The car struggled up the steep hillside; an incredible view of Heidelberg occasionally appeared through clearings of the lush forest. The road was covered by a thick canopy of trees until we reached the top, where it opened to a hazy blue sky, and I suddenly wished I could be here during a full moon on a clear night. There was definitely something amazing about this place, but I couldn't put my finger on it - it felt like I was atop a mysterious temple that the ancients used to be closer to the heavenly bodies. Perhaps I was.

The site looked like a park that wasn't used very often; the only people we encountered were some teenagers getting wasted on the steps and two mountain bikers. There wasn't much to the Thingplatz in terms of building materials, but it had graceful ellipses converging in well-designed patterns. Some graffiti marred the concrete here and there, but the place was pretty clean. I suppose it would've been a little too clean if it weren't for the 17 year old girl puking in the corner...

As the light faded, we found some stone steps that led to an even older ruin - the site of the St. Michael Monastery.