October 31, 2024

Heidelberg: Beer and a Kind of Homecoming

Where There’s Students, There’s Beer

Heidelberg is both a charmed and charming city. Its vibrant old town of picturesque squares, orange-red sandstone buildings, Gothic spires, and Baroque bridges was largely spared during the Second World War. The intactness of it all lends the cobblestone lanes an age-old warmth perfect for winding your way from bakery to book shop to brewery in the shadow of the leafy hills cradling the town.

Situated where the Neckar River flows out from its narrow valley onto the broad plain cut by the Rhine, Heidelberg is presided over by a magnificent Renaissance castle wedged into the hillside. A trail snakes its way up the embankment on the other side of the river to the Philosopher’s Way, which affords stellar views across the valley to this half-ruined castle. Destroyed by French troops under the Sun King and only partially rebuilt, Heidelberg’s iconic castle has attracted countless wanderers since the days of the German Romantics who passed through the halls of Heidelberg’s storied university.

Established in 1386, Heidelberg’s university is Germany’s oldest and one of its most prestigious. The list of former professors and alumni reads like a who’s who of the arts and sciences. Hegel taught philosophy here, chancellors have graced the university’s lecture halls (including Bismarck), and more than fifty Nobel laureates have either studied or taught here.

Where there’s student life, there’s taverns and breweries. Zum Roten Ochsen (the Red Ox Inn) charts an illustrious history that dates back to the time of the student fraternities of the nineteenth century. We’ll return to this storied inn after we’ve had a chance to sip libations at Heidelberg’s newer haunts.

The student lock-up at the University of Heidelberg — *Student lock-up, University of Heidelberg*

A Sort of Homecoming

“Coming back here is like seeing an old friend again.” That’s what I wrote in my notebook when I stepped out of the S-Bahn train station in Heidelberg’s old town recently. Not even the drizzle could dampen my enthusiasm.

I spent many a day wandering Heidelberg’s cobblestone alleys in my twenties while studying in Saarbrücken and working near Mainz. But it had been a good twenty-five years since the last time I was in town. I spent that last evening in Heidelberg for what turned out to be decades at a brewpub near the Alte Brücke, a picturesque Baroque bridge with cylindrical white towers, with folks who are still close friends. That brewpub was Vetter’s Alt-Heidelberger Brauhaus, a Hausbrauerei founded in 1987 and still going strong today.

It was only fitting that I began my imbibing in 2024 where I left off in 1999.

Vetter’s, A Classic German-Style Brewpub

Vetter’s is a lively pub with ambience to spare. Narrow and cozy, its worn wooden floors and communal tables recall Bavaria, while its copper kettles put it squarely in the tradition of brewpubs that opened in the 1980s and 1990s to challenge the dominance of larger breweries.

As for the libations, the ProBierBrett taster comes with four beers. The first is a snappily bitter Helles that walks and talks like a northern German Pils, followed by a Dunkles Hefeweizen with a nice balance of autumn honey, cloves, and ripe banana. The third beer in the lineup is their seasonal, in this case a Maibock which, while not bad, wasn’t bold. The final beer is their Vetter 33, a creamy and liqueur-like beer that clocks in at 33% ABV. My rec: Go for the Helles or the Hefeweizen.

One thing I’ve noticed during my extended travels through the German state of Baden-Württemberg these past few years is that the small, local Hausbrauereien (brewpubs) predominate in comparison with Bavaria. Whether it’s Freiburg, Tübingen, or Karlsruhe, these local establishments have created a niche for themselves with cozy pubs and traditional beers that are often well brewed. Heidelberg is no different.

Kulturbrauerei: Traditionally Innovative

After I left Vetter’s, I made my way to the Kulturbrauerei a few blocks away. An old hall with exposed brick, two-story feature windows, and a coffered ceiling held aloft by columns, the Kulturbrauerei represents a departure from the “cozy pub” model of your typical Hausbrauerei. Despite its proportions, it still manages to feel like an opulent living room replete with an elegantly rustic chandelier straight out of Poe. (My only knock about the ambience is the lame Top-40 soundtrack, but it’s not a deal breaker.)

Beers here are a cut above those of Vetter’s. Whether it’s Scheffel’s Kräusen with its mix of Tettnang and Citra hops or Scheffel’s Hefeweizen with its hints of honeydew melon and orange zest rounding out a banana bread maltiness, the distinctive beers make a statement. And their Maibock is might fine, too, should you pass through Heidelberg when this seasonal is on tap. Marzipan, almonds, and acacia honey meet spring blossoms and even a hint of elderflower. Creamy and rich, with nice floral-spicy hop notes. My kind of Maibock.

Bucolic Scenery, Craft Beer, and Classic Taverns

Since you probably won’t spend all your time in Heidelberg visiting the castle, the churches, and Heidelberg’s various museums (save time for the university museum and its student lockup), here are a few “bonus tracks” to help you quench your thirst after long days of exploring.

The privately owned Brauerei zum Klosterhof is nestled amid the bucolic scenery of the Stift Neuburg monastery about 4 kilometers east of Heidelberg’s Altstadt. (Add on another few kilometers if you take the Philosopher’s Path. Alternatively, take Bus 34 or 37, both of which run regularly.) Home to just shy of a dozen monks, the monastery and its grounds are peaceful and afford a wonderful view over the Neckar valley. Before you head for your beers, be sure to check out the monastery church with its collection of ethereal and boldly coloured stained glass windows, a delightful festival of light and shadow.

Founded in 2009, Klosterhof brews organic beers that run the gamut from traditional German styles to craft styles like stout and IPA. Bottles are available for takeaway, while the Gasthof (tavern) above the copper-kettle brewhouse serves many of the brewery’s traditional offerings on draft. The unfiltered Helles is worth the walk from the city, the Dunkel leaves a little to be desired, and the Bernsteinweizen (amber Weissbier) redeems the Dunkel.

Back in town, try Heerlijk if you have a yen for craft beer. Heerlijk is a little hole-in-the-wall taproom on the Plöck lane on the far-southwestern edge of the Altstadt. Here you’ll find all the big names in German craft beer, along with tasty beers that the folks at Heerlijk brew offsite at a larger brewery. For something unique, try their Kaltgehopftes Brotpils, a dry-hopped Pils made with reclaimed bakery bread to the tune of twenty percent of the grain bill. Fun stuff!

Zum Roten Ochsen

If you’re still thirsty, head to Zum Roten Ochsen, a one-time student pub that traces its history back nearly two hundred years. It may be closed by the time you get there (the sixth-generation owner is about to retire and hasn’t yet been able to convince his children to take over), but if it’s not, you’re in for a treat.

And here’s another treat. One of my favourite travel writers, Patrick Leigh Fermor, stopped off in Heidelberg in the early 1930s during his epic walk from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople. Here’s what he had to say in A Time of Gifts (condensed):

On the far side of the bridge I abandoned the Rhine for its tributary and after a few miles alongside the Neckar the steep lights of Heidelberg assembled. It was dark by the time I climbed the main street and soon softly-lit panes of coloured glass, under the hanging sign of a Red Ox, were beckoning me indoors. I clumped into an entrancing haven of oak beams and carving and alcoves and changing floor levels. A jungle of impedimenta encrusted the interior—mugs and bottles and glasses and antlers—the innocent accumulation of years, not stage props of forced conviviality.

An elderly woman came downstairs and settled by the stove with her sewing. Spotting my stick and rucksack and the puddle of melting snow, she said, with a smile, ‘Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind? [FDH: A reference to Goethe’s Erlkönig set to music by Schubert.] Where are you staying tonight?’ Her husband had come in a little while before and overheard our exchange. ‘Stay with us,’ he said. They were the owner and his wife and their names were Herr and Frau Spengel.

Zum Roten Ochsen Today

The Spengel family still owns Zum Roten Ochsen, but times are different. Students don’t come here in droves like they once did, staking out rooms and tables based on their regional or national affiliation. You still hear echoes of those days in the names of discrete spaces in the Red Ox like “Hamburg Room” or “Swiss Room.” And the “impedimenta encrusting the interior” are still there, augmented by a few discreet photos of Patrick Leigh Fermor.

Yet the vibe is decidedly more nostalgic. These days the students drink elsewhere, if they drink at all—a common refrain across Germany.

To fill the void left by the students, sixth-generation owner Philipp Stengel books tour groups, then races around in the kitchen to get meals ready for dozens at a time. “It’s exhausting,” he said that night I was there. “I’m going to close the inn earlier than usual this evening once the tourist groups leave.” All these groups are stressful, he tells me, but without them the place would go under. Philipp is in his sixties and has four daughters, none of whom are interested in taking over the place. It’s anyone’s guess what will become of this gem once Philipp hangs up his chef’s coat and calls six generations a day.

Old-timers enjoying food and drink at Roten Ochsen — *A few regulars enjoying food and drink at Roten Ochsen*

All the more reason to make a visit to the Red Ox a priority on your next visit to Heidelberg! And before that, read Patrick Leigh Fermor. You won’t be disappointed.

Happy travels, everyone!

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