A couple of weeks ago I shared more in the continuing adventure that I took in 2014 with friends down the Rhine in Europe. I last told you about the Hausmadonnas and a church we found while on our walking tour of Altstadt in Heidelberg, Germany. This was all part of my Viking River Cruise which started in Amsterdam and eventually ended in Switzerland.
We were leaving the University Square section of Altstadt, headed for the Old Bridge. And just like in all the other squares we had visited so far, there was a fountain, which would be where the villagers would come to get their water supply.
This fountain is known as the Lion’s Well, or Lowenbrunnen. The square was built on an old monastery site and the Lion was a symbol of power for the Palatine Electorate, which explains all of the lions we found at the Castle. In fact, the lion is still part of Heidelberg’s flag today.
At this point our guided tour was wrapping up. We were heading back to the Old Bridge and then we would be on our own. On the way, we came across this fascinating old building.
It was not as old as many of the other buildings but it definitely stood out among the rest.
It is an old bank building, built by Oberrheinische Bank around 1900. It is now part of the University.
And what an architectural piece of candy! Every window on the first and second floors has a head for the capstone in the arches. These on the second floor look like soldiers.
The octagonal tower room is adorable. It must have a wonderful view. And the building is built of Neckar Valley Sandstone, just like the Castle.
The capstones on the first floor feature two different little characters. This one, an old man has a coin in his mouth – surely a reference to the building’s original use.
The second character had a bag of money under his chin and looks more like a little demon. The detail is really amazing.
There are two little tree men above the door. This is a side door that leads to the upper floors.
I can just imagine what a grand old bank this must have been. I loved the bicycles by the door. I don’t know how the University uses this building today. It would be a neat residence for a student. And at just a little over 100 years old, it is a fairly modern building, all things considered in this part of Heidelberg.
The building also had what looked like a figurehead between two of the arches on the first floor.
She was exquisite. The building has been renovated and is owned and used by the University. But it really stood out among the others in this section. It was a work of art with all the symbolism and detail. You never know what you will come across if you just pay attention. I would have liked to come back to this building but time would not permit it. I am glad I did snap a few pictures as we walked by. Even though it was “newer” it truly was a historic masterpiece.
And our guide Evelyn was ready for us to explore the last part of her tour, the Old Bridge.
This is not a sponsored post. This is my experience from my trip with Viking River Cruises. Email me to find out how you can save $100 when you book your first cruise with Viking through their referral program.
Leave a Reply