The Best Things to Do in Heppenheim, Germany: A Medieval Jewel Along the Historic Bergstraße 

What’s the Best Time to Visit Heppenheim? 

Spring through early fall is the best time to visit, as that’s when the fruit trees and vineyards are prettiest. (Plus, the Old Town is so much more enjoyable to explore at a leisurely pace when it’s not dumping rain or freezing cold.) 

However, it’s worth planning your visit to coincide with the annual “Bergstraße Wine Market,” which is a popular wine festival that showcases local vintners from the region. There’s live music, performances, wine tastings, and lots of good food, too! 

Claire’s Tip: The 72nd Bergstraße Wine Market will be taking place June 26 – July 5, 2026

And if you’ll be traveling through the area for the German Christmas markets, a small market takes place in the Old Town the first weekend of Advent. 

Things to Do in Heppenheim (in Walking Order!) 

Stop 1: See the Worms’ Gate

The Wormer Tor is the only remaining gate from the old city wall. 

I’ll be honest, the gate doesn’t look too impressive from the street, but if you pass through it and look back at it from Marktstraße, you’ll get a better idea of just how imposing the city gates once were.  

Stop 2: Walk Up Castle Hill to See Starkenburg Castle 

Claire’s Tip: To reach Starkenburg Castle from the Old Town, follow Starkenburgweg up the base of Castle Hill, then turn right onto Kanonenweg. The exact route is marked on the map above (it’s the map provided by the tourist information office, FYI). 

Starkenburg Castle is situated atop Castle Hill roughly 295 meters above the Old Town. 

The castle was built in 1065 as a means of protecting nearby Lorsch Abbey and was originally made from wood in the Roman style. In the 1230s, it was fortified with stone and then further expanded in the late 1600s into what you see today. 

I won’t lie, when I hoofed it all the way up to the castle I didn’t realize that it’s now used as a youth hostel! But the panoramic views of Heppenheim from the top of the tower were more than worth the trek, and I highly recommend visiting it yourself.  

There’s not much else “to do” around the castle, but I think it’s worth sitting down for a while to take in the view and scoping out what you can (just wander around the inner courtyard and walls! It’s really cool to see the old fortifications, you just can’t enter any of the buildings).  

Here are a few key things to keep in mind when walking up to Starkenburg Castle: 

• Timing: From the tourist information office, plan on 45(ish) minutes to reach the castle on foot and another 30(ish) minutes to come down. 
• Getting there: Follow the marked path up to the castle. You can’t miss it! There are lots of wooden signs labeled “Starkenburg” with an arrow pointing the way. 
• Limited shade: There’s little to no shade along the path as you ascend, but there are quite a few benches for taking in the gorgeous view. 

• Water: I visited on a blazing hot July morning and drank my 500ml bottle of water by the time I reached the castle. Thankfully, the check-in area of the youth hostel has large bottles of water for sale as well as a vending machine with cold drinks. Bring cash (preferably Euro coins) to pay for your drinks! 
• Getting back to the Old Town: To save time, you can take the “5 Minute Path” (5-Minuten-Pfad; shown above) to cut directly down to the Old Town. This cuts the total descent time to about 15 minutes, but know that the path isn’t super well maintained (don’t worry! It’s totally safe, just overgrown with weeds). 

Stop 3: Visit St. Peter’s Church 

This Catholic church in the heart of the Old Town is often called the “Cathedral of the Bergstraße,” simply because it’s BIG. 

The church was first mentioned in a document from 755 AD, which is the oldest the city has found. The current St. Peter’s, however, isn’t that old — in fact, it’s fairly new by German standards! 

The large church you see today sits upon a 7th century Romanesque foundation, but the rest was built in the early 1900s. If you look closely, you can see where sections from the 12th- and mid-13th century structure were incorporated into the current St. Peter’s (I won’t lie, I really had to look close to see the difference!). 

Claire’s Tip: After exiting St. Peter’s, head to the north side of the church and stand at the top of the staircase that leads down from the Liesengasse to the Schunkengasse. From here, you’ll have an incredible view of Starkenburg Castle up on the hill, with all of the old half-timbered houses in the foreground. 

Stop 4: See the Market Square 

The Großer Markt sits smack in the center of Heppenheim and is the beating heart of the city. 

It’s a lovely square surrounded by colorful three-story half-timbered buildings that were built after the fire of 1693 that destroyed much of the town. 

Two attractions to look for are the pretty fountain in the middle of the square topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary and the historic Town Hall (Rathaus). 

Stop 5: Eat Lunch 

Something that surprised me on my day trip to Heppenheim was the lack of restaurants in the Old Town area. Most Old Towns I’ve visited in Germany are stuffed with restaurants, but I think Heppenheim isn’t a huge tourist magnet (at least, not for international visitors) so its restaurants are further out where the locals live.

Not to fear! You won’t starve in Heppenheim 😉 

I wound up eating at Cafe Restaurant Fachwerkstube (address: Graben 16), which is located within a historic half-timbered house that was built in 1807. I ordered a plate of the tangy Wurstsalat (sausage salad), which is a favorite German dish of mine, but you can order everything from pasta to breakfast platters here. 

Other places to eat in Heppenheim include: 

• Muse Chocolat (address: Marktstraße 4) — A small cafe serving mouthwatering cakes, coffee, and tea in an airy space that looks like it could be the interior of a chic Parisian apartment. 
• Goldener Engel (address: Großer Markt 2) — Open from 4:30pm Monday to Saturday. This is a historic hotel with a restaurant that serves hearty Hessian fare made from regional ingredients. 

Stop 6: Explore the Old Town 

By this point, you’ll have already seen the main attractions in Heppenheim, so you can officially relax and wander where you will. 

Other historic places to see in the Old Town include: 

• Marktstraße — This pretty pedestrian street leads from the Worms’ Gate to the Marktplatz in the very center of the Old Town. 
• Schunkengasse — If you didn’t explore this quaint street lined with half-timbered houses on your walk from Starkenburg Castle to St. Peter’s, take the time to do it now! It’s one of the prettiest streets in the entire city, and if you take the staircase up to St. Peter’s you’ll be treated to an unparalleled view of the castle. 
• Kurmainzer Amtshof — This large complex was once the site of state events, and it’s also where the Free Democratic Party was founded. The key attraction here is the city’s history museum, called the Museum für Stadtgeschichte und Volkskunde.  
• Kleine Bach — This alley has been given the charming name of “Little Brook,” because a stream used to flow through town here. This is yet another beautiful street lined with half-timbered homes; of note is #14, which is the oldest half-timbered building in Heppenheim. 

Enjoy Your Visit to Heppenheim!

Now that you know what to do in this beautiful city along the Bergstraße, it’s time to buy your train tickets or book that rental car and start exploring! 

If you have any questions about the Heppenheim activities mentioned in this guide, feel free to leave me a comment below. I’m always happy to help readers plan their trip around Germany! 

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to keep up with my daily adventures in Berlin and beyond!

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