US Military Heritage Tour Heidelberg

Stop 1 – Mark Twain Village + Mark Twain Museum The old family housing area with its distinctive American-style homes and the beautiful chapel. Now being reborn as a community housing project. Stop 2 – Campbell Barracks Once the proud headquarters of USAREUR – U.S. Army Europe. The grand Wilhelminian-era buildings made it one of the most impressive military installations in Germany. Stop 3 – Heidelberg Army Airfield That wide-open feeling of watching Hueys and Blackhawks lift off is gone now, but the site still carries a certain atmosphere. Stop 4 – Patrick Henry Village (PHV) The largest of Heidelberg's military communities, home to thousands of soldiers and their families over the decades. The streets and buildings remain. Stop 5 – Karlsplatz and Zum Roten Ochsen Since 1703, the Roter Ochse has been where Heidelberg's stories are told and retold. The carved initials in the ancient tables, steins on the wall and live piano music.

We begin at the Tourist Information office in the heart of the Altstadt, before setting off on an approximately 2.5-hour driving tour through Heidelberg's American military past. Along the way, we'll pass the sites where the PX and Commissary once stood – and marvel at just how much, and how little, has changed. Some corners will feel instantly familiar; others may surprise you. We will also drive through the historic Karlstor – one of Heidelberg's medieval city gates – and the scene of one of Germany's most dramatic terrorist attacks. It was here, in September 1981, that U.S. General Frederick Kroesen narrowly survived an assassination attempt when RAF (Rote Armee Fraktion – Red Army Faction) terrorists fired a rocket-propelled grenade at his staff car. A moment that shook the city – and the world. Our tour concludes at Karlsplatz, at the foot of the magnificent Heidelberg Castle – a fitting end to a day spent moving between history, memory, and the present.