Heidelberg Tun, Wine barrel in Heidelberg Castle, Germany.
The Heidelberg Tun is the fourth giant wine vat in Heidelberg Castle's cellars, built in 1751 under Elector Karl Theodor. Its circular face is made of dark brown vertical oak planks crossed by horizontal wooden bands and a heavy outer rim. High on the face sits an ornate crest with a red and gold crown above a painted, silver-edged shield bearing a curling gold figure; a small dark metal tap protrudes near the bottom above the stone floor.
The barrel was built in 1751 as the fourth and final giant wine vat installed in the castle's underground cellars. It marks the culmination of a long tradition of wine storage within this fortress.
Perkeo, the castle's court jester and wine steward, was a dwarf from Tyrol said to weigh about 100 kg. Asked whether he could drink the Great Barrel alone, he replied in Italian "Perché no?" (Why not?), which gave him his name. A statue of him overlooks the barrel.
You can access the barrel by climbing interior stairs that lead directly to a viewing platform on top, giving you a good vantage point. The pathways are generally easy to walk, though the space is confined since the barrel sits within historic underground cellars.
French soldiers left visible axe marks on the barrel's exterior when they discovered it empty during their invasion of the castle. These marks remain visible today, serving as a physical reminder of past conflict within the fortress walls.
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