Did you now you can sleep in the 2nd most photographed site in Heidelberg, Germany? The Hotel Zum Ritter St. Georg’s incredible architecture and rich history make this hotel a must-see, and when we found the rates were reasonable and competitive, we were sold.
Given the choice when traveling, I love finding historic and interesting hotels (unless traveling with the kids, when pool & amenities must take precedent!). I love a good story and a rich background. Knowing we are walking on floors where the famous walked, or momentous events occurred. When we were surfing websites and choosing our hotel for Heidelberg, Germany, Hotel Zum Ritter came out on top for both historic interest and service.
If you are visiting Germany, be sure to check out this guide to all you need to know about visit Germany, such as best time to visit, visas, transportation, and more.
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The History and Survival of Hotel Zum Ritter:
The Zum Ritter was built in 1592, by Charles (Carolus) Bélier, a Huguenot cloth merchant. Apparently, he had the ornate, late Renaissance style home built for his wife, Francina. Due to solid stone construction and somewhat to luck, the home survived fires, invasions, and wars that most of the rest of Heidelberg did not. Because of this, it even served as City Hall for Heidelberg from 1693-1703. The history and appearance of this unique hotel has led to it becoming the second most photographed sight in Heidelberg, second only to Heidelberg Castle.



There are many busts on the facade of the building, some known to be of Charles and Francina, but others left to speculation. The rams, fruit, & cherubs all symbolized the families wealth and abundance. In addition to all of this, gold inscriptions were carved on the front and translate, roughly, to: “God alone be glory” “If Jehovah did not build the house, his builders worked in vain.” and “Always remain undefeated, beauty.” Which, given the building’s impressive staying power, seems nearly prophetic!
The stalwart Hotel Zum Ritter St. Georg so impressed Victor Hugo, that he wrote at length about the ornate house’s survival of repeated incursions on Heidelberg.
To see some amazing old photos of Hotel Zum Ritter over the years, check out the hotel website, <<Here>>.
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All of this fascinating history wouldn’t matter if the hotel didn’t meet our basic criteria for a several-day stay. So… the other stuff…



Unbeatable Location in Heidelberg’s Altstadt:
My first practical criteria for the hotel was location. I knew we would not have a vehicle, and I didn’t want everything we wanted to see to be a three mile hike. Hotel Zum Ritter’s location can’t get much better. Situated right on Marktplatz, the main square of the Altstadt (Old Town) area, the souvenir booths and restaurants were just steps from the entrance. Many sites were just a short walk away. We really couldn’t do much better than that.
To check out all there is to do in Heidelberg, Germany, go to the Tourism Website HERE
Spacious Rooms:
The bed was comfortable and with the windows open and fan going, we were able to fall easily asleep, even in the middle of summer. (Though, in restrospect, that could also be due to the impressive amount of walking we were doing.)
Modern Bath:
Breakfast Buffet:
It’s always a nice touch when a hotel includes some sort of breakfast with the room, and the breakfast at Zum Ritter was beyond what we expected. Our first morning we found the buffet and chose some items from the assortment of meats, cheese, juices, yogurts, and fruit, not realizing that also included was made-to-order eggs or omelet, as well as sausage or bacon. It made for easy breakfasts that were substantial enough to allow us to skip lunch, or just have a small afternoon snack, and then hold out for dinner. (Though, yummy Heidelberg food… you won’t always want to skip lunch!)
The Staff of Hotel Zum Ritter St. Georg:
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Overall, the Hotel Zum Ritter was a convenient, well appointed hotel with an excellent staff, and a side order of history beauty thrown in.
Go to the Hotel Zum Ritter St. Georg’s Website to check out the hotel and book a room.
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I love that this place is really and Experience. All the details make it really special. Definitely adding this to my to-do list someday!
I love historical hotels too! This would be amazing to stay at!
Oh no, I think I did not see this hotel when I visited in May. I need to go back!
It really has a beautiful facade! I very much enjoyed reading your post, I’m very fascinated by hotels and the hotel world. Too often I choose hostels for their cheaper offers, but getting to spend the night at a proper hotel, with breakfast, is always a nice experience. I’m glad I get to experience that a little more often now 🙂
Historic hotels help you travel back in time and you have well captured that essence in your post.
Looks like a great city!
Carmelatte
It’s so gorgeous inside and out! I wouldn’t have expected the bathroom to have such a modern look though!