Würzburg
Gateway to the Romantic Road
Würzburg is an ancient Episcopal seat and a vibrant university town with a baroque, distinctly southern feel. It is in an idyllic setting surrounded by vineyards and is defined by its architectural splendors that reflect a range of epochs. Art, culture and Franconian wine are a way of life in Würzburg - they impart a Mediterranean joie de vivre
Places of interest
Würzburg's main places of interest are the magnificent prince bishops' Residenz Palace, an impressive example of Mediterranean baroque architecture, and the mighty Marienberg Citadel. The works of famous artists such as Tilman Riemenschneider, Balthasar Neumann and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo can be seen everywhere, and the tomb of medieval minnesinger, Walther von der Vogelweide, is also here. A glass of delicious Franconian wine is just the thing after a tour of the old town.
Prince bishop's Residenz Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site
 In the 18th century, Balthasar Neumann, the baroque architectural genius created a "palace of palaces" when he designed the Residenz Palace which has now been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The staircase was decorated in 1752-53 by the Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo with the largest-ever ceiling fresco which depicts the four continents of the earth known at the time: Europe, Asia, Africa and America. The annual Mozart Festival takes place in the palace and its gardens.
Marienberg Citadel
Marienberg Citadel, the town's landmark high above the Main Valley, was the residence of the prince bishops until 1719. Its location on a rocky plateau with three of its sides shelving steeply down is so favourable that as early as 1000 BC a fortified refuge was built on it. The oldest part of the citadel still in existence today is the circular church in the inner ward, built around AD 1000.
Cathedral of St Kilian in the historical old quarter
The Old Bridge over the river Main, 180 meters in length and lined with imposing statues of saints is another of the town's famous landmarks. It leads to the Cathedral of St Kilian, which is 105 meters high and thus the third highest ecclesiastical building in Germany after Mainz and Speyer cathedrals. It is a masterpiece of German architecture dating back to the time of the Salian emperors. |
