Alte Brucke (Old Bridge), Heidelberg (must see)

The Old Bridge spans the Neckar River, linking the Old Town with the newer eastern part of the city. Although built in 1788, it is actually one of Heidelberg's newer structures. Historically, there have been eight bridges in this location, with the current one constructed on the foundations of its predecessors. When the Theodor Heuss Bridge was built in 1877, this became known as the "Old Bridge".

The first bridge at this site was built by the Romans in the 1st century, but it collapsed, and it took nearly 1000 years to replace it. A new crossing was constructed in the 13th century when Heidelberg was founded, aligning with its present location near the marketplace. Goethe hailed its beauty as "not equalled by any other in the world", and it certainly provides a classic vista.

In the early days, the Old Bridge marked the border with the Electorate of Mainz and was part of the city's defenses. Several of its early versions were destroyed by ice floes; the seventh survived the Thirty Years' War but was destroyed during the Nine Years' War. The current nine-arch bridge, built with distinctive red sandstone, was completed thereafter, featuring an ancient gate, two towers, and statues of Prince Karl-Theodor and Minerva. During the Second World War, three of its arches were destroyed, and had to be rebuilt.

A monkey statue has been a part of the bridge since the 15th century and remains a tourist attraction. The original statue disappeared during the Nine Years' War and was later replaced; the current one depicts a monkey holding a mirror in one hand. Tourists often place their heads inside the monkey's head, rub the monkey's mirror for luck, and touch its fingers to ensure a return to Heidelberg.