2014-13 Wurzburg, Romantic Road, and Rothenburg, Germany
Hello All,
After cruising through the night we approached Wurzburg early the next morning. It was a dreary misty morning. High above the banks of the River Main we could see the Marienberg Fortress. This massive fort was once the seat of the Prince-Bishops in the mid 13th century.
After cruising through the night we approached Wurzburg early the next morning. It was a dreary misty morning. High above the banks of the River Main we could see the Marienberg Fortress. This massive fort was once the seat of the Prince-Bishops in the mid 13th century.
A little further downstream we
passed a small marina and could see high upon a hill Kappele Würzburg, a
picturesque pilgrimage chapel built by Balthasar Neumann in the Russian
Orthodox style from 1747-50.
It is really quite stunning.
Wurzburg is the capital of Lower Franconia--it
is famous for its art, architecture, and delicate wines.
Once our ship was tied up at
the dock we boarded a motor coach that would take us along the “Romantic Road”
of Germany to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. As we departed Wurzburg in the early
morning hours we could see that it was a lovely clean city.
As we traveled along the
Romantic Road it took us through historic towns with striking buildings that
have lost none of their original charm. The road is the grandfather of
Germany’s scenic routes. It is also Germany’s festival road-- from May through
autumn it buzzes with festivals, entertainment, delectable food, and tangy Franconia
beer.
We found this house to be most
unusual.
There were areas with rolling
wheat fields and wind generator farms. The countryside kind of reminded us of
Idaho. Our overcast sky was starting to break up which we were thankful for.
There were small villages with
vineyards running up the hillsides. It is a very picturesque route that we
thoroughly enjoyed experiencing.
Rothenburg has
a population of 12,000 and is one of the best preserved historic towns in all of
Germany. It epitomizes the typical medieval fortified town, with colorful
timber-framed houses, stone ramparts and jumbled cobbled streets. Few places
capture more of the spirit of the Romantic Road than Rothenburg. Its history
started in 1070, when the Count of Comburg-Rothenburg decided to erect a castle
on top of a hill overlooking the River Tauber. Throughout the centuries that
followed it suffered ups and downs like other cities.
In the 14th century, Rothenburg grew to a population of 5,500, making it one of the 20 largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire at the time.
The 17th century marked a sudden decline of the city. Battles between the Belgian Catholics and Protestant Lutheranism took a heavy toll on the population. Three years later the black plague depleted the population even more and the city fell into insignificance for over two centuries. Our guide informed us that for about 75 years only a hermit lived in the town. The lack of growth and money was ironically a boon for the preservation of the town's architecture, which hasn't changed much since the 1600's.
Visiting Rothenburg was the highlight of our trip across Europe. It was a truly remarkable experience. To walk the streets and see the buildings which hadn’t changed much in centuries was awesome. Another bucket item checked off the list.
In the 14th century, Rothenburg grew to a population of 5,500, making it one of the 20 largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire at the time.
The 17th century marked a sudden decline of the city. Battles between the Belgian Catholics and Protestant Lutheranism took a heavy toll on the population. Three years later the black plague depleted the population even more and the city fell into insignificance for over two centuries. Our guide informed us that for about 75 years only a hermit lived in the town. The lack of growth and money was ironically a boon for the preservation of the town's architecture, which hasn't changed much since the 1600's.
Visiting Rothenburg was the highlight of our trip across Europe. It was a truly remarkable experience. To walk the streets and see the buildings which hadn’t changed much in centuries was awesome. Another bucket item checked off the list.
Establishments
were readily available where you could take a load off your feet, sit back, and
enjoy a brew.
In the
following photo Cousin Karen and Miss Barb are preparing to hit another shop.
The ladies were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
We found these
half timbered buildings near Market Square to be colorful and spectacular. The architecture
was simply amazing. The building in the foreground on the right is the Town
Hall.
Colorful
buildings were everywhere. This was heaven for us amateur photographers!
In the
following photo the road on the right leads to Kobolzeller Gate in the town wall.
And, the road on the left leads to Siebers Gate. We liked this shot because of
the colorful buildings and the variety of architecture.
Many of the city streets are restricted to pedestrians only from morning till late in the evening. During other hours business owners can bring in supplies by vehicle to restock.
Many of the city streets are restricted to pedestrians only from morning till late in the evening. During other hours business owners can bring in supplies by vehicle to restock.
Being able to
walk the streets, as in the days of old added character to this lovely city.
In this photo
you can see “house signs” on buildings.
Mother Nature
cooperated and provided blue sky with puffy cumulous clouds most of the time.
In our eyes it was a wonderful day.
The fortified “Town
Wall” encircles the city and was built in the 14th century. It was partially
damaged in World War II, and restored through gifts from donors from around the
world. The wall is about a mile and a half long and contains several towers
and entrance gates.
From the wall we took this shot of a small village on the bank of the Tauber River below. It seemed to be a peaceful setting.
From the wall we took this shot of a small village on the bank of the Tauber River below. It seemed to be a peaceful setting.
Following a
wonderful German dinner in Rothenburg our motor coach returned us to the ship
where we departed for our next port of call—Wertheim Village, Germany. We look
forward to you joining us on that adventure.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns