Located about 78 km 48 mi south of Frankfurt , Heidelberg is part of the densely populated Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region which has its center in Mannheim. The majority of the population lives in the districts west of the mountains in the Upper Rhine Plain, into which the city has expanded over time. Heidelberg University , founded in , is Germany's oldest and one of Europe's most reputable universities. Heidelberg was a seat of government of the former Electorate of the Palatinate and is a popular tourist destination due to its romantic cityscape, including Heidelberg Castle , the Philosophers' Walk , and the Baroque old town.
Heidelberg is located on the eastern edge of the Upper Rhine Plain German : Oberrheinebene , at the place where the river Neckar leaves its narrow valley through the Odenwald mountains and begins the last leg of its journey across the plain towards Mannheim , where it merges into the Rhine about 20 kilometers downstream. A part of Heidelberg, including the historical old town and the famous Heidelberg Castle , is located in the narrow Neckar valley.
Heidelberg is on European walking route E1 Sweden- Umbria. Heidelberg is among the warmest regions of Germany, and plants atypical of the central-European climate flourish there, including almond and fig trees , and many kinds of palm trees and olive trees. Alongside the Philosophenweg Philosophers' Walk on the opposite side of the Old Town, winegrowing was restarted in There is a wild population of African rose-ringed parakeets , [ 7 ] and a wild population of Siberian swan geese , which can be seen mainly on the islands in the Neckar near the district of Bergheim.
Heidelberg is a unitary authority within the Regierungsbezirk Karlsruhe. The Rhein-Neckar-Kreis rural district surrounds it and has its seat in the town, although the town is not a part of the district. This region consists of the southern part of the State of Hessen , the southern part of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate Vorderpfalz , the administrative districts of Mannheim and Heidelberg, and the municipalities of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis.
The Rhein-Neckar Triangle became a European metropolitan area in Heidelberg consists of 15 districts distributed in six sectors of the town. The new district will have approximately 5,β6, residents and employment for 7, Further, new residential space for 10,β15, residents was made available in Patrick Henry Village following the departure of the US Armed Forces. The almost year round warm temperatures are usually determined by Atlantic air masses in the winter and increased influence from the western Mediterranean in summer.
