social event

Heidelberg, approx. 60 kilometers north of Karlsruhe, is among the most famous German cities. Due to fortunate circumstances, Heidelberg survived World War II completely undamaged. It thus still preserves the atmosphere of the past times with its small alleys and richly decorated houses. Heidelberg's university, founded in 1386, is well renowned both for the humanities and the natural sciences. Today, many of the 100.000 inhabitants of the city work in the various companies that were attracted by the scientific culture of Heidelberg.

The social event tour will take you from the conference venue in Karlsruhe to Heidelberg. After about 40 min you will leave the bus on the mountainside above the old city, right next to the Heidelberg castle. Having once been the residence of the local dukes of the Palatinate region of Germany, the castle was destroyed in the French-Palatinate war in the early 1690s. Although, it has partly been reconstructed afterwards, Heidelberg never regained its political power.

Experienced guides will lead you through the castle and its gardens and explain the castle's history. You will see the giant barrel and learn about the famous court jester Perkeo. After approximately 45 minutes the guides take you down the hill into the old city center of Heidelberg. You pass some of the beautiful villas that once belonged to the rich and nobel of Heidelberg. You see the market square and enter the quarter of the more ordinary citizens of Heidelberg with its narrow alleys. After a total time of about 1 hour 20 minutes you will reach the town hall where the dinner takes place. - For those who do not want to take the whole tour, buses are ready to directly bring you from the castle to the town hall. There is also a late bus that runs directly from Karlsruhe to the dinner.

The dinner is a buffet with various starters and main dishes, including fish and vegetarian choices. The dinner is completed by a selection of fruits, sweets, and cakes with coffee or tea. The buses back leave Heidelberg at about 10pm. So you can expect to be back in Karlsruhe by 11pm.