Old bridge

The Old Bridge, also known as the Carl-Theodor Bridge, is a 200-metre-long arched bridge in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg. It leads over the Neckar River and connects the historic old town with the Heidelberg district of Neuenheim. The pedestrian and bicycle bridge was built in 1788 by Elector Carl Theodor and is made of red Neckar Valley sandstone. Today it is one of Heidelberg's landmarks! When will you visit the Old Bridge during a walk and enjoy the magnificent view up to Heidelberg Castle?

Old Bridge or Carl-Theodor-Bridge

Nine bridge arches rise out of the Neckar and fit harmoniously into the cityscape of Heidelberg, so that even artists cannot avoid capturing the bridge in their pictures. But a look at the history of the structure and its predecessors is also very exciting and shows the eventful history of the city: The predecessor structures of the Old Bridge were all made of wood. But the frequent floods destroyed one after the other. So it was finally Elector Karl Theodor who pushed through his plan for a stone bridge in the city - in 1788 the new bridge was ceremoniously opened!

Just a few days before the end of the Second World War, German Nazi soldiers blew up Heidelberg's Neckar bridges, including the Old Bridge. It was completely destroyed! In the years that followed, citizens of Heidelberg organized fundraising campaigns. This led to the reopening of the bridge in July 1947. Today, the Carl-Theodor-Bridge is one of the last large bridge structures made of natural stone.

Monument in honour of the builder

The monument to Elector Carl Theodor stands on the southern bank of the Neckar on a two-tiered pedestal. The figures depicted all represent the rivers over which he ruled: Rhine, Danube, Moselle and Isar.

From the north bank you can see the bridge patron John Nepomuk as well as the Roman goddess of wisdom Minerva. She stands symbolically for the art passion of the elector. Both sculptures were created by the famous sculptor Konrad Linck.

The Bridge Monkey

The ancient stories about the bridge monkey of the Old Bridge date back to the 15th century. After the first figure fell victim to the war, Professor Gernot Rumpf erected a bronze sculpture in 1979. Today it is a good custom to visit the bridge monkey when walking across the bridge. Stroke the mirror the monkey holds in his hand - according to legend, this ritual is supposed to bring luck and prosperity to people. On the other hand, if you still stroke the outstretched fingers of the right hand, you will soon return to Heidelberg.