Posts Tagged With: Rhine-Main-Danube canal

Sunday September 18

On our way to Nuremberg via the Rhine Main Danube canal

During the last two days we visited two towns, similar yet different to the casual observer. Wurzberg population about 100,000 plus 30,000 students and Bamberg, population about 70,000 plus 15,000 students. Wurzberg was about 90% destroyed during WWII and thus we were viewing buildings reconstructed after the war to their previous splendor. Bamberg was only about 5% destroyed and thus we were viewing buildings as originally constructed hundreds or even a thousand years ago.

First off we need to discuss a difference unknown to me previously and hopefully I can explain it correctly. Bavaria is the largest state in Germany. Franconia is a part or region of Bavaria. People in Franconia, including the towns of Würzburg, Bamberg, and Nürnberg, tend to see themselves more as Franconian then as Bavarian, even though they are technically within the Bavarian political boundary. This attitude colors the culture and traditions of this northern section of Bavaria.

Wurzburg came first and we toured here on Friday September 16. Coach buses brought us the short ride from the harbor to the start of our tour. The primary highlight of Würzburg is the bishop residence, a stunning re-creation of the former residence of the Wurzburg prince – Bishop that was built between 1719 and 1745. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed inside and we did not find postcards of the stunning art and decorations within this building. We did purchase a book but none of the pictures inside showed the entire fresco.

The building has a grand staircase leading to a second floor area with a huge frescoed covering on all four walls. It is the largest fresco painting of one continuous piece. Next comes the White hall, an impressive room decorated with a new form of stucco ornamentation in white on a gray background.

This all leads into the Wurzberg Imperial hall. The room is highlighted by a vaulted ceiling combining aspects of the stucco ornamentation in the white hall and the colorful fresco painting at the top of the grand staircase. From there you are led into a series of rooms that are simply over the top. Gold mirrors, statuary, paintings, each room has a special focus that just makes you say wow.

After a walking tour of downtown, old town Würzburg, reconstructed though, we had about 45 minutes on our own. Not enough time to hit a museum but enough time to walk around and enjoy the market stalls and busy activity in the city. Wurzberg came across as a very interesting town and one that, if we were to travel in Europe on our own, we would probably revisit.

From Würzburg, we continued on the Main river to Bamberg. We cruise through the night, with one of the locks on the Main river being 60 foot tall and taking us approximately 35 minutes from start to finish traversing the lock.

Our walking tour in Bamberg begins after lunch as we leave the boat and head to the downtown area. Bamberg had no major industrial or manufacturing significance at the time of World War II and thus very little of the town was destroyed. We were looking at original buildings throughout the city.

The old town hall, or Rathaus, is a beautiful landmark located on a bridge crossing a narrow river through the city. In Germany, couples must be at least married at the City Hall, although they can have church and other ceremonial weddings also. Both in Wurzberg and in Bamberg we noticed couples walking down the street with the bride in her white gown with cheers and cat calls from the beer drinkers lining the streets.

In Bamberg, we visited another of the many cathedrals which are signature structures throughout Germany. This cathedral is unique in that it has both an emperor and a pope buried in the church.

Architecture in Bamberg is a combination of Gothic, baroque, and Romanesque. Of course, most towns in Germany have their own specialty, locally brewed beer. In Bamberg, it’s a smoky beer with a flavor described as a cross between bacon and old burnt ashes. Since we don’t drink beer, we have been unable to provide you with any definitive flavor evaluation.

As the afternoon ends in Bamberg, we walk to our Viking longship and continue our overnight cruising to Nuremberg.

Ed and Chris

Sept 18