Hausen, Upper Franconia

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Würzburg is on the banks of the river Main, which makes it a great stop-off point for river cruises. It also brings some disadvantages, such as the risk of flooding; and so a defensive wall has been built. The city hall is actually a collection of buildings from different periods, the oldest parts dating from the 12th century. This archway shows the extent of some of Würzburg's worst floods: the 21st July 1342 was the worst of them all. A small room nearby is dedicated to another devastating event. Just six months before the end of World War 2 British bombers took just 17 minutes to destroy 80% of the historic centre, killing over 5,000 people. Reconstruction was patchy. Fine historic buildings stand alongside bland, modern architecture, which unfortunately rather spoils the effect of a historic city first mentioned in the year 704. Still, enough remains for it to attract tourists, and there is much to admire. The oldest part of the city is in the shape of an old-fashioned mitre. As the city expanded, new defences were built; the course of this baroque wall is now a green belt, the "Ringpark", which encircles the old city and provides a little respite from the bustle of modern life. The most important landmark of this city is on the other side of the river: the Marienberg Fortress. Getting to it involves a steep climb and a couple of heavily-guarded gates. These gates take the form of curved tunnels so that a cannon could not be fired through them. As far back as 1000 BC, the Celts had a fortress here. The current buildings, though, began with an 8th century church, St Mary's, in which the first bishops of Würzburg are buried. The first proper fortress dates from 1201, and was added to over the years. Directly below the fortress, St Burkard's Church was consecrated in 1042, Würzburg's second oldest church after St Mary's. The Old Main bridge connects St Burkard's and the fortress with the main part of the city; and is itself a tourist attraction, drawing comparisons with the Charles Bridge in Prague. It leads to St Kilian's Cathedral, the fourth largest Romanesque cathedral in Germany. Work began on it in 1040. Recent renovation work has restored some of the later Baroque interior decorations. St Kilian himself, though, is buried in the nearby New Minster. The façade and dome date from the 18th century, but the heart of the church is about six hundred years older. St Kilian was a 7th century missionary from Ireland, who came to Würzburg along with his companions Colman and Totnan. Religion and churches feature a lot in Würzburg. The most prominent building on the market place is St Mary's Chapel, which took over 100 years to build and was completed in 1480. The paintings at the altar date from 1514. Nearby is the Falcon House. The 18th century façade, one of the most beautiful Rococo façades in southern Germany, took 50 years to reconstruct after the 1945 bombing raid. When, in 1573, Prince-Bishop Julius Echter took up his post in Würzburg, he noticed the lack of hospitals and built one with his own money. It is still a hospital today, and is financed by the proceeds of its own land, including Germany's second largest wine estate. The Haug Collegiate Church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, was the first Baroque church in Franconia, built in the 17th century and inspired by St Peter's in Rome. The dome was so massive, the locals feared it would collapse on them. Confusingly, another church in Würzburg is named after St John the Baptist: this one is a Protestant church, consecrated in 1895 and destroyed in the 1945 raid. The new church was built in a modern style, but integrated parts of the original tower. The 18th century Residence is an important work of South German Baroque and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built at a time when a ruler would show off his power and wealth with massive residences like this, and the Marienberg Fortress simply wasn't big enough. It contains many priceless artifacts, and is surrounded by gardens in the style of the era: everything is based on geometry and symmetry. St Michael's Church features alabaster sculptures representing the Apocalypse, reconstruction of which was finally completed in the 1990s. It is part of the Old University founded in 1582, and still in use today by the University of Würzburg. It was at this university that Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered x-rays, for which he received a Nobel prize. Most recently, in 2008, Harald von Hausen received a prize for his work in the field of cervical cancer. Also part of the complex is the 16th century Neubau Church. The sixth largest city in Bavaria, Würzburg is home to 125,000 people. It is a university city, and a centre for light industry. And it also played the part of Paris in the 2011 movie version of "The Three Musketeers".