After
after exploring the walls and grounds of the Marienberg Fortress while on our honeymoon in July 2010, our thirst for castle-romping was not yet satiated. So we made our way to an entirely different sort of castle - the
Würzburg Residenz, located just 1.8km away across the Main River.
(Sidenote: German has two words for castle: burg
and schloss
. A burg
is a
defensive castle, replete with ramparts, walls, moats -- just like the
Marienberg Fortress. A schloss
, however, is more like a palace than a
castle, and the Würzburg Residenz is a perfect example of such.)
The Residenz is not nearly as old as the Marienberg Fortress, having only been completed in the 1780s. The grounds and gardens are beautiful and extensive, adequately reflecting the grandeur and beauty of the Residenz itself. Despite having suffered heavy damage during World War II, the Residenz has been restored to its former glory and is an excellent example of Austrian/South German Baroque architecture. Upon entrance into the palace, visitors are greeted with a stunning grand staircase over-arced with an impressive vaulted ceiling, which at one point was the largest unsupported vaulted ceiling in Europe. The fresco depicts the four continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Unfortunately, photos were not permitted inside, but you can see the ceiling fresco and other interior rooms in a virtual tour
here. The staircase and vestibule, the Mirror ("gold") Room, Garden Hall and the Imperial Hall were among my favorites.
Outside, however, we took a multitude of photos in the gardens and under the shaded walkways. Admission is free to the gardens, but it is only 7.50 euros a person to tour the inside, so it is well worth your time and money to see both.
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| I LOVE this photo. |
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| Making fun of the naked, fighting fauns. |
Have you visited the Würzburg Residenz?
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| Linking up with Bonnie, Van, Kiki & other travel bloggers for #TravelTuesday! |
I had no clue the German's were so... opulent. Absolutely gorgeous. And those fighting fauns are too cute.
ReplyDeleteWe got a good chuckle out of that statue. And yes! The Hapsburg monarchy was especially opulent. Of course, a lot of beautiful places were destroyed in WWII, so it's not as prevalent as it used to be.
DeleteIt definitely looks like a palace! So beautiful. And that last picture of you two is just adorable ;)
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks! It brings back a lot of good memories. :)
DeleteThat picture you love is really neat! Looks like you guys had fun exploring...very cute :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely would recommend a visit there! The place just screams romanticism, even when it's cloudy and drizzly outside.
DeleteThe Fighting Fauns are brilliant!
ReplyDeleteThe residence looks magnificent inside and out. These Germans certainly know how to build things to grandeur.
They certainly did! Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteI have heard many wonderful things about the south-german/austrian palaces! This definitely comes up to my expectations! Thanks for including pictures of the inside even though you couldn't take any (always hate when that happens to me) :)
ReplyDeleteI hate the no photo signs, too. I can understand asking people not to use flash which might damage artwork, but otherwise I think the no photo sign is meant to get people to buy postcards. It works... on me at least. :)
DeleteHow beautiful! I must admit, as a "Western German" (coming from NRW) I've never really been interested in visiting Southern Germany so I only drove through Bavaria on my way to Austria and through Baden-Württemberg on my way to France and that's it. I know however that Southern Germany is beautiful and your pictures of Würzburg really prove that! And may I say, you're such a cute couple! ;)
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks! It's funny how one's interests fall, sometimes with no particular reason. There are definitely parts of the US that I really have no desire to see, not because it's not beautiful or doesn't have attractions, but simply... because! :P
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