In the city of Würzburg, in the northwestern part of the German state of Bavaria

 “With age, comes wisdom. With travel comes understanding.”

-- Sandra Lake
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(in the northwestern part of the German state of Bavaria) Würzburg is a pleasant harmony of history, culture, and wine. This university city and former royal seat is idyllically situated on either side of the Main River and offers a vibrant atmosphere and an endearing charm, Würzburg's architectural masterpieces from various eras shape the cityscape. Even from afar, the two imposing towers of St. Kilian Cathedral (the fourth largest Romanesque church in Germany) point the way to the city. Würzburg's famous landmarks are the Würzburg Residence with its Court Gardens and Residence Square (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Marienberg Fortress, and the Old Main Bridge. Gracefully straddling the banks of the Main River amid idyllic vineyards, Würzburg is set on the vine-clad banks of the Main River, and embellished with beautiful baroque masterpieces and delightful Franconian wineries; this lively city serves as a suitably picturesque starting point for Bavaria’s Romantic Road, Germany's most popular tourist route. The city's large student population guarantees a lively scene.

+ Würzburg lies along and is an inland port of the Main River, about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Frankfurt am Main. Once the site of a Celtic settlement, it was first mentioned as Virteburch in 704. A bishopric was established here by St. Boniface in the early 740s, and the bishops had acquired ducal authority over eastern Franconia by the 12th century. Repeated revolts against the power of the bishops resulted in the citizens’ final submission to their authority in 1400. Several imperial assemblies and councils were held in Würzburg, including one in 1180, when Henry the Lion was placed under the imperial ban and the Bavarian duchy was taken from him and given to Otto, a member of the Wittelsbach family. Würzburg progressed under Bishop Julius (1573–1617), and much building was commissioned by the bishops of the Schönborn family in the 18th century. The bishopric was secularized in 1802, and the city passed to Bavaria in the early 1800s, when it became the seat of the grand duchy of Würzburg in the Confederation of the Rhine and remained so until it was restored to Bavaria in 1814. (A new bishopric was created in 1821.)

+ Although much of the city was destroyed in World War II, its postwar reconstruction has been thorough. The round church within the courtyard of the fortress is one of the oldest churches extant in Germany. Würzburg’s Romanesque cathedral, restored after World War II, recalls the city’s former status as the capital of an ecclesiastical principality. Other notable medieval churches include the Marienkapelle, the Neumünster (with a Baroque facade), and St. Burchard’s. Among many fine examples of the Baroque and Rococo styles are the Hauger Stiftskirche and the Käpelle, a pilgrimage church. (The present University of Würzburg was founded by Bishop Julius in 1582.)