German tourist hub looks to ban public drinking: city

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

BERLIN (AFP) — Hordes of foreign travellers hoping to enjoy a few cold German beers outdoors in the tourist hub of Heidelberg this summer could face fines as the country expands a crackdown on public drinking.

A spokeswoman for the picturesque city on the Neckar river on Thursday confirmed reports in the local press that Heidelberg planned to put a stop to brawls and carousing with an alcohol ban on its medieval streets and squares.

Deputy mayor Wolfgang Erichson told the daily Rhein Neckar Zeitung that the city aimed to stop those "who get senselessly drunk in public," by imposing the restrictions on weekend nights and holidays from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am.

He said, however, that beer gardens and street cafes in the popular old town would be excluded from the...