Under Prince Elector Frederick II the Wolfsbrunnen-Anlage was built as a hunting and pleasure lodge in the 16th century. Prince Elector Frederick V., who married the English Princess Elisabeth Stuart, gave the facility a particularly romantic air, among others by the construction of several trout basins. Sustained warlike conflict through the 17th century and relocation of the Electoral Residence to Mannheim and Schwetzingen made the Wolfsbrunnen-Anlage drop into a magical slumber. Its use as a hunting lodge and inn never ceased entirely, though.
Around 1800, the Wolfsbrunnen-Anlage became a popular destination for the many Romanticists who lived in Heidelberg or visited the city, and who enthused about it in their works.The facility is the habitat of a diverse amphibian population in which many species are represented.
The gastronomy (Restaurant Wolfsbrunnen) there was kissed awake from its long slumber in 2015. Guests can find a restaurant with about 50 seats there now, offering a small selection of high-quality seasonal dishes. The beer garden with city typical hearty beer garden dishes is particularly idyllic.
The Wolfsbrunnen-Anlage is a registered monument.
The following legend is told about the Wolfsbrunnen:"Once, Witch Jetta, who lived on the castle hill near Heidelberg, had left her home in an old chapel on a sunny day in order to refresh her tired spirit in a walk on the mountain. Fate guided her steps across the hills into a small valley, where a most dense forest covered the mossy ground. Enchanted by the rushing water and the cool shadows, she knelt down right by the spring to refresh her burning lips in the clear waves. A hungry wolf spotted her there and, suddenly bursting out of the bushes with her cubs, tore the prophetess into pieces as she raised her hands to the sky, begging in vain for rescue."
(Badisches Sagenbuch, 1846)