. March 21, 1991