Some people like to show off using the size of their residence. The prince-bishops of Würzburg are not different and created the Residenz, a vast baroque style castle. Finished in 1781 it was altered multiple times but the original style was preserved. Therefore, the UNESCO declared the castle a World Heritage site in 1981. Hopefully this helps to preserve the Residenz – after it was already massively damaged during World War II.
The first thing to explore is the wonderful garden which is open to the public. You can walk through this Hofgarten and an additional English landscape garden, climb up to terraces, observe different flowers and fruits. It’s the perfect place for a relaxed promenade. The official entrance to the building is on the opposite side. After getting a ticket you can explore the interior with or without a guide.
The first breathtaking element is the vast staircase that was built to impress visitors and it works pretty well. The roof is covered by the largest fresco of the world. It was painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the famous Italian painter from Venezia. When you walk through both wings of the castle you’ll find rooms for different tasks designed and colored in different styles.
The pure richness of the owners is best illustrated in the mirror cabinet; a room with 600 mirrors. Unfortunately the original decoration melted when the Residenz was burning in 1945. The room was restored from 1979 to 1987, trying to imitate the original style as much as possible. Did you know that the Residenz was depicted together with other buildings of Würzburg on the former 50 DM note? Additionally the front showed the architect Johann Balthasar Neumann, the staircase of the Residenz was depicted on the back.
Residenz Würzburg
Residenzplatz 2
97070 Würzburg
Germany
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