Ruprechtsbau
Ruprechtsbau stands within Heidelberg Castle on the hillside above the Neckar and Heidelberg. Its plain façade and Gothic entrance preserve the character of a late medieval residential building.
King Ruprecht I commissioned the structure during his reign from 1400 to 1410, making it the castle’s oldest surviving palace. The ground floor contains the Rittersaal and Modellsaal, where cross-ribbed vaults carry electoral coats of arms, English lions, and French lilies. These details recall the marriage of Ruprecht’s son Ludwig III to Princess Blanka of England, whose dowry helped expand the castle. Later wings, including the Friedrichsbau, bring richer decoration, while this older building retains a simpler form. Historical models and artefacts inside trace the development of the castle and its surrounding region.
Look up at the façade to find Ruprecht I’s coat of arms: an imperial eagle, a Palatine lion, and blue-and-white Wittelsbach lozenges. Below the building, gardens and terraces open towards views across Heidelberg’s old and newer districts.
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