Würzburg Things to Do

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The stone bridge across the river connects the city centre with Marienberg Fortress and the suburb on the opposite river bank. It is and has always been vital for the city. The bridge’s origins date back to the middle ages, but it has been refurbished and repaired several times in its history. The views from the bridge are a must for every photographer.

Around 1730 the twelve baroque statues have been installed on both sides of the bridge. They depict saints that are related to the history of Würzburg and Franconia. Saint Kilian occupies the middle of the southern row, accompanied by Kolonat and Totnan. Opposite of Kilian Christ the Saviour has been placed.

The diagonal stone barrier in the river bed served to protect the fortress from attacks by boat.
Nowadays the river is regulated and a dam has been installed underneath the bridge. Boats and freight ships have to use the lock to pass from one level to the other. The lock can well be observed from the bridge. Cargo ships just about fit into the narrow chamber. The Main is a busy waterway, part of the trans-European route from the North Sea to the Black Sea via Rhine, Main and the connecting canal to the Danube.

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The cloister behind the cathedral is a quiet place in the bustling city centre. Unfortunately you cannot enter the middle courtyard, that would be a pleasant place to sit and think and rest.

The cloister is traditionally a burial place for the clerics of the cathedral. The bishops are buried in the crypt but all the others go here. The arcades display lots of historical tombstones.

Access to the cloister is a) from inside the cathedral through the side door in the southern transept, b) from the street into the southwestern corner through the modern buildings. Footnote: Free and clean toilets can be found at b).

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The Silvaner is Franconia’s most famous and most typical variety of wine, although other regions also produce significant amounts, like Rheinhessen and Alsace. In fact it is one of the oldest varieties and was already known to the ancient Romans. The Silvaner’s reputation has been ruined in the 1970s due to overproduction of sweet crap for the export like the infamous “Liebfraumilch”. In the meantime many vintners have found a different approach. The Silvaner grape can produce elegant wines that go well with many meals. Good Silvaner wines are dry or very dry. The colour is a pale greenish yellow. The taste varies, it depends a lot on the “terroir”, the soil and the geological formation of each individual vineyard, which makes sampling them interesting. Herbs, citrus notes and such can be tasted, some even have an almost “dirty” taste from the content of minerals.

The Silvaner grape was brought to Franconia in the 17th century. The first who planted them in Würzburg’s best known vineyard, Würzburger Stein, was Alberich Degen, the abbot of Ebrach monastery, in 1665. His deed which made history in the world of wine is honoured with a rather hidden monument. A modern statue that shows Alberich planting a vine has been put up along the “vineyard trail” that leads up to Marienberg fortress. It is behind the double gate round the southeastern corner of the hill, in the spot from where you have the best view of Käppele.

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Mainfränkisches Museum shows the art and culture of Würzburg and the surrounding region, hte part of Franconia along the Main valley. It owns a high-ranking collection of art treasures and must be considered the no. 1 among the museums in Würzburg.

The presentation involves the city's history and art from prehistoric times to the 19th century, paintings, sculptures, arts and crafts. A separate hall is dedicated to works by Tilman Riemenschneider; here you stand eye to eye with his saints and are able to have a close look at the details of his sculptures. The museum also owns the famous portrait of Balthasar Neumann with the plan of the Residenz. The second floor has an exhibition on regional folk art. A large vaulted hall on the ground floor assembles a row of huge wine presses and other items related to Franconian wine.

The museum was originally located downtown but the building was destroyed in the air raid of 1945. Luckily its collections had been safely stored. Soon after the end of the war a new domicile was found on Marienberg. Already in 1946 the museum was reopened. It occupies the former arsenal of the fortress and the vaults of the adjacent bulwark.

All details about opening hours, fees and tickets can be found up to date in the museum's website.

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Hofkeller is one of the three large wineries in Würzburg city. Their shop and tasting room and administration are located in the side building on the northwestern corner of Residenzplatz. The cellars where their wines are stored are still the historical cellars of the Prince Bishops underneath the Residenz, designed by Balthasar Neumann (repaired after the war, of course).

The winery is now owned by the State of Bavaria. In the secularization of 1803 the property of the Prince Bishop and the abbeys in the region was taken over by the Bavarian Kings, whose property was then taken over in 1918 by the newly founded state of Bavaria. That’s why the winery has vineyards all over Franconia. Their treasure, however, is Würzburger Schlossberg, the vineyard on the slope below Marienberg Fortress towards the river, of which they are sole possessors. (You will take or have taken a photo of this vineyard for sure!)

Guided tours of the cellars and wine tastings are offered. We had a special appointment because I was with a large group. Check Hofkeller website (in German, sorry) for the options for individual visitors; tours are offered on Fri, Sat and Sun from March to December several times a day.

The cellars still contain lots of historical barrels, the oldest dating from the 30 Year War. Everything was illuminated with candles, very atmospheric.

The wine tasting was a bit disappointing, though (or my expectations were too high). We received a glass of bubbly in the beginning, then were shown round the cellars and sat on long benches where we were given three wines without any explanations apart from a printed leaflet. Anyway, the wines were of good quality, although they served their simpler wines. Tasty bread was provided in abundance.

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The “House of the Falcon” shows Würzburg’s most elaborate facade. The house was actually built in times of the renaissance but refurbished in 1751 in rococo style. The front is ornated with rich rocaille ornaments and some reliefs. The yellow walls and white stucco look a bit like a wedding cake. The opulent rococo decoration does not meet everyone’s taste in our modern times. Anyway, the building is impressive and impossible to overlook due to its location in market square next to St Mary’s chapel.

The falcon, the house’s namesake, by the way, is depicted in bronze on top of the middle gable.

The ground floor hosts the tourist information. If you need information about the city and its surroundings, or tickets for events, go and visit. Maps of the city can also be grabbed outside the opening hours from the box on the door (if it isn’t already empty). The rest of the building is occupied by the municipal library.

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... is this one in Neumünster church.

It depicts a rare and non-biblical scene, which is based upon a vision by Bernhard of Clairvaux: Christ, nailed to the cross, loosens His hands from the beam and turns towards the looker-on underneath the cross.

This is a late medieval cruzifix, meant to make people feel Christ's suffering and suffer with him: blood all over His body, the cruel nails through His hands...
However, look into His face. When you are standing on the left below the cross, Christ is looking upon you with this benign look in His face. The Son of God, going through deepest pain and fear, is nevertheless still turning towards us and caring for us.

If you are open to such thoughts, this crucifix is very touching. (A photo of it has been on my wall for years.)

It is located in the rotund under the dome, in a niche on the left.

For 466 years, from 1253 to 1719, the Prince-Bishops who ruled this area used to live up in the (easily defendable) Marienberg Fortress overlooking Würzburg and the Main River Valley.

It wasn't until 1720 that one of them felt secure enough to start building the Residenz down in the city itself.