Würzburg once served as the home of powerful prince-bishops for many centuries founded in the 10th century. It is in the heart of the Franconian wine country.
We decide to take a day trip to Würzburg nearby from Rothenburg. This is one of the benefits of having the Global Eurail Pass since this train over to Würzburg is included for spontaneous trips like this one!
I find Würzburg to be very lovely with its culture and elegant Baroque art and architecture. It definitely has a metropolitan feel and the biggest of the three cities we visited so far in Bavaria. I am so glad that we decide to take a spontaneous and worthwhile day trip over.
Cafe Mozart
We eat brunch at Cafe Mozart before we set off for the day sight seeing. They have the best dirty chai latte! It is smooth, delicately sweet, and flavorful!
The lunch consisted of a deconstructed smoked salmon plate and a bread basket with orange juice. Service seems slow today, and we finally leave for our first attraction of the day, the fortress on the top of the hill.
The Marienburg Fortress
We walk through the town and finally reach the top of the hill to meet the Marienburg Fortress. We climb many stairs and finally reach the top where there are magnificent views of the city. We are pleasantly surprised by the sweeping and breathtaking views of the entire city. The climb was well worth this view.
Alte Mainbrüecke Bridge
We walk through The Alte Mainbrüecke bridge and fortress view from the top and the residence is excellent and beautiful. A leisurely stroll as I admire the architecture, art, and sculptors as I do of the locals who walk by and enjoy a glass of wine and scenery by the side of the bridge.
The Würzburg Residence- a UNESCO site
We come back to town to see Würzburg Residence which is the best-preserved Baroque palace and a UNESCO deemed site. It can be compared to a small Versailles in Würzburg. The mirror room definitely invokes an “omg” reaction from me. The entire room is covered in gold and mirrors. Unfortunately, the original room burned and melted down due to a fire, but they reconstructed it, which proved to be challenging given that they needed the new materials to look as old as it once did. The small chapel within the residence, Hofkirche, though small, it is not without a statement and is stunningly beautiful. Overall, this place left quite an unexpected positive impression on us.
It is a beautiful palace with a large well-kept garden. I think it is worth doing a guided tour of the residence, but the garden outside is worth a stroll for free.
Wine Festivals
From the tour at the Residence, I learned just how essential wine was to them. With such a unique and beautiful atmosphere, it would be special to enjoy and learn about wine is in the heart of the Franconian wine country. One can visit their well-received wine festivals during the summer. Check out their wine festivals and events for the year here.
Welcome Card
If you have more time, there is a Welcome Card for value. For 3 Euros, it gets you multiple discounts on the various tours and restaurants Würzburg has to offer. A great way to explore Würzburg if you have the extra time to spend here.