Discover Würzburg
Accommodation in Würzburg
Würzburg combines Baroque architecture and Franconian wine culture with routes to notable places around the city. The Residence, Marienberg Fortress, the Old Main Bridge and Würzburger Stein offer different starting points for your trip: you may be interested in history and art, want to plan a walk, or get to know the region’s wine tradition.
File:Würzburg, Residenz -- 2018 -- 0162.jpg
Photo: Dietmar Rabich via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Residence and the Fortress: Architecture and History
In 1981, the Würzburg Residence became the third site in Germany to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is considered a major work of the South German Baroque and one of Europe’s most significant palaces. The Court Gardens are also part of the Residence ensemble: they were laid out incorporating the Baroque bastions and are decorated with numerous garden sculptures. Architecture and garden design thus offer two distinct aspects of the site.
Another landmark building is Marienberg Fortress, a prominent feature of Würzburg’s skyline and a testament to more than 1,000 years of history. The Museum für Franken is housed in the fortress’s Baroque arsenal. Its collection of Franconian artworks includes sculptures by Tilman Riemenschneider. If you are particularly interested in regional art, you will find a specific cultural focus here; the fortress itself also tells the story of Würzburg’s long history.
Walking Routes and Special Views
You can reach the Käppele on foot along a scenic Stations of the Cross route with 14 chapels and life-size groups of figures by Peter Wagner. The pilgrimage church was added to an existing shrine chapel between 1747 and 1750, based on plans by Balthasar Neumann. This means you can consider the route and its stations, as well as the Käppele’s architectural history, as separate interests during your stay.
There is also an attractive hiking trail from St. Burkard to Marienberg Fortress. This route differs from the Stations of the Cross route to the Käppele: one connects St. Burkard and the fortress, while the other is distinguished by its 14 chapels and groups of figures. If you are planning to include walks in your trip, these two destinations may influence your choice.
From the Old Main Bridge, you can enjoy views of Marienberg Fortress, the Käppele and Würzburg’s vineyards. The bridge itself is adorned with Baroque statues of saints, standing 4.5 metres tall and added around 1730. These figures give the structure a distinctive historical character; at the same time, the view from the bridge takes in several of Würzburg’s defining sights.
Würzburger Stein and Wine Tradition
North of Würzburg’s Old Town, the Würzburger Stein vineyard stretches in a shell-shaped curve along the Main. It covers 85 hectares and is Germany’s largest contiguous single vineyard site. Wines made from Silvaner, Riesling and Pinot Blanc grapes come from Würzburger Stein. These specific features make wine and viticulture a topic in their own right alongside the city’s buildings and art collections.
On guided Steinwein hikes, knowledgeable guides explain viticulture, the winemaker’s craft and the wines of Würzburger Steinberg along well-maintained vineyard paths. The local Brückenschoppen wine tradition is also kept alive on the Old Main Bridge. You can therefore encounter wine both on the vineyard paths and in a local tradition on the bridge.
More places to discover: Rimpar, Röttingen, Aub, Gaukönigshofen, Eibelstadt, Gerbrunn, Veitshöchheim and Helmstadt.
For the full travel overview: Würzburg.
