====== Wurzburg ====== Wurzburg Germany (Würzburg), the capital of Lower Franconia is one of the loveliest baroque cities in the country and became famous as the center of Franconian wine growing. Besides those many tourists heading for the Romantic Road from here, 25.000 students enjoy the lively atmosphere of that town, which is beautifully embedded in the valley of the Main River, surrounded by wine-covered hills. The sights in Wurzburg Germany are countless and it is hardly to believe, that 90 persent of the city were devastated in a 20 minutes lasting raid in World War 2nd, March 1945. In a miraculous rebuilding program nearly every major structure has been restored as well as the Wurzburg Residence (Würzburg Residenz), which suffered serious damage. ===== How to get there & local transport ===== Wurzburg is one of Germany's most important traffic junctions. * the most important airport around Wurzburg is the [[http://www.airportcity-frankfurt.com/cms/default/rubrik/9/9682.airport_city_en.htm|Frankfurt Airport]], 110km from Wurzburg * another option for flights to Wurzburg is the [[http://www.flughafen-stuttgart.de/en/index.php|Stuttgart Airport]], 150km away or the [[http://www.airport-nuernberg.de/english/index.html|Nurenberg Airport]] just 100 km away. * traveling by car to Wurzburg is not complicated, it has a good connection with the motorways (Autobahn) A3, A7, A81 * to get there by train is also easy Hannover, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich or Cologne are less than 3 hours away * there is also a daily bus to prague ===== Tourist information (offices etc.) ===== * Information on Wurzburg Germany: Wurzburg tourist information Am Congress Centrum * Another tourist information is also in the Falkenhaus at the market place * Opening hours Wurzburg Residence: Apr-Oct 9-6pm, Nov-Mar 10-4.30pm, last entry is 4 pm ===== City tours ===== * English guided tours through Wurzburg Old town (Altstadt) start in front of the Falkenhaus tourist information at the market. Mid June - mid September daily, except saturday, 06.30 pm; May - October, Saturday: 01.00 pm ===== Sights ===== Sights in Wurzburg old town can be best explored on foot - have a look at the Wurzburg market square and see the late-Gothic Church of St. Mary and next to it the Falkenhaus with its beautiful Rococo facade. Another highlight is the four towered Wurzburg Cathedral St. Kilian, which is one of the largest Romanesque churches in Germany and a great attraction of Wurzburg. A famous landmark of Wurzburg is the mighty fortress Festung Marienberg, from where you get a nice view over the sights of Wurzburg Germany and the pilgrimage church Käppele, also an idyllic spot on a hill above the town of Wurzburg Germany. ==== Unesco World Heritage Wurzburg Residence ==== For people traveling the Romantic Road, the Wurzburg Residence (Würzburger Residenz) is for sure one of the essentials to visit. Once this palace served as home for Wurzburg's powerful prince-bishops of the Schönborn family, today the Wurzburg Residence attracts visitors as famous World Heritage site. In 1981 the Wurzburg Residence with the beautiful Court Gardens and Residence Square was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, said to be the most homogeneous and the most extraordinary of Baroque palaces. Under the direction of the architect Balthasar Neumann that three winged palace containing over 300 Baroque and Rococo rooms was built from 1720-1744. Sadly, the building was terribly damaged by the bombs in World War II. Today, after reconstruction works the marvelous decorated palace's interior is open to public whereas the Imperial Hall and the Hall of Mirrors are the most spectacular rooms. A must-see is the entrance staircase - said to be the most beautiful staircase world wide. Above that, the world's largest ceiling fresco (677 square meters) from the Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo can be found. Don't forget to look at the Court Chapel, which can be entered separately from the Residence Square! Its amazing decoration of the interior makes it to one of the finest examples of religious art in Wurzburg. If you are a fan of classical music you should plan your Wurzburg stay for June, because that's the time for the annual Mozart Festival taking place at the Wurzburg Residence and its extensive Court gardens. To stroll through The Court Garden called Hofgarten is also among people who live in Wurzburg an often choosen destination - a nice place to relax or to just to sit in the beer garden at the entrance to Wurzburg Residence's garden. ===== Activities in Würzburg ===== * Cross the bridge "Alte Mainbrücke", which is lined with many nice statues of saints and is known as the oldest bridge (built 1473-1543) still existing over the Main River. Then a lovely 20-minute walk up the wine-covered hill takes you to the fortress Marienberg, where you can visit the castle's restaurant or relax in the beer garden. * Wurzburg Residence: Get impressions of the marvelous decorated palace's interior by taking a closer look at the grand staircase, the Imperial Hall and the Hall of Mirrors. After strolling through the beautiful garden a visit in the beer garden might be a good idea. * Tourist activities in Wurzburg for wine lovers: Visit the Juliusspital, the third-largest wine estate in Germany for wine tasting. The 250m of vaulted cellars beneath its historic buildings are lined with huge wooden barrels, some being more than a century old - it's one of the most popular sights Wurzburg Germany is proud of. ===== Activities with kids ===== * Near to Wurzburg is a big amusement park, called [[http://www.freizeitlandgeiselwind.de/index.php?func=english|Freizeitland Geiselwind]]. There you can spend a whole day having fun and action with shows, playgrounds, exhibitions, animals, rollercoasters and lots more ===== Must Do's ===== * Climbing up to the fortress on top of Marienberg for a great view * A guided tour through the residence * Eating a Bratwurst at the market square close to Falkenhaus * Wine testing in one of Wurzburg's famous wine cellars such as Staatlicher Hofkeller or Bürgerspital * Unordered List Item ===== Day trips from Wurzburg ===== * Follow the Romantic Road and head for a day trip from Wurzburg to [[http://en.germaniki.org/rothenburg-o.d.t|Rothenburg ob der Tauber]], a medieval gem though its preserved old town. * Also recommendable is a trip to [[Nuremberg]] with the attractions Kaiserburg Castle and Christkindlesmarkt, which is just 107km away. * Another very nice place is the Unesco world heritage city centre of Bamberg just 100 km away. ===== Museums ===== * Martin-von-Wagner-Museum: It shows a collection of paintings from Albrecht Dürer and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The museum is located in the south wing of the Residence - entry is for free! ===== Galleries & Exhibitions ===== ===== Theater & Opera ===== * Theater performances offers the [[http://www.theaterwuerzburg.de/main.php|Mainfranken Theater Würzburg]] which can be found in street Theaterstraße 21, 97070 Würzburg (Tel: + 49 0931/3908-0) ===== Restaurants ===== ===== Going out for Brunch ===== ===== Cafés ===== ===== Bars & Lounges ===== ===== Discotheques ===== ===== Events ===== Besides the traditional Wurzburg wine festivals throughout the year there are a lot of other festivals to enjoy. * If you are a fan of classical music you should plan your Wurzburg stay for June, because that's the time for the annual [[http://www.mozartfest-wuerzburg.de/mozartfest/allgemein_festival_genialemusik_engl.php|Mozart Festival]] taking place at the Wurzburg Residence and its extensive Court gardens. * the Bach Festival * Europe's largest [[http://www.africafestival.org/19/anfahrt.html|African cultural Festival]] * the Wurzburg Jazz Festival ===== Shopping ===== ===== Accommodation =====