Würzburg

Grand Staircase in Residenz

We've departed Trier and made our way to southeastern Germany -- Franconia and Bavaria regions -- where we'll be for the rest of the trip. Yesterday, we spent the day in the city of Würzburg.  The city was practically destroyed in World War II, with only shells of buildings left standing.  While a majority of the city is modern construction, there are still pockets of historic structures in and around its old town center.

Residenz

We spent our morning visiting the Residenz, the 18th century palace of the prince bishop. This opulent palace suffered extensive damage in the bombings.  American 2nd Lieutenant John Skilton -- an art historian by training -- is credited with saving it according to their history displays.  He led the effort to find lumber, tar paper, and cement at a time when resources were extremely scarce. He and his team built makeshift roofs until more permanent repairs could be made.  The Residenz is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Baroque Gardens

The Residenz also contained the opulent Baroque Court Chapel for exclusive use by the prince bishop.  Outside of the Residenz is a symmetrical Baroque garden open to the public as part of a larger park.  Even though it is winter and nothing is in bloom, its beauty was evident in the manicured lawns, shrubbery, and trees.

Marienkappelle

After touring the Residenz, we walked through the old city center to the main market square where their Christmas market was taking place.  Front and center at the square was the Marienkappelle, a late-Gothic church paid for by the city's merchants.  This was their answer to St. Killian's Cathedral which was the church of the prince bishop.   The ingenius way to raise money for this church was the inclusion of little shops around the exterior that are attached to the church building itself.  This enabled the church to run little businesses to generate income.  These shop spaces are still rented out today.

Würzburg's Christmas market was small compared to others we've seen on this trip but still had a variety of stalls.  We had the traditional Würzburger fueurwurst, which is a spicy skinny sausage that's a half-meter long.  It stuck out of the roll on both ends, and while it looked funny, it was quite tasty.

Old Main Bridge

We finished our time in Würzburg by walking across the Old Main Bridge which dates back to 1133, making it the second-oldest in Germany.  It crosses the Main (pronounced "mine") River, is pedestrian, and has statues lining both sides. The bridge is a popular spot for the locals as there were many folks hanging out having a beer or glass of wine.  Even with the chilly weather, it's a great place to be.