R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rüdesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

After spending the morning up at the schloss, the bus took us down to the town of Heidelberg for the rest of the morning and into early afternoon.  Our guide continued our tour for a bit and then left us on our own.  Heidelberg University is the oldest university in Germany and the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire in 1386.  It has an emphasis on research and has been associated with 56 Nobel Prize laureates and is consistently rated one of Europe's top overall universities.

We enjoyed walking around the town, just soaking in the ambiance in the plazas and, of course, checking out their old churches. Unfortunately, I began to have camera difficulties and don't have many photos of the town.

Church in the middle of Heidelberg

We returned to the ship for a late lunch and while we were eating the ship relocated to the town of Speyer.  Since it was Easter Monday it was very quiet town as many businesses were closed for the holiday.  Its magnificent cathedral, the Kaiserdom, dates to the 11th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It's nearly 440 feet long and contains the crypts of eight German emperors and kings, along with various queens and bishops.

Kaiserdom

Inside the Kaiserdom