The Heidelberg Tourists Miss! Rediscovering Germany's Long Forgotten Hidden Gems.

[@Panda-Berry]

I live in Heidelberg and it's truly the most beautiful place, I love it with all my heart. I appreciate it so much that I can live here and write poems while sitting at the castle by night enjoying the view. My brother also got married at one of the castles!

[@NearFromHome]

that is amazing. I am very jealous :O

[@ileana8360]

I took Heidelberg of my bucket list, as I´ve already been there (almost went to university there) and because it is quite touristy. But now it is back on, due to these hidden spots, which I can easily enjoy together with my two little dogs. I almost can imagine me having a little picknick at one of the castles, enjoying the silence and the view, whilst my dogs are running around and having fun before taking a sunbath.

[@NearFromHome]

That’s what Near From Home is all about! No matter how close you are to something touristy, there are hidden gems mere minutes away. It’s a philosophy we’ve stuck to for a decade now and it’s never been wrong. Not once :) The problem, if I may, is that travel content isn’t incentivised to create it, so it doesn’t get made, which is exactly what we want to help fix even if it holds up back and slows our growth. So I hope you stick around and check out our different series too, because no matter where we go we always try to find more than is expected.

[@aislingbooks]

This is why I'm subscribing to you. My sons grandmother has Heidelberg as her birth town, but I believe she was raised in one of the surrounding villages and this tour of yours is beautiful to see. I also live in the Netherlands and when abroad people ask and say, oh, Amsterdam. No, not Amsterdam - LOL

[@janesteinkuehler4450]

Your killing me! I'm planning a 10 day trip in June and every time you post I want to change the trip. I have been using your videos to frame the trip, and sharing them with my boys ( 20 & 17) to have them help with the itinerary. You two are amazing guides but you have given me tooooo much. What a wonderful problem to have. Thank you!

[@NearFromHome]

Hahah thank you so much! We were just saying today that there is just not enough time to see everything in Germany. If you need help, we offer itinerary consultations! www.thatch.co/guide/2f8vrmaf0az7f/view

[@TheDjcarlos67]

I’ve been doing the same😅

[@staciwrede8389]

It's the little, unknown villages and out-of-the-way places that leave us with the best memories. Shame that the algorithms push the same old locations and contribute to over-tourism to the point that you can no longer experience those places without a crushing amount of people. Thanks for the great content!

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! You have hit the nail on the head!

[@meliamurray46]

We will be leaving to travel to Germany for the first time in 3 days. Your videos have been instrumental in helping us come up with itinerary plans and updates. This video came at the perfect time. We were still debating what to do with our time in Heidelberg, and this has given us some great ideas. Thank you!

[@NearFromHome]

Glad to have helped! Heidelberg isn't very big, so I think you could finish most of the main activities in a day.

[@arnodobler1096]

Welcome to Germany Have fun

[@arabellalivia3891]

that was utterly lovely. THANKS

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! That really means a lot!!

[@paulawhite2429]

Thanks! Very much enjoy your smaller unique festivals and off the beaten path places. We plan on retiring soon and slow traveling and we will definitely keep your videos in our back pocket.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! That sounds awesome.

[@lindyfranklin7472]

Thanks! Helped me figure out how to spend our two short days there. Thanks again!

[@NearFromHome]

Wow thank you so much!! 🥰

[@matthewford5747]

I had a very similar plan a few months back, but after hiking up the hill, I found I needed to split it up and go back for the others at a later time. Fortunately, I live in the area, so it's not a case of needing to squeeze it all in at once. Nice work!

[@NearFromHome]

Probably the way to go if you live there! I am pretty jealous of how many castles you have in the area.

[@TheGreg7664]

Very well done!! Excellent video

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much!

[@arnodobler1096]

Great Video I'm excited to see how you liked the Maultaschen!

[@NearFromHome]

Stay tuned! lol Apparently it's not Maultaschen. It's like a Baden-Württemberg version of Maultaschen, so *very* different hahaa

[@arnodobler1096]

@@NearFromHome Maultaschen are from Baden-Württemberg, not from Bavaria🤣

[@NearFromHome]

lolol well thenI have no idea. I haven't started researching for the food video. we shall see@@arnodobler1096

[@arnodobler1096]

@@NearFromHome They most likely come from Maulbronn Monastery, hence MAULtaschen. Meat used to be forbidden on Fridays and during Lent, so the monks hid the meat. That's why they're also called "Herrgottsbscheißerle" (God deceivers).🤣

[@NearFromHome]

ohhhhhh That's hilarious

[@domaniac9119]

I've spent New Year's Eve at Dilsberg (one of my best friends used to live there) and one memorable Walpurgis' Night at the Hinterburg, aka the Swallows' Nest, with a bonfire and lots of Black Metal. It's really nice to live here 😀 The sheer amount of castles is insane. Travelling through the Neckar valley, you really can't throw a stone without hitting one, but also travelling northwards from Heidelberg along the Bergstraße, where the hills meet the Rhine plain you can find plenty. My favourite one there is Schloss Auerbach, about a half hour's drive from Heidelberg in Bensheim, which has a huge tree growing out of the stonework.

[@NearFromHome]

omg that sounds SO cool. We really love all the castles

[@stevenneidert8019]

Wow that was a great video! I cant believe how peaceful it was compared to busy Heidelberg. Its a true hidden gem. Take care!

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks! It's really fantastic

[@chriscocozzo865]

Excellent video! 4 castles, I can't wait to see them in person.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! Hope you have a nice time.

[@jasper4331]

Nice videos with some great tips, thanks!

[@NearFromHome]

thanks!

[@michaelhepner2910]

I can't believe I didn't know about your channel. I am from Gräfenhausen. My dad was in the air force and was stationed at Rhein Main AFB. We lived in the tiny village instead of living on base. We loved Germany. Your video cause me to yearn to go back. I am 63 years old. So, I don't know if my health will let me ever go back. But, I dream of returning one more time. I have only just found your channel, so I am not sure if you have already traveled up to Rheinland. We lived close to Frankenstein Castle (10 minutes away) which was my forst castle to ever tour (back when i was 10 years old. Also, Oppenheim am Rhein was a neat town to visit. I have also great times staying in Gutenfels Castle and Burg Liebenstein. Rheinfels castle was great. Was very very large. Our favorite castle to a stay in was Rheinstein. If you havent already been to that region (near Rudesheim) please consider making a trip up there. Die Lorelei is also interesting. I have really enjoyed your videos so far. Looking forwarded to watching more of your videos this holiday weekend. I sent you a thank you gift. Thank you.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much for watching! It sounds like you had a really wonderful childhood in Germany and your family made the most of it. We will check all of those places out when we eventually get back out to the Rhineland. It is kinda hard to get out there, because it's a three hour train ride, so we have to plan a lot and book hotels.We're hoping to make another trip happen this summer! I hope you are able to get back out to Germany!

[@chrysvest4746]

Headed to Germany in two weeks. This is just the sort of thing I want to see!

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! :D

[@schale8051]

Just came across your videos for the first time. I never thought I'd see Neckarsteinach of all places on youtube. Makes me so happy. I used to live there for 15 years and went to school and university in Heidelberg. Still work in Heidelberg, but it's been quite some time since I visited my old home. Now I really wanna go for a hike. Neckarsteinach is honestly such a gem, but even locally, surprisingly few people know it. Also, fun fact, Burg Schadeck is locally known as "Schwalbennest", which means swallow nest, because of the way it nestles into the hill.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! Glad to hear it. What a cool place to have lived. We really try to show places that aren't typically shown on YT! :) What a great name for that castle

[@yashprajapati4176]

amazing video sir, you deserve more

[@agmarshman]

Can't wait to check out these hikes this summer! Thanks for recommending them. I would have never known about them otherwise.

[@NearFromHome]

Awesome! Glad to have helped.The hikes are really great!

[@agmarshman]

We did the castle hikes! Thanks again! The kids had a blast!

[@volkerbauer1974]

I've only been to Heidelberg on an afternoon-stop-over and I quite liked it not enough though for a week's holiday. Now that I have seen this video on all the lovely castles, I really have to come back for a longer period of time, absolutely amazing. I love history very much, especially castle, as they are history you can touch. The area above Regensburg where I grew up, called Oberpfalz, has many castles and castle ruins. When I was a kid, we always used to go castle-spotting with my family. So seeing castles takes me right back into my choldhood. It would be so great, if you could do a series on the castles of the Oberpfalz one day.

[@cherylcronk1786]

I love the fact that you dislike those metal grates for stairs.Its not a nice feeling.

[@NearFromHome]

hahah it truly is not!

[@brettspieleiq2384]

You missed out on entering the well tunnel at Dilsberg castle. It's only possible in summer as there are bats hibernating in the tunnel, therefore it closes by the end of September and only opens in May, I think. That's also really worth it - and way better for people with vertigo (I'm struggeling with that as well) - less for those with claustrophobia, though ;-).

[@NearFromHome]

Ah we went in October. Will check it out next time! We definitely want to return with family. The heights will be....interesting.

[@brettspieleiq2384]

@@NearFromHome There are some more hidden gems in the area. Only a few kilometers further up the Neckar vally from Neckarsteinach, there is another place with a really impressive castle - Hirschhorn. There is a very scenic trail from its old town up to the castle - no seethrough gates, but still a nice challenge for vertigo ;-), and it has nice views, too. And you have passed through Neckargemünd on your way to Neckarsteinach. Even many locals don't know that it also has a castle ruin named Reichenstein. It has alread been a ruin for more than 600 years, so no high towers or walls left, but still an impressive site.

[@tartthetree1993]

No one has mentioned, you can take a 1 hour boat ride up the Neckar from Heidelberg to Neckarsteinach (it also stops in Neckargemund). It has some great views, drinks, and facts about the region in german and english. You also go through two of those river locks. 👍

[@NearFromHome]

The way I see it, rolling by in a boat and getting out, hiking in it, and experiencing it are two different things. I spoke to some people on the boats but none that I met stayed around or interacted with anything. So when I say no one is mentioning it, I mean I don’t see anyone mentioning it as an actual trip you can do versus a there and back boat you sit in. Idk. I view those as very different.

[@GreatCityAttractions]

Lovely video - a great city.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much!

[@GreatCityAttractions]

you're welcome @@NearFromHome

[@Alcarinqu]

Thats what i like about Germany (and most of Europe): There are so many beautiful little historical villages and towns with castles, ruins and a fascinating history nearly everywhere you go. But most tourists just end up visiting the big cities which are soooo boring in comparison.

[@NearFromHome]

That’s why Near From Home is here, to help show hoe close these hidden gems really are and show you how to get there!

[@garyroberts3859]

Good video as was your Hiedelburg video. Question…Can you get to the last two ruined castles by taxi from Heidelberg or from the train station you went too.

[@NearFromHome]

Unfortunately no! It's a dirt walking path off the main road through Neckarsteinach.

[@rodgerraubach2753]

I've watched all of your Heidelberg videos, and they remind me of my days whilst in the US Army in Mannheim. You might want to include a visit to Hirschhorn in the future, as it was available by means of a scenic but short trip by boat back "in the day." I recall making this cruise with a couple of my Army buds and we stopped there and had a beer at the restaurant terrace prior to returning a couple hours later back to Heidelberg.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much for watching! Will add it to the list!

[@fight4thebad742]

It is nice ..I work the back and flowers since 2010 till present

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks! That's so cool!

[@theworldismyplayground8188]

What’s the name of the quaint pastry shop where you bought Bobbes?🙂 the name in the signage does not seem to appear on google maps.

[@NearFromHome]

It's not on google maps, but it is across the street from Zur Sonne. It's in the really cute yellow building with ivy!

[@theworldismyplayground8188]

@@NearFromHome Thanks a lot. Your videos have really been helpful in planning my trips to Bavaria. I’m excited to got there in August.🙂

[@Spidermax-je1ou]

welcome to my home area ;D where assasins get trained

[@NearFromHome]

lol

[@derekcontreras7494]

You can do it🍻

[@NearFromHome]

Thank you!

[@paulvalentine1483]

AN historian! Jesus... I'll be there in September.

[@NearFromHome]

AN historian what?

[@sbsh7130]

Your videos continue to ruin my life since I have to keep adjusting our itinerary every time I watch another one. You two make it all look too good, and the American in me is confused by the relatively short distances between every city and village.

[@NearFromHome]

Something good is only ever 1 good days walking distance away! I’m glad you liked this video, it’s one of my favourites honestly. And apologies with flooding you with recommendations but that’s the point! My personal philosophy with travel and especially over tourism is that it’s the fault of the travel industry for being so boring and predictable. The planet is huge and I can find more than enough great things in Bavaria that even I can’t do them all. So there is no excuse for people to keep visiting the same 5 trip advisor places over and over again when there is so much more to explore. To fix that, I’ve always wanted to just flood the market with so many suggestions that over tourism isn’t possible!! :) I’ve been thinking of making a video about that, since I just don’t see a lot of other travel guides diving deep. People find broad content and country counting flashy and irresistible, so those channels grow far quicker than me, but it’s all so repetitive. That’s why I love this video :) - btw Mark Twain also loved Neckarsteinach and visited Dilsberg just like we did and loved it all the same. So I’d recommend reading some chapters from A Tramp Abroad before visiting. I wish I’d known that before I filmed the video.

[@sbsh7130]

@@NearFromHome why did you say that? Now I'm going to have to wrestle my travel partners into submission on this one. They'll thank me later 🤣🤣

[@NearFromHome]

@@sbsh7130 yeah I was just reading the book on a whim for inspiration for travelling the Black Forest and the boom, turned the page to “The Deadly Jest of Dilsberg” and I almost fell out of my chair.

[@freyjav6055]

I live in Heidelberg and just went to two of these castles a few weeks ago. I was absolutely blown away by how truly beautiful it was there, and how EMPTY the area was (only saw maybe 2 or 3 tourists haha). Great video and FANTASTIC footage.

[@NearFromHome]

Wow thanks so much! Glad you like the video and were able to visit! We really want to return and see more castle ruins. If you look on google maps, they are all over!

[@freyjav6055]

@@NearFromHome Of course!! Definitely come back and explore, as like you said, they're everywhere here! It's crazy how many are in this area, I love it! So much to still explore haha 😄