Heidelberg

Where to shoot

• Heidelberger Schloss — the ruined Renaissance castle above the Old Town, half-demolished by 17th-century wars and a lightning strike, with the 220,000-liter Großes Fass wine barrel inside.
• Alte Brücke — the 1788 sandstone Old Bridge over the Neckar, guarded by medieval gate towers and a bronze monkey statue said to guarantee a return visit.
• Philosophenweg — the Philosophers' Walk climbing the opposite hillside, the classic mirror-image viewpoint of the castle and Old Town across the river.
• Studentenkarzer — Heidelberg University's 19th-century student prison, its walls covered in generations of inmates' graffiti and silhouette portraits.

When to go

Late spring or early autumn on a clear afternoon, when the light on the castle's red sandstone is best from the Alte Brücke and the Philosophenweg isn't crowded with summer tour groups.

What to eat

Order a Studentenkuss ("student's kiss") — a chocolate-wrapped praline sold since the 1860s at a confectionery on the Hauptstraße, invented so university students could flirt with the shop's customers without their chaperones noticing.

Where to stay

Base yourself near the Marktplatz or lower Hauptstraße, within a flat walk of the Old Bridge and the path up to the castle.