German Diaries Day 3 – Würzburg

 

Just a casual pose over a wall…

Würzburg Residenz

Enjoying a German Beer!

The bustling city of Würzburg appeared over the horizon and we made our through to find the hotel. I am pleased to report that I managed to arrive unscatched and without any significant meltdown (which is an achievement I can tell you!). This was my first time driving into a big city on the “wrong” side of the road and I was really worrying about it. Luckily we managed to dodge all the rush hour traffic and sneak around the outskirts, so it was a fairly easy drive. Pulling into the hotel car park, after swiftly learning that Ausgang didn’t mean entrance (when the barrier stayed closed as I arrived), we finally made our way inside and unloaded our luggage. Our suitcase always seems a lot bigger when you are trying to squeeze it out of the back seat of a Fiat 500…

With only a few hours of daylight left we headed up to Fortress Marienberg that overlooks the city. What laid before us, to reach the summit, was a little unexpected. What kind of garden would you think to find in the middle of Bavarian city?… A Japanese one of course! The gardens themselves were beautiful, even in early spring when the flowers had yet to properly bloom. I had a lot of fun on the large stepping stones, trying to get the perfect Boomerang for Instagram. I mainly succeeded in looking like a fool; but that is nothing new is it?

Worming our way up the slope, getting lost a couple of times, we managed to find the main entrance to the fortress. To be honest, there isn’t a great deal there to look at in the Fortress… but the view over the wall to the city below is pretty special. You can see the whole city in all its panoramic glory. Once my camera was filled with selfies (trying to get the perfect shot without hair in my fiancèe’s face… of course) we made our way down to Alte Mainbrücke (The Old Main Bridge) where it looked like all the action was happening.

I am not aware of the drinking laws in Germany but clearly bridges are fair game, as everyone had a drink in hand. On the city side of the bridge there is a bar/restaurant called Alte Mainmühle (The Old Main Mill) that has a hatch for serving drinks. Clearly the attraction of getting a nice cold beverage, and having a good chat on a historic bridge overlooking the water, is hard for the German’s to resist. Can’t really blame them can you!

After crossing the bridge, we entered the centre of the city. To be honest I was a little disappointed. After several days exploring the beautiful countryside of Bavaria it is hard to not be a little uninterested in a city that looks like it could be any high street in England. That being said, the Würzburg Residence was really impressive. It almost reminded me a little of Versailles, maybe this is its little German cousin…

By this time, my patience was running low and I was starting to get Hangry (when hunger based grumpiness sets in) so we decided it was the safest option to find somewhere to eat… quickly! Earlier, at the hotel, we had been recommended a restaurant down by the river called Würzburger Hofbrau. The receptionist was even nice enough to put up with my while I asked him for the recommendation in German. Very nice of him.

 

Enjoying a German Beer!

Würzburger Hofbrau

Our selection of beers.

Würzburger Hofbrau is a local brewery, so it only seemed fitting that I had my first stein (earthenware mug). Whereas my fiancèe went for Holunder-Weizen (a wheat beer with elderflower syrup). I haven’t had a beer with elderflower before but it was surprisingly nice.

 

Weiner Schnitzel.. Yum!

Schweinbraten. Very tasty.

With the cold German brew slowly disappearing and calming me down, it was time to decide on food. I chose to have my first Wiener Schnitzel of the trip (Veal fried in butter with potato salad and cranberries) and the fiancèe picked Schweinbraten (Roast pork shoulder, potato dumplings and cabbage salad). Both were delicious but I have to say my Schnitzel was the star. Anything with cranberry sauce is always a winner in my books!

After washing down the tasty German meat with a cold beer (or two) we found a little room for a dessert. This time we went for the sharing Karamellisierter Kaiserschmarm (caramelised pancakes, roasted almonds, raisins and apple sauce). It was delicious! It isn’t often that we go for a sharing dessert, mainly because my version of sharing leaves little for anyone else, but this was really great. Freshly cooked and served in an iron skillet. Fantastic choice.. If I do say so myself!

A lovely end to another day on the Romantic Road. Next stop The Black Forest…Stay Tuned!

Ciao for now!

 

If you liked this don’t miss out on the rest of our German adventure:

Day 1 – Manchester to Munich

Day 2 – Harburg Castle and Nördlingen

Day 2 – Dinkelsbühl

Day 3 – Schillingsfürst and Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Day 3 – Würzburg

Day 4 – Bad Mergentheim, Heilbronn and The Black Forest

Day 4 – Baden-Baden and a tasty trout dinner

Day 5 – Triberg and The Black Forest

Day 5 – Lindau

Day 6 – Neuschwanstein Castle

Day 6 – Munich (Part 1)

Day 7 – Munich (Part 2)