Lotte is a hostel in a 200-year-old house on Burgweg, five minutes' walk below Heidelberg Castle. A mini breakfast is included, there's no TV anywhere, and the living room is the heart of the house. It suits solo travellers, couples and families who want to sleep in the Old Town, without the noise of a party hostel.
The story of the house
Burgweg 3 was built around 1820, on a cellar that dates back to about 1750. In 1964 Liselotte, known as Lotte, bought the house with her husband Wolfgang. The family lived in part of it and rented the other rooms to students. Lotte loved a party: at 82 she was among the last guests to leave her grandson's 30th birthday.
After Lotte died in 2010, Carmen bought the house. It hadn't been renovated in 45 years, and she did much of the work herself, carrying rubble, papering and painting. The hostel opened on 1 July 2011 and was named after Lotte. Much of her furniture is still in use. Hostelworld has since given Lotte its "Hoscar" award for the best hostel in Germany five times, the first in 2014.
Why we recommend Lotte
You're already in the Old Town
Burgweg runs up from Kornmarkt. The castle is about five minutes' walk uphill, and bars, restaurants and the Hauptstrasse are a few minutes away on foot.
A living room people actually use
There's a games corner and a book-swap shelf. It's the kind of room where you end up planning tomorrow with someone you met at breakfast.
Quiet enough to sleep
Lotte sees itself as a retreat from the busy city. It's made for solo travellers, couples and small, quiet groups, so you won't find a party hostel here.
Breakfast and food
Every booking comes with the mini breakfast and bed linen. Coffee, tea, milk, cornflakes and muesli are out all day, so an early start before a day trip is easy.
For everything else there's a fully equipped self-catering kitchen on the first floor. The three private rooms on the top floor share their own small kitchen.
Who Lotte suits
Solo travellers
Dorms have five or six beds, and one six-bed dorm is for women only. Every guest gets a locker, and each bed has its own light, power socket and USB port. The living room makes it easy to meet people without feeling you have to.
Couples
Two double rooms on the top floor give you a private room with a hostel's warmth. Towels are included in the private rooms.
Families
The family room has a double bed plus a single bed, so it works for two adults and one child. Dorms are for guests aged 16 and over, so families with younger children should book a private room.
Small groups
Groups of up to six people fit best. If you're travelling as a bigger group, contact Lotte before you book.
Cyclists
There's a bike room on the ground floor, so your bike stays inside overnight.
The rooms
There are eight guest rooms, each in its own retro style. The ground floor has two baroque-style dorms. The first floor has three more dorms in "grandma style", the main kitchen and the living room. The top floor has the two double rooms and the family room, and from the bathroom up there you can see the castle. Showers and toilets are shared and on the same floor as every room.
Good to know
- Reception: 8:00–13:00 and 14:00–21:00. Check-in is until 21:00.
- Luggage storage: free, 8:00–21:00, handy before check-in or after check-out.
- Wi-Fi: included throughout the house.
- Bikes: there's a bike room on the ground floor.
- City tax: Heidelberg's overnight tax is not in the room price and is paid at the hostel.
Times can change, so check Lotte's website before you travel.
Book your stay
Burgweg 3, 69117 Heidelberg
Check availability and book directly on Lotte's website.
Visit Lotte's website ↗Start your stay with a walk through the Old Town
Our small-group walking tour meets at the Rathaus on Marktplatz 10, by the fountain. From Lotte's front door it's a short walk.
Book the walking tour