Würzburg - "Worst-burg" is better than Bamburg

 Saturday, October 4th


"Worst-burg" is better than Bamburg, or so they say .... and please make note that Würzburg's "u" has two little dots atop it. On my keyboard I have to press ALT and the keys 0252 every time I want to type that funny little u, so apologies if I miss a u here or there.  We awoke today to very cloudy skies.  Pretty sure the liquid sunshine is going to dictate this day in this very medieval town.  

Würzburg is 1,300 years old.  If you take a seat in Market Square, which we did, you are sitting amongst 600-year-old Mary's Chapel and the ever-present tourist-staple bratwurst booths. A mix of ancient, old, and new is everywhere.  Even after WWII, the city rebounded and rebuilt.  The architecture is simply amazing.  Awesome would be a better word.

Würzburg Cathedral

Marienberg Fortress where the Prince-Bishops 
lived before the Residence was built


Today's trip began with a quick bus ride up to the Residence, which was the home of the Prince-Bishops back in the days of yore.  The Residence also known as "Europe's loveliest parsonage" is worthy of the kingliest king!  Yet, the Prince-Bishops were little more than state administrators, an enviable position, but not very weighted.  Würzburg was a significant city in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, but not the capital.  The sandstone palace was built from 1720-1794, and it contains 314 rooms.  Take a look below at the Residence and see for yourself.  It is opulent, Baroque, and includes beautiful gardens, an enormous wine cellar, a chapel and perhaps the most cherished ceiling fresco in all Germany.  It is actually the largest fresco in the world.  More on that later.

The Residenzplatx


the statue/fountain of Prince Regent Luitpold - Residence courtyard

shall we call it "the foyer?"


statues in the Imperial Hall 
or as we call it "the foyer" 



the White Hall in Rococo style 


Rococo, so very ornate as shown in the Cabinet of Mirrors

Maria Theresa's bedroom
 (she stayed there once!)

There is no way to capture the ceiling fresco in one photograph, but it is a masterpiece extraordinaire.  Each of the four sides of the ceiling represent each of the four known continents of the day (sorry, Australia).  Angels adorn each corner.  The ceiling comes into full view once you go to the top of the grand staircase, and you literally get a crick in your neck trying to see it all.

grand staircase with fresco above


Ceiling fresco by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo 

Lady America dressed as an Indian princess riding an alligator

Lady Africa astride a camel and a caravan of turbanned Magi

statues atop the staircase

The fresco itself was painted in 1750 to 1753 by Giovanni Battista Tiepelo, his son, Giandomenico, and the stucco artist Antonio Bossi.  There is a sketch of it before they began, and the sketch is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Monument Man, Maj. John Davis Skilton, 
who arrived in 1945 and was instrumental in protecting the Residence art

The Residence after WWII

the Chapel

The Court Garden gate

the gardens with the statue of Proserpina


beautiful flowers in the garden

If you think that today's blog is mostly about the Residence, you are right.  It was the most incredible thing we saw today.  For more info, see their official website.  Our walking tour however did leave the Residence and we made our way down to Old Town.  We passed churches, chapels and a couple cathedrals (imagine that?).  Würstburg is known as "The City of 100 Churches."  Now we know why.


our merry band of Viking tourists

Schonborn Chapel

Neumunster Church

our friend, Donna's Church, T.K. Maxx (haha!)

Mary's Chapel with Adam and Eve 
statues to left and right of entrance

Adam

Eve


There really was a hustle and bustle feel to the town.  Lots of tourists, but also locals out shopping at Market, having lunch, etc.  It was Saturday, I think!

apples in the market

beautiful streets

Before we exhaust ourselves (or you) any further, we will end this blog by saying we had the obligatory photo taken atop the Old Main (pronounced "Mine" as in the Main River) Bridge where people meet routinely to have a glass a wine and just be.  We also skipped the bratwursts and beer today and got some Italian food for lunch.  

LeRoy's beer of the day .... wine!


After some world class people watching, we ambled and then ran back to the ship in the rain.  Würzburg is a beautiful town, and yes, we would come back again.  









Vialula and LeRoy
atop the Old Main Bridge
with Marienberg Fortress in background

Location: 97 Würzburg, Germany

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