An afternoon at the Neckar Park in Heidelberg

On any nice day in the spring, summer or fall, and most especially on the weekends, a good percentage of Heidelberg residents head to the North bank of the river to relax in Neckarweisse (the Neckar park).

The park stretches for more than a kilometer.  There is lots and lots of grass, several large shade trees, and even playgrounds for the kids.

We had perfect summer weather today, so Dave, Marika and I packed up some chairs, games and a picnic and headed out to enjoy the day.

One nice thing about a park so large, is that there are always plenty of spaces to set up your things, even when lots of people are out.  We picked a spot deep in the shade of a large tree.

We did pay a little Frisbee and badminton, but mostly we just hung out and enjoyed people watching, and boat watching.  Lots of boats go up and down the river on a weekend:

Crew teams practice:

Dragon boats as well (note the large drum on the bow--they all row together every time the drum beats):

There are generally several sail boats out:

and often a windsurfer or two:

There is a rental shop on the east side of the bridge,

 from which people rent slow moving motor boats, and pedal boats:

and, of course, there are always a few commercial boats taking tourist along the river:

On shore you will see students studying, families celebrating birthdays, young people on dates, people playing football/soccer, Frisbee, croquet, etc.  

There are a few touches in the park that I really appreciate.  Under the bridge are very clean and well stocked restrooms (there is a tip plate, 50 cents is appropriate).  About midway down there is a stretch with several playgrounds and a water play area for the little ones:

I like that there are special, well marked rectangles marked off as "grill zones"--people seem to nearly always follow the rules and only grill there--meaning that any spot you choose, that is not near the marked area will not end up full of BBQ smoke.

And best of all, is the view of the castle and old town:

All in all, we had a lovely four hours of sunshine and fresh air this afternoon.  I have to say, if any of my readers ever find themselves in Heidelberg on a nice day, I strongly suggest that you pick up a sandwhich and a cold drink from a local bakery and head across the river to enjoy a little bit of local ambiance, and relaxation instead of hitting up a restaurant for lunch.  I think you'll be glad you did!

--Hadley