Heidelberg – Sleeping With the Locals

Heidelberg draws lots of tourists in Germany. The castle is definitely worth admiring, and the views of the city are spectacular from up on the hill where the castle sits. Heidelberg’s proximity to Frankfurt helps make it a first or last stop on many tours, which I imagine is a boost to its popularity. But what if you want to get away from the crowds of tourists? What if you want a little peace at night? Staying in an apartment near locals is a great way to get that peace and still see the sights.

Heidelberg Castle

When we started planning our trip to Heidelberg, Andy and I decided it would be nice to rent an apartment for the night instead of booking a hotel. We sifted through Wimdu’s Heidelberg apartments, easily sorting them by different options and viewing them on the map. Their site was pretty easy to use, and we liked that the cleaning fee was included in the total shown, not something that gets tacked on once you start the booking process. We finally decided on an apartment just a little ways out from the center of town. It was listed as being located close to public transportation, and it couldn’t have taken us more than three minutes to walk from the tram to the apartment building. Convenient, but not close enough to hear the trams or street noise.

Heidelberg apartment

The owner came down to meet us right away when we arrived. He was very friendly and showed us to the apartment. He made sure we had everything we needed, showed us where the blankets and towels were stored, and directed us towards some restaurants in the area. He even jokingly pointed out the washing machine, knowing we were unlikely to need it during a one night stay.

Heidelberg apartment

After a long day of stressful sightseeing at the Heidelberg Castle and a few drinks while watching the Euro Cup game, we were happy to come back to a comfy bed in a quiet neighborhood. Although we didn’t end up using it, it was nice to have a kitchen as an option, something you don’t normally get in a hotel room. On a longer trip, being able to cook breakfast and store some drinks in the fridge is convenient and saves money.

We left the next morning to go explore the smaller, but very interesting, Tiefburg Castle and did a little more sightseeing in Heidelberg before hopping on the train to go home. It was a nice weekend away and a good reminder of why we travel. Staying in an apartment makes us feel like we get to see a little more of how the locals live, not just the big sights. Hotels have their perks, but we enjoyed renting an apartment through Wimdu and staying in a residential area, having a little more space that most hotels offer, and having access to a kitchen. We will definitely look into staying in apartments more often when we travel.

Big thanks to Wimdu for providing me with a voucher for our apartment in Heidelberg. However all thoughts and opinions are my own.