Have you noticed all the beautiful blue skies in all the pictures of this trip so far? We have had amazing weather with temps in the mid 70’s to low 80’s. How lucky are we?
We had a lovely surprise at breakfast to see Fortress Marienberg which is visible from seemingly everywhere in Würzburg. Originally, there was a Celtic palisade castle at this site, but it later served as a home of the local prince-bishops for nearly five centuries. It was severely damaged in WWII and finally rebuilt in 1990.
The Würzburg Residence is a lavish baroque and rococo palace constructed in the 18th century as a new residence for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg. It was also destroyed in WWII and reconstructed between 1945 and 1987. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and open to the public.
This area is home to over 500 wineries, making mostly white wines. I found it interesting that the vineyards are planted vertically rather than tiered horizontally on steep slopes.
About an hour from Würzburg is the town of Rothenburg which is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River in the Franconia region of Bavaria. It is known for its well preserved medieval architecture of half-timbered houses and its undamaged 14th century city walls. During WWII, some bombs were dropped on the city; and it did sustain some damage. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of War, John J. McCloy, knew about the historic importance and beauty of Rothenburg so he ordered the army not to use artillery in taking the city. They were able to negotiate the surrender of the town, and McCloy was named Honorable Protectorate of Rothenburg.
The Klingentor is a defensive tower at the north gate of the city.
The Burggarten (Castle Gardens) dates back to the 970’s and is the oldest section of the city.
The gardens were beautiful as were the views. This is the southern view of Rothenburg from the Castle Garden.
The Rathaus (Town Hall) has two sections. The white tower in the background was built in the 1250’s, and the foreground Renaissance structure was built between 1572-78.
The Plönlein is a picturesque corner with the view of two tower gates.
The streets were lined with hotels, restaurants, and shops so we spent some time shopping.
We have set sail for the evening and will arrive in Wertheim in the morning.
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