Würzburg

The northern starting point of the Romantic Road, home to the Baroque masterpiece of the Würzburg Residence, a World Heritage Site, where you can sip Franconian wine on the Old Main Bridge as the sun sets over Marienberg Fortress.

Würzburg lies in the Lower Franconia region of northwestern Bavaria, Germany, with the Main River flowing through the city. It is the northern starting point of the Romantic Road and the centre of Franconian wine. The city spans both banks: on the right bank are the cathedral, the Market Square and the Baroque Würzburg Residence, while the hills of the left bank hold Marienberg Fortress and the Käppele pilgrimage church, the two linked by the 15th–16th-century Old Main Bridge. The main sights fall into three groups: first, the World Heritage Würzburg Residence and its Court Garden, where the highlight is Tiepolo's ceiling fresco above the staircase; second, the old-town churches (the cathedral, the Neumünster and the Marienkapelle) and the Market Square; and third, crossing the Old Main Bridge to climb up to the fortress and walking to the Käppele for views over the whole city. Franconian wine is another main theme: have a glass at the centuries-old Juliusspital and Bürgerspital wine estates, or take your glass onto the Old Main Bridge at sunset. Day trips include the Veitshöchheim court garden by boat or train, and the wine villages to the east such as the Volkach Main loop and Iphofen (easier by car or bike). Getting there: Frankfurt Airport is about 1 hour 10 minutes by ICE, and Nuremberg about 1 hour. The old town is compact, and walking plus the tram will get you almost everywhere. Plan on 1–2 days, plus an extra day for the surrounding wine country. The best times are May–Jun and Sep–Oct, when the wine festivals and harvest take place; there's a Christmas market in December. Photography is not allowed inside the Würzburg Residence, and many shops close on Sundays and public holidays.

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