Forgive My American

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With my first official post I would like to introduce you to the city I call home. Heidelberg is situated in a valley along the Neckar river in the state of Baden-Wurtemberg. It is quite a small city covering about 42 sq. mi with a population of around 140,000. The city is very rich in history and can trace its roots as far back as the 5th century BC. Beautiful to an almost disgusting degree, Heidelberg has become one of the most visited cities in Europe. On any given day downtown, you can be sure that about 70% of the people are not from around here. This is a bit of a nuisance at times to us locals, but tourism is what this place survives on. I enjoy the fact that I am in numerous photo albums of Asian tourists due to the fact that I long ago stopped waiting for people creating memories.

Heidelberg is also the home of Ruprecht Karls University, more commonly known as the University of Heidelberg. It is the oldest univeristy in Germany and has become very international with over 20% of its student body coming from foreign countries.

A good friend of mine came here almost three years ago for a short visit and found she just couldn’t leave. This is a story that you will hear repeated often here as Heidelberg has the eerie ability to make people stay. Ich Hab’ Mein Herz in Heidelberg Verloren (I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg) is a famous song that every Heidelberger knows, and every tourist will. The city has now become an international meeting ground and the official language has unofficially changed to English. I don’t know of many other places where you can meet people from so many different places and backgrounds. This cultural diversity really brings this city to life and is what I think makes Heidelberg unique and unforgettable. Should you ever visit, be sure to get into contact with me and I will be glad to share some tips and maybe even show you around. This was just a short introduction that you hopefully enjoyed. I will continue to post articles on sites and events  in the Rhein Necker region.