May 20, 2024
Today we enjoyed a leisurely morning as we continued sailing on the Main. The ship docked briefly at Karlstadt so those taking the optional excursion to Rothenburg or the hiking tour could disembark.
Shortly after breakfast, the ship entered the Himmelstadt lock which was put in service in 1939. (Note: This was not our first lock of the trip but it was a daytime transit and I happened to be in our stateroom.) The lock is 14 feet high, 983 feet long, and 39.4 feet wide. (For reference, our ship is 39 feet wide.) I took the photos below while standing on our veranda. Although I could easily reach out and touch the lock, I elected not to.
Around noon, the ship docked in Würzburg.
Würzburg
Surrounded by Franconian vineyards, Würzburg was heavily damaged during World War II, but has since been completely restored. This prestigious university city is a jewel of baroque architecture. Its most pristine example of pomp and glory is the great Bishops’ Residenz palace, built in 1744 for the prince-bishop; his unwavering support of artists is evidenced by the sweeping staircase and magnificent ceiling frescoes by Tiepolo. Other landmarks include the medieval, statue-lined Old Main Bridge and Marienberg Fortress, originally a Celtic hill fort and later residence of the bishops. The city remains a major wine-making center, hosting Germany’s oldest and largest vineyard.
Viking
After lunch, around 1:45 the four of us met in the lobby and went ashore for our included walking tour.
Würzburg Residenz and Walking Tour
Description: Tour Würzburg’s Bishops’ Residenz, one of Germany’s ornate palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Drive with your guide to the former residence of the Würzburg prince-bishop that was built over a 25-year period, beginning in 1719. Admire the overhead ceiling with its stunning, 6,400-square-foot “Four Continents” fresco painted by Venetian artist Giovanni Tiepolo. You will see several of the building’s ornate rooms, the colonnaded chapel and the baroque and English-style gardens lined with ornate statues. A highlight is sure to be the Mirror Cabinet. Incredibly, the entire complex was meticulously reconstructed after suffering extensive damage from World War II bombing. Afterward, continue to the Old Town of Würzburg, where a walking tour shows you the stunning Romanesque Cathedral, the Neumünster church, the market square and Town Hall, and the oldest wine bar in town.
A brief bus ride took us to the Bishop’s Residenz where we started our tour.
The Bishops’ Residenz
The buses deposited us near the main entrance of the Residenz where we could take a moment and consider the size and grandeur of the construction. It was begun for Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn by the then young and unknown architect Balthasar Neumann. The shell of the palace was built between 1719 and 1744 and the interior was completed in 1780.
The fountain outside the entrance to the Residenz contains a bronze statue representing Frankonia, a representation of the Franconian region of Germany. The Frankonia carries a racing flag, which is also part of the Würzburg city flag. The statue is surrounded by the stone pedestal figures of the poet Walther von der Vogelweide, the painter Matthias Grünewald and the sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider.
Just inside the main entrance is the Imperial Hall (actually a sequence of rooms) where we waited in the vestibule for our turn to ascend the staircase.
When it was our turn, the guide led us up the stairs to view the magnificent ceiling frescos.
The Grand Staircase
During the baroque era, the staircase increasingly became a reception area of great splendor. In this instance, the architect created an unsupported vault masterpiece with a maximum height of 75 feet, spanning an area of 59 feet by 98 feet. The staircase was designed with three flights and an ambulatory to allow the observer to fully appreciate the beauty of the construction.
Capping the staircase was the imposing fresco of the four continents.
The Four Continents
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo was brought from Venice in 1752 specifically to decorate this vault with the largest ceiling fresco ever painted. With his artistic sense, he depicted the continents of America, Asia, and Africa with regal female figures. Highlighting the composition is the allegory of Europe showing Würzburg as the center of the arts. The center of the painting is inhabited by the ancient gods.
We exited the staircase on the second floor and entered the White Hall.
The White Hall
After all of the vibrant colors of the staircase, the White Hall was a bit of a shock. Completed in 1745, this colorless hall was designed to contrast with the staircase fresco and the gold, agate and purple of the Imperial Hall. The stucco decorations created by Antonio Bossi contain only a few touches of color and otherwise rely on shadows to create shades of white and grey.
Leaving the White Hall, we entered the Imperial Hall.
The Imperial Hall
The Imperial Hall, created by architect Balthasar Neumann, has twenty 30 foot high half columns of reddish stucco-work marble and a large oval dome. Antonio Bossi created the four life-size stucco figures of Neptune, Juno, Flora and Apollo in the wall niches on the short sides of the hall. Giovanni Domenico created the frescos over the doors which show scenes from the lives of emperors of the ancient world.
From the Imperial Hall, we entered into the Imperial Apartments.
Imperial Apartments
Like imperial halls, imperial apartments were typical of German baroque palaces. Not only were the ruler’s own rooms sumptuously furnished, so too were the residences of the electors and ecclesiastical rulers which were occasionally used by the emperor and other high-ranking guests.
One of the most overwhelming rooms of the imperial apartments was the Mirror Cabinet.
Mirror Cabinet
The wall decoration of the Mirror Cabinet was created under Prince-Bishop Friedrich Carl von Schönborn and completed between 1740 and 1745. It was completely destroyed in the bombing raids of 1945. Based on a preserved mirror fragment, numerous photographs and a watercolor by Georg Dehn (from 1870/73), the entire room shell was recreated between 1979 and 1987, using the old techniques. Impressive right?
Other rooms in the imperial apartments included the Venetian Room and the Audience Room.
After touring the fabulous Bishops’ Residenz we continued our walk into Old Town Würzburg. Below are a few of the major sites.
Neumünster Church
Dating back to the 11th century, the Neumünster Church was a former collegiate church. The daily worship duties were maintained by a non-monastic community of clergy headed by a dignitary bearing the title of dean or provost. Originally built in Romanesque style, the west Baroque facade was added in 1716. The church became a parish church in 1908.
Marienkapelle
Marienkapelle is a Roman Catholic church that was built in the Gothic style in the14th century. Despite its large size, it is considered a chapel as it does not have a parish. Today it is administered by the united parishes of the Würzburg Cathedral. Beside the church is the Falkenhaus, a former priest’s house, which once housed Würzburg’s only concert and dance hall. Today it houses the tourist information and central city library.
Marienberg Fortress
Overlooking Old Town on a hill on the far side of the river is the Marienberg Fortress. This is where the Prince-Bishops originally lived. The Residenz palace was built when the Fortress became too uncomfortable and un-stylish for the court.
At the conclusion of our walking tour we had some free time before we had to board the bus for the trip back to the ship. To reach the bus parking, we had to walk across the Old Main Bridge – the oldest bridge over the Main River. This bridge connects the old town with the Marienberg Fortress. The medieval bridge was replaced in the 15th century with the cobbled bridge of today’s time. The prince bishop, Friedrich Karl von Schönborn, added 12 sandstone statues depicting Christian saints from various corners of the world.
It has become something of a tradition to buy a glass of wine to drink on the bridge. The locals call this Brückenschoppen. You do pay a deposit for the glass so you are encouraged to return the glass to one of the vendors. We had originally planned to participate in this tradition but the bridge was so packed with people and bicycles that we decided to just make our way across as quickly as we could.
Once on the other side of the river, we found a nice little cafe nestled by the river bank. We stopped there for a quick snack in the shade.
On our way back onboard, we stopped for a photo opportunity.
All aboard time was 6:15 after which the ship set sail for Bamberg. I started the day with views from our veranda so I decided to end the day there as well. Here’s a brief video of the peaceful countryside as we cruise along.
