Today we went on English speaking tours of the Würzburg Residence and the Marienberg Fortress – possibly the two most famous places in the city. We were the only people in the last tour (but the German speaking tour was full).

80% of this city was destroyed in WW2 and has been rebuilt, being finished in 1970.

We have noticed that most of the visitors in this town are German. They are obviously very proud of their nation and interested in their history and culture.

The first few photos are of the Residence (built by and for Prince- Bishops -positions which no longer exist).

The Residence boasts the largest single fresco in the world. The fresco was not destroyed in the war, but other wings were and have been totally rebuilt. What could be taken out of the palace before the war was and stored in a secret hiding place so it would not be destroyed. This turned out to be a wise decision. These items have now been returned to the palace.

The photos of the fortress show a much older structure. It is built high on a hill overlooking Würzburg and the Main River. It was started in 741 and later finished by the Catholic Prince-Bishops. Inside the original church (where we taken as part of the tour) there were relics of holy people (note the skulls) and tombs for some of the Prince-Bishops.

We can highly recommend this city for a visit.

Tomorrow we hire our car and continue down the Romantic Road. I am a little worried about driving in Germany, but fingers crossed it will be ok and ther will be no fights between the navigator and driver.