Kornmarkt, Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Kornmarkt is a small, open square in the heart of Heidelberg's Old Town, set just below the castle on the Schlossberg. It is best known for the Virgin Mary statue placed here in 1718, a reminder of the religious upheavals that reshaped the city around 1700. It is an easy stop between the Marktplatz and the castle.

The story behind it

The name means grain market, and the square began as a place for trade. In the sixteenth century it was known as a market square, and the name Kornmarkt stuck. Over time it became one of the quieter corners of the Old Town, framed by townhouses and with the castle rising above the rooftops.

Its best-known monument comes from a tense period. When Elector Karl II died in 1685, the Protestant Palatinate-Simmern line died out and the Electorate of the Palatinate passed to the Catholic Palatinate-Neuburg line. Heidelberg, a stronghold of the Reformed faith, saw a strong push to re-Catholicise the city. In 1718 a statue of the Virgin Mary by the sculptor Peter van den Branden was set up in the middle of the square. For many Protestant citizens of the time it was an unwelcome sight, and today it is a neat way to read the religious politics of the era in a single object.

What to look for

• The Virgin Mary statue of 1718 stands on a column in the middle of the square, and its raised position is part of why it was so visible to the city.
• Look up the slope to the castle ruins above the roofs, which give the square a dramatic backdrop.
• The mix of townhouse facades around the edges shows how the Old Town was rebuilt and altered across several centuries.
• Notice how the square sits between the busy Marktplatz and the steeper streets leading toward the castle, a natural pause point on any walk.

Tips for your visit

• The square is open public space, so visiting it is free and you do not need a ticket. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough to look around.
• Early morning or early evening is calmer and gives softer light on the facades and the castle above.
• The Heiliggeistkirche and the Marktplatz are a short walk away, and the funicular up to the castle has a station near the square. Check current opening hours and running times before you plan around it.
• Cafes around the square make it a good spot to rest before the climb to the castle.

See it on a quest

You reach Kornmarkt on foot as one stop of Heidelberg Secrets: The Test of the Seekers, a self-guided route through the Old Town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so the square becomes something to look at closely rather than walk past. Start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.