Heidelberger Marstall

The Heidelberger Marstall features a rugged, defensive facade facing the Neckar River, defined by thick sandstone walls and high, pointed gables. Elector Friedrich the Fifth commissioned this structure in the early seventeenth century as a royal armory and stable. During the Palatine War of Succession, French troops set fire to the building, leaving only the shell standing. Today, the university cafeteria occupies the space, though the heavy arched gateways still show the scars from the cannons that leveled the surrounding city.