Life After Work: Wurzberg and Rothenburg

We were up extra early today because we were scheduled to tour in two cities. The day started out with bright sun and blue skies but it was only 1 degree! We could see frost on the windshields of some of the cars parked near the boat. At least it felt like home. Across the river from the dock we could see a castle once owned by the local prince bishop. At some point he decided it was too small and had another palace built and that was our first destination.

Wurzberg was another city that was mostly destroyed during the war. The story we were told was that a single raid of 225 Lancaster bombers resulted in the city being demolished in 17 minutes. The residence of the bishop that we visited was almost completely gutted. However, the stunning central section that we visited remained intact.

The inside of the residence was totally amazing. The fresco work on the ceilings was some of the best we've ever seen. There was also a great deal of carved plaster designs on both walls and ceilings. Photos were frowned upon in most areas so I only have a couple of shots to share.

There was a chapel attached to the residence that was also lavishly decorated. The doorway to the chapel was somewhat hidden and no one else had noticed it when we were there.

The grounds outside the residence were immaculately manicured and the flowers were in full bloom.

After leaving the residence, we boarded buses and headed off to Rothenburg, another Unesco World Heritage site. This city was not bombed or shelled during the war and, of course, there's a story. Apparently, the mother of the US Secretary of State had visited Rothenburg and knew how beautiful it was. She convinced her son that the city should be saved. The Secretary of State contacted the General in charge of the area and told him to ensure that the city wasn't destroyed and, it wasn't.

Rothenburg has been used extensively in advertising for Bavaria and has appeared in numerous movies including one of the Harry Potter series. As we wandered away from the most touristy areas, we found beautiful, narrow cobblestone streets and brightly coloured buildings.

Since we were in Bavaria, we needed to try some sausage. There was a tasting organized by the cruise people but I also needed a larger sample.

Rothenburg was a walled city and we managed to find the stairway that led to the walkway along the top. This gave us some interesting higher views of the city.

Our tour guide was very interesting and informative. He was an American who emigrated to Germany as a teen and now lives in a small town near Rothenburg. His style was colourful as were his stories and explanations of what we were seeing.

Just before leaving we visited St. Jakobs Kirche which had an ornate wooden altar. Each of the churches that we visit has its own style and construction and, so far, they've all been highly interesting.