City of Heidelberg

Located in the charming landscape of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, Heidelberg is home to around 150,000 residents. The university town of Heidelberg is a major industrial and scientific hub as well as a popular tourist destination.

In the near surroundings of Heidelberg you can find many gardens and forests growing on the slopes of the Neckar-Rhine river valley as well agricultural areas on the valley floor. Around 70 percent of the city precincts is open space, of which 40 percent is woodland. The city of Heidelberg is highly committed to nature conservation as well to ensuring sustainable development. The city has already received a number of prizes and accolades for its activities in the field of nature conservation including, in 2007, the “Bundeshauptstadt im Naturschutz” and, in 2015, the “Global Green City Award”. One particular goal in nature projection in Heidelberg is the preservation of species and their habitats, realised through the work of the Office of Environmental Protection, Labour Inspectorate and Energy.