We're out bright and early to be first in line when Würzburg's Residence opens. Today is a Saturday and we know the palace attracts great crowds. We are there shortly before it opens and only one other family is waiting. When we leave, the place is buzzing with visitors.
This is the former residence of the Würzburg prince-bishops and is one of the most important baroque palaces in Europe, today on UNESCO's World Heritage list. It was designed by the then young and unknown architect Balthasar Neumann. The other name most commonly associated with the Residence is Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the greatest fresco painter of the 18th century. It took sixty years to complete the palace; the shell was built from 1720 to 1744 and the interior finished in 1780.
As a result of the air raid in March 1945, the Residence burnt out almost completely. From 1945 until 1987 the building and its interiors were reconstructed to the tune of approximately 20 million Euros.
Most of the rooms of the Residence can only be visited on a guided tour. It was brilliant that we came so early as we almost have a private tour in a small group of five. Later on in the day, mobs of up to 60 or 70 visitors at a time will be led around.
Balthasar Neumann together with other artists and craftsmen in a joint creative undertaking produced what is called "Würzburg rococo", the most exuberant of all the variations of this style in Germany.
We pick up our bags at the hotel and head for the river. Having seen the prince-bishops' Würzburg Residence, we would like to see their more modest summer palace and its impressive rococo gardens just a few kilomteres to the north.
Our path follows the river to Veitshöchheim where we visit the prince-bishops' somewhat more modest Summer Palace and its gardens.
A week-end and good weather on a popular bike path, hmmm. Last night we decided it would be better to book a room in advance than to take our chances Saturday afternoon. We picked an address at random out of our bicycle touring guide and are pleasantly surprised by our choice: The guesthouse is in the pretty little wine-growing village of Erlabrunn, the rooms are in what used to be the vintner's farm buildings.
An antique wine press in the vestibule of our guesthouse. But what really caught my eye here was the Hohner accordion on top of the wardrobe - I was itching to get my hands on it.
