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European Holiday and River Cruising Memoirs

Category Archives: Wurzburg

Day 6 – A closer look at Wurzburg

11 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by KidazzleInk.com in Amsterdam to Budapest, Germany, River Cruising, Uncategorized, Wurzburg

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

Architecture, Germany, History, Main River, River Cruise, Sightseeing, Wurzburg

Wurzburg, some time to explore on our own.

Wurzburg, some time to explore on our own.

After our morning’s visit to the magnificent Wurzburg Residence and a rather informative info-walk delivered by our knowledgeable tour guides, we chose to fill the rest of the day exploring on our own.

The Kapelle Pilgrim Church across the Main River.

The Kapelle Pilgrim Church across the Main River.

Wurzburg (population approximately 140,000) is built on the banks of the the Main River. Its architectural style is quite different to that of the half-timbered or Fachwerk style of little Mitenberg township which we’d visited on the previous day.

Fortress Marienburg from across the Main River in Wurzburg

Fortress Marienburg from across the Main River in Wurzburg

With a rather eccletic mix of Romanesque, Gothic, Boroque and Rococo styles along with some other rather modern architecture interspersed, we found it a small but most interesting modern day city.

The Market Square, Wurzburg.

The Market Square, Wurzburg.

According to Wikipedia, Wurzburg has experienced many changes. In earliest times (from about the 4th to the 7th century A.D.) it was called home by some of the Celtic race. Later there were the Franks. It was also visited by early Christian Irish Missionaries. But by about the 8th century, it had come under the rule of the Catholic Prince-Bishopry. Today, of course it is part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Dom St Kilian in Wurzburg.

Dom St Kilian in Wurzburg.

Skeleton detail over doorway to Dom St Kilian in Wurzburg

Skeleton detail over doorway to Dom St Kilian in Wurzburg

A closer look at the detail surrounding the doorway.

A closer look at the detail surrounding the doorway.

Along with several other German cities, Wurzburg has seen many religious, cultural and political upheavals. It is a veteran of the civil unrest associated with Napolean’s French Revolution and the Wars with the Hapsburgs. It has been witness to the cruel events related to the medieval Witch Trials. It has seen the atrocities that impacted its Jewish population during the German holocaust. Added to this, it was very extensively bombed by the British during World War 2.

Yet Wurzburg survives…..one could even say it flourishes.

Flower Shop in the Wurzburg Market Square.

Flower Shop in the Wurzburg Market Square.

Red and White roses in the Flower Shop in Wurzburg.

Red and White roses in the Flower Shop in Wurzburg.

Today it is home to some 30,000 or so University students and it is famous for its Franconian Wine production. There are many beautiful vineyards throughout the region. We sailed past many of the grape growing areas as we travelled along the Main River. Even the Wurzburg wine bottles are famous. They are called a Bocksbeutel  and have their own very distinctive shape…… a rather short neck leading down to a flattened yet bulbous looking bottom.

Bocksbeutel

Bocksbeutel

Dearly Beloved (D.B.) and I found it interesting just strolling the banks of the Main River. We enjoyed taking in the lovely views across to the Marienberg Fortress (built 13th century) and the Kapelle Pilgrim Church (built 18th century).

D.B. letting the jeweller know that one of the clocks on the building was wrong.

D.B. letting the jeweller know that one of the clocks on the building was showing the wrong time for Sydney Australia. It was still showing Daylight Saving time in May.

In the afternoon we made our way back into the cobbled stone centre of Wurzburg City and then spent a further couple of relaxing hours just exploring the more accessible sights of this lovely Franconian district.

Yes it was definitely a modern a modern city but it was also steeped in a long ……and at times traumatic history.

D.B. outside Marienkapelle (Chapel of St Mary), Wurzburg

D.B. outside Marienkapelle (Chapel of St Mary), Wurzburg

Ornate timber doorway of Marienkapelle, Wurzburg

Ornate timber doorway of Marienkapelle, Wurzburg

Neumunster, a Romanesque Style of Cathedral in Wurzburg.

Neumunster, a Romanesque Style Cathedral in Wurzburg.

Loved this display in a shop window, Wurzburg.

Loved this display in a shop window, Wurzburg.

Related articles
  • Germany Travel: Würzburg (abbyhoeffner.com)
  • Würzburg- Wine Country (lindseygummersall30.wordpress.com)
  • 13th September- Wurzburg (laurencewesley55.wordpress.com)
  • Day 6 – Wurzburg and its Magnificent Residenz (kidazzleink.com)
  • Docked at Wurzburg (rivercruise1.wordpress.com)
  • Day 5 – Miltenberg on the Main River in Lower Franconia, Barvaria (kidazzleink.com)

Day 6 – Wurzburg and its Magnificent Residenz

09 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by KidazzleInk.com in Amsterdam to Budapest, Uncategorized, Viking River Cruise, Wurzburg

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Amsterdam to Budapest, Baroque, Germany, Mirror Room, Northern Franconia, Rococo, Viking River Cruise, WOW and Amazing, Wurzburg Residence

Dragon Artwork- Wurzburg Residence

Dragon Artwork- Wurzburg Residence

We’d now docked in Wurzburg, Franconia (Population approx 144,000). We’d sailed from Miltenberg the previous evening and then travelled on down the Main River through the night. Today we’d moved into the Northern Barvarian Region of Germany.

We were preparing ourselves for another enjoyable morning of sightseeing when over the longship’s speaker system came the call we’d all been waiting for:

“A very, very, lovely good morning to you all my wonderful ladies and gentlemen. This is your first call for this morning. Would those of you wishing to join our morning’s sightseeing in Wurzburg to visit the Residenz Palace, please start to make their way to the departure area.”

Ceiling Painting - Wurzburg Residence

Ceiling Painting – Wurzburg Residence

We were in the habit of dressing early, then waiting for these ‘always on time’ and ‘always oh so polite’ announcements to come from our absolutely wonderful and extremely well organized, travel-hostess, Valerie.

Today the announcement procedures were no different…..yet I found myself becoming more excited as our departure drew nearer. Afterall, today we would soon be heading off to see one of the most ornate, most spectacular residences in Germany, a residence with some real “WOW” factor –“The Wurzburg Residenz.”

Wurzburg Residence, Germany

Wurzburg Residence, Germany

Another photo of Wurzburg Residence, Germany.

Another photo of Wurzburg Residence, Germany.

Architect, Balthaser Neumann designed and co-ordinated the building of this extraordinarily, beautiful baroque palace back in the early 1700s. It was built for Prince-Bishop Johann Phillipp Franz von Shonborn and the Counts of Shonborn. It encapsulated the work of many of the very finest artists and craftsmen of the day, including the ornamentation genius, Antonio Bossi and ceiling painter extraordinaire, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.

Ornate work, Wurzburg Palace

Ornate work, Wurzburg Palace

On viewing the residence Dearly Beloved (D.B.) and I were naturally awestruck. Afterall, we’d never seen a structure of such ornate magnificence. It captured so many different historical styles of interior décor of the time. I believe it could be described as similar to, yet different from the Palace of Versailles in France. Having not seen Versailles myself I can’t really comment.

Mirror Room, Wurzburg Residence

Mirror Room, Wurzburg Residence

Ornate Ceiling Work, Wurzburg Residence

Ornate Ceiling Work, Wurzburg Residence

As we followed our “Residenz Tour Guide” from one highly decorative area of the palace to another exploring each  the individual rooms,  the whole splendor of place just seemed to envelope us in its history and grandeur.

It seemed to become more and more ornate as we moved further into the building.

Antique Room Heater, Wurzburg Residence

Antique Room Heater, Wurzburg Residence

We saw so much; first there was the large entry vestibule, then we moved on to the enormous grand staircase room with its extremely high painted ceilings, then there was the absolute beauty of the neoclassical White Room, the marble and stucco work of the Imperial Hall, the dazzling Room of Mirrors, the Residenz Chapel and so so much more.

Lost for words for most of the time, all I seemed to be able to say as one door closed and another opened was………

Wow, Wow, Wow and Wow or else lots of O.M.G’s which for me is Oh My Goodness or Oh My Golly Goloshes!

More Artwork Around Windows at Wurzburg Residence

More Artwork Around Windows at Wurzburg Residence

Painted Ceiling, Wurzburg Residence

Painted Ceiling, Wurzburg Residence

Related articles
  • 13th September- Wurzburg (laurencewesley55.wordpress.com)
  • Rococo: The Art of 18th Century (ipseand.wordpress.com)
  • Day 5 – Miltenberg on the Main River in Lower Franconia, Barvaria (kidazzleink.com)

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