Kirsty moved to Heidelberg at the beginning of 2000 when she went to work as a Technical Translator for SAP, who are based in Waldorf.
Heidelberg is a beautiful city in the south-west of Germany about an hours journey from Frankfurt. It is one of the most visited cities in Germany partly due to its scenic beauty and due to the fact that it largely escaped Allied bombing during the war. This meant that the many old buildings it boasts are authentic. The beauty is accented by the sight of the River Neckar that snakes through the city.
The most famous and distinctive landmark is the castle that stands proudly over the rest of the city. It was built in stages from the 14th to the 17th Century and is one of the most impressive historical landmarks in Germany. The cellar of Heidelberg Castle contains the famed Heidelberg Tun, a wine vat with a capacity of more than 220,000 litres. The barrel was constructed in 1751 from 130 oak tree trunks, It is 8.5 meters across and 7 meters high with a dance floor on top. It was used to hold the wine which was collected as tax from local residents!
During the summer, the courtyard of the castle holds a number of stage performances including a version of "The Student Prince", a famous musical based in Heidelberg. (We both went to see this musical!)
Heidelberg is a lovely city to live in and has everything you might need including many great places to eat and drink (as you would expect from a German city), and even has a couple of Irish bars so that Kirsty can keep in touch with English sporting events!
