Heppenheim is located in the southernmost part of Hesse, nestled between the Bergstraße route and the wooded hills of the Odenwald.
This compact town of around 28,000 people has a well-preserved old town, with vineyards climbing the slopes above the rooftops and a ruined castle overlooking everything.
View of Heppenheim
It is not a mainstream tourist destination like Heidelberg or Rüdesheim, which is part of its appeal. Visitors can enjoy half-timbered buildings and a wine-country atmosphere without the crowds.
The Bergstraße region has a mild climate and produces wines that are taken seriously by locals. Heppenheim is also the administrative centre of the Bergstraße district, giving it the substance of a real working town rather than a purely tourist-oriented one.
Heppenheim is located near the southern end of Hesse, close to the border with Baden-Württemberg. The town is located at an elevation of around 122 metres where the western foothills of the Odenwald meet the upper Rhine plain.
The Bergstraße is the historic road that runs from Darmstadt in the north to Heidelberg in the south and passes through Heppenheim. The route follows the boundary between the Odenwald uplands to the east and the Rhine valley to the west.
This produces an unusually mild microclimate, allowing vines and fruit trees to thrive at latitudes where this is not usually expected.
Frankfurt Airport is the largest airport in Germany and offers extensive international connections. As the closest and most convenient airport for Heppenheim, it makes the most sense to use this option if arriving by air.
Distance to Frankfurt Airport: 50km
Distance to Karlsruhe / Baden-Baden Airport: 124km
Distance to Hahn Airport: 135km
Distance to Stuttgart Airport: 162km
The train station in Heppenheim is located about a kilometre to the west of the old town. It is on the Main-Neckar line between Heidelberg and Frankfurt and is also part of the Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn, which links the town to Worms and Mainz.
Heppenheim is directly accessible by car from the A5/A67 motorway corridor. The town lies at the intersection of the B3 and B460.
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The first written mention of Heppenheim was in 755, when it was recorded as the centre of a Frankish administrative domain. Charlemagne donated this territory to Lorsch Abbey, one of the most important Carolingian monasteries in the region, in 773.
The town grew to become an economic and administrative centre within the Abbey's lands. It acquired market rights in the early ninth century and town rights by 1318.
The Abbey built Starkenburg Castle above the town in 1065 to protect its territory. The castle proved its worth the following year, successfully resisting a siege by the Prince-Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen.
The town suffered devastating fires in 1369 and 1693, and the Thirty Years' War brought further destruction. Spanish troops occupied Starkenburg in 1621, the plague of 1635 killed around 80 per cent of the population, and further raids occurred in 1636 and 1645.
Heppenheim came under the control of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1803. It became part of the modern state of Hesse in 1948. The Free Democratic Party (FDP), one of West Germany's main political parties, was founded in Heppenheim in the same year.
Most of Heppenheim's main attractions are within walking distance of the Marktplatz. Starkenburg Castle requires a climb, but it is not technically demanding.
The Marktplatz is the centrepiece of the town. The timber-framed town hall faces onto the square and St Peter's Church dominates one side. Narrow lanes lead from the square into the older parts of the Altstadt with its half-timbered houses. The compact pedestrianised centre can be explored on foot in an hour or two.
The Marktplatz in Heppenheim
St Peter's is not a cathedral in the traditional sense. It has no bishop's seat. Its nickname, the 'Cathedral of the Bergstraße', comes from its sheer scale relative to the town. The neo-Gothic church was consecrated in 1904.
Starkenburg Castle is located on an isolated hill above the town and can be reached on foot via marked paths from the Old Town. The climb takes around 20 to 30 minutes at a moderate pace. Part of the castle is occupied by the Starkenburg Observatory (Starkenburg-Sternwarte). Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Heppenheim below, the Bergstraße corridor and, on clear days, the Rhine plain to the west.
Starkenburg castle above Heppenheim
Vineyards cover the slopes between Heppenheim and the forested Odenwald ridge above. There are signed walking paths that lead through the vines and up into the hills. The terrain is gentle enough for an easy afternoon stroll, and the routes offer a different view of the town from above.
The Heppenheim tourist information office is located in the Stadthaus in the town centre. It is open weekdays and on Saturday mornings.
Website: www.heppenheim.de