The Brückenaffe, or Bridge Monkey, is a bronze monkey at the Old Town end of Heidelberg's Old Bridge, just west of the medieval Bridge Gate. He holds up a mirror to everyone who stares at him, a joke that goes back to a stone monkey on the bridge in the 15th century. Visitors rub his mirror, his fingers and the little mice beside him for luck.
The Brückenaffe at a glance
- Where: on the Old Town bank of the Old Bridge (Alte Brücke), beside the Bridge Gate, at the bottom of Steingasse.
- Created: the present bronze was designed in 1977 and installed in 1979; a monkey stood at the bridge as early as the 15th century.
- By: the sculptor Gernot Rumpf, at the request of the local association Alt-Heidelberg.
- What it is today: one of Heidelberg's favourite photo stops and a good-luck charm, polished bright wherever people touch it.
- Time needed: 5–10 minutes, a little longer if there is a queue for photos.
From a stone mocker to a bronze mascot
A monkey is recorded at the Old Bridge in the 15th century, a stone figure in the tower of an earlier bridge; old drawings show it beside the tower at the bridge's northern end, on the bank opposite the Old Town. It was a figure of mockery. According to tradition it showed its bare backside towards Mainz, as a message to the Archbishops of Mainz that they had no say over the Electors Palatine, and it held a mirror so that passers-by would take a critical look at themselves. The monkey disappeared during the War of the Palatine Succession (1689–1693), when the tower was destroyed.
The verse that goes with the monkey comes from the 17th-century writer Martin Zeiller. Roughly translated: 'Why are you gaping at me? Have you not seen the old monkey of Heidelberg? Look around, and you will surely find more like me.' In 1977 the association Alt-Heidelberg asked Gernot Rumpf for a new monkey, and his bronze was put up in 1979, this time at the Old Town end of the bridge. Rumpf kept the mirror and the bare backside but changed the gesture: his monkey stretches out the index and little fingers, an old sign for warding off the evil eye.
What to look for
- The mirror in his left paw, rubbed shiny by thousands of hands: touching it is said to bring wealth.
- The right paw with the outstretched index and little fingers: touch them and, so the story goes, you will come back to Heidelberg.
- The little bronze mice beside him, Rumpf's trademark: stroke them and you are promised many children.
- The ring on his back paw and his bare backside, symbols of vanity and lechery, the very vices the monkey was meant to mock.
- The hollow head: visitors slip their own head inside from behind for a photo, so that their face looks out from the monkey's.
- The verse by Martin Zeiller, displayed beside the statue.
The Old Bridge behind him
The bridge the monkey guards was built in 1786–1788 of red Neckar sandstone under Elector Karl Theodor, which is why it is officially called the Karl-Theodor-Brücke. Several wooden bridges stood here before it, many of them swept away by ice. On 29 March 1945 retreating German troops blew up three of its arches; they were rebuilt after the war. Look out for the statues of Karl Theodor and of the goddess Minerva on the piers, and for the medieval Bridge Gate with its two white towers, once part of the town wall.
Tips for your visit
- Come early in the morning or in the evening: in the middle of the day there is often a short queue for photos with the monkey.
- Touch the mirror and the fingers gently, and do not climb on the statue or the bridge parapet.
- Walk to the middle of the bridge and look back for the classic view of the Bridge Gate, the Old Town roofs and the castle on the hill above.
- Cross the river and climb the Schlangenweg to the Philosophers' Walk for a view down over the bridge and the whole Old Town.
Nearby
- Heidelberg Castle: the red sandstone ruin above the Old Town, reached on foot or by funicular from Kornmarkt.
- Church of the Holy Spirit (Heiliggeistkirche): the big Gothic church on Marktplatz, a few minutes' walk up Steingasse.
- Kornmarkt: the square below the castle, with a baroque statue of the Virgin Mary and one of the best views up to the ruins.
- Philosophers' Walk (Philosophenweg): the hillside path across the Neckar, with wide views of the Old Town and the castle.
See Heidelberg with World City Trail
Our Heidelberg scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 38 minutes of walking. The Bridge Monkey on the Old Bridge is one of the stops, and the route also takes in Bismarckplatz.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Heidelberg.
Play the Heidelberg scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Heidelberg →
Play the outdoor escape game in Heidelberg →
Facts checked in October 2026.