Viking's Grand European River Cruise: Würzburg, Germany

Viking River Cruise, Day 6:  Rothenburg and Würzburg, Germany (Facebook collage)

(click any collage to enlarge)

Because this was a huge, chock-full day with 2 excursions, one of which was optional and at an added cost (Rothenburg), I am dividing Day 6 into 2 parts.  Part 1, today, is of the included excursion of Würzburg, which happened in the afternoon following our return from Rothenburg.

Würzburg has so many wonderful landmarks, but the one chosen for our tour was the Würzburg Residence, completed in 1744.  Though heavily damaged in WWII, it's been in restoration ever since.

From the outside, it's not what I wanted to be the Residence, once you see the other structures I show later.  But you can at least see how HUGE it is.  Too bad we didn't see it from the garden side!

Upon entering, the grand staircase greets you, one of the building's greatest attributes.

AND the ceiling frescoes, painted by a Venetian painter, Giovanni Tiepolo, and his son!

Four continents are represented in the corners of the vault, with frescoes in between.

Other embellishments make this place a huge WOW factor,

but can you imagine living there?  It's a museum!

Can you picture chandeliers like this over your dining table or in your foyer?  

What about a mirror room? Even on the ceiling?

In case you missed something important?

 It's quite something, isn't it!

Home to the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg....

...which is probably why I took great pleasure in this charming lady with the hat!

That was that...and now I know why I'm not a big museum lover.  I can appreciate all the grandeur, yes, but I just don't relate to most of it, if that makes sense.

But go outside, and suddenly I'm transformed....by architecture!

In this case, it was the Dom St. Kilian/Würzburg Cathedral, from 1040, that just didn't stop...!

With an overall length of 105 meters, it's the fourth largest Romanesque church building in Germany.

In other words, this is part of the same church!

You have no idea how long it took me to figure out that these weren't 2 separate churches!

And did we go inside?  YES, of course.

It, too, was a museum of sorts.

But that's what I feel about most European Roman Catholic churches!

 Nearby was the Collegiate Neumünster church built in 1711.

Even a peek is better than nothing.

The city's outdoor market is looked over by the Marien Chapel from the 14th century.

By now it was late afternoon and we didn't even attempt to see if it was open.

We were on our way back to the ship....

...letting it all sink in...

...impressions, impressions, impressions!

We knew we had to head for the Old Main Bridge to find our boat.
It was built in 1473 to replace the destroyed Romanesque bridge from 1133.
Starting in 1730 the statues were added.

From the bridge we could already see the Fortress Marienberg high up on the hill.  It is Würzburg's prominent landmark and symbol on the Main river and was the home of the prince-bishops for 5 centuries before the Residence was built.  Remember when at the top of this post I said I wished the Residence was here?
It was built in 704 A.D.  (Yes, you heard me.)

The building with the 2 tall spires is the Käppele, a "small" Baroque/Rococo cathedral from 1748.
The caramel-colored church below the fortress is the parish of St. Burkard.
See the close proximity of all 3 landmarks on the river!

 We passed all these fabulous archetectural delights as we walked back from the Old Main Bridge
along the river to our boat.  And there she was:  Home Sweet Home.

Before walking in to prepare for dinner, we saw this narcissistic swan at what could have been our window.
Or did she really see her soulmate and then just give up...and swim away?  poor thing.

Day 6 will be continued with Part 2, which was our optional trip to Rothenburg....