Würzburg · The Starting Point of the Romantic Road · Ancient City of Germany Four
Driving into Würzburg, the first stop on Germany's Romantic Road, in light rain, you wouldn't guess this city was rebuilt after the devastation of World War II. The roads are not wide, many sections are one-way, and some cobblestone streets remain. Trams seem to play a major role in the city's public transport system.
We chose a hotel in the old town, with a name that seems to have a musical touch, the Strauss Hotel, near the Main River. After checking in, we followed the map to find attractions. Google Maps showed an 'Old Crane' by the river next to the hotel. Initially, we thought it was some antique, but it turned out to be an old 'crane neck crane,' a type of mechanical crane that used to be common at many docks in China but is now hard to find in modern ports. The walking tour of Würzburg starts from the riverside. Würzburg is an ancient city with a long history. It has consistently ranked among the most beautiful small towns in tourist guides, indicating that the city is not large. Perhaps due to my persistence, the forecasted rainy weather suddenly cleared up in the evening, revealing blue skies and white clouds that hadn't been seen for days. Haha 🤭, luck was on my side. The sudden sunshine caught me off guard, and with limited time, I had to quicken my pace despite my fatigue.
Not far from the hotel is the Market Square, accompanied by the Gothic-style Marienkapelle. The red exterior walls are quite rare. It had just rained, so there weren't many tourists or pedestrians in the square. The town hall is small, and no one paid attention to me when I wandered inside. Next to it is the Old Main Bridge, with many statues on both sides of the bridge. From the bridge, you can see the Marienberg Fortress on the hill opposite. A few hundred meters east of the Old Main Bridge is the Würzburg Cathedral, next to which is a large domed Protestant church, originally Romanesque but renovated in Baroque style. The Cathedral Museum is adjacent to it. Passing by the Würzburg Conservatory, not far away is St. Michael's Church. Another 200 meters east is the luxurious 18th-century Würzburg Residence, known locally as the 'Palace,' listed as a cultural heritage site by UNESCO. It is one of Germany's most important and beautiful Baroque palaces. Miraculously, it escaped destruction during the heavy bombings in the late stages of World War II. When I arrived, ticket sales had already ended, so I could only look around and take photos outside. The palace garden has no restrictions, maintaining the traditional palace garden style with neatly trimmed shapes, sculptures, and fountains. This walk covered about 4-5 kilometers and took over 3 hours to visit.
I spent quite a bit of time on the Old Main Bridge, finding it quite special. A dam was built on the Main River here, diverting the river and raising the water level on one side. When the water flow is high, it overflows the dam, speeding up the flow downstream. It reminded me a bit of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System near Chengdu, Sichuan. I wonder if my guess is correct? It's worth researching.
At the head of the Old Main Bridge is a restaurant called 'Alte Mainmühle,' where many people line up for a glass of white wine. I imagine the wine must be excellent. People simply enjoy a glass of wine, standing on the Old Main Bridge outdoors, admiring the surrounding scenery, drinking, and chatting, which is very pleasant. The restaurant also has a two-story terrace along the river, but it seems people prefer the outdoor setting for its special ambiance. Seeing the long queue, I decided to skip this wonderful romantic moment to save time for sightseeing.
Due to adding Nuremberg to the itinerary, we arrived too late to visit the Old Palace Marienberg Fortress. I hoped to visit it the next morning if the weather was clear, but things didn't go as planned, and we had to end our Würzburg trip hastily.
On a side note, Würzburg is worth a visit, at least for a day. If time permits, two days would be ideal.