Würzburg, a city encircled by vineyards, nestles in a curve of the Main, its mighty fortress dominating the Marienberg. Its 1300 year history draws hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, all captivated by the rich cultural heritage. Würzburg's historically significant centre stretches from the Residence, brainchild of Balthasar Neumann and former seat of the city's Prince Bishops, past the imposing cathedral and across the 'Alte Mainbrücke', the ancient bridge over the Main, to the Marienberg fortress perched high above. Würzburg's magnificent restoration after the Second World War ensures that this wealth of history endures. Ninety-five percent of the city, including many culturally and historically significant collections of art and sculpture and virtually all the splendid architecture, was destroyed in the Allied bombings on 16th March 1945, between 9:25 and 9:42pm. Approximately 4,500 people lost their lives in the attack.

The impressive rebuilding and development of Würzburg has been the achievement of subsequent generations, for whom the city's devastation is inevitably invested with different, less personal resonances. The general consensus in the city is that the past has, in places, been consigned to oblivion, and respect for the loss of this rich historical inheritance sacrificed in favour of an overly authentic reconstruction. Nevertheless, Würzburg's visitors come in search of 'time regained'. They can enjoy the view from the windows of the Residence, out over the princely forecourt towards cathedral and fortress in the distance. In the shade of the cathedral of St. Kilian and connecting Neumünster church, they are free to take in the beauty of the surrounding architecture. The peace of the Lusamgärtchen invites quiet reflection beside the simple memorial to the poet Walther von der Vogelweide, who spent his final years in Würzburg and is said to be buried there.

Würzburg's 'Alte Mainbrücke' was built in 1133. Just a few minutes' stroll from the cathedral, it has now been pedestrianised, thanks to the foresight of the city council, and from it, surrounded by twelve saintly statues, visitors can absorb the full impact of the view. The ford, just below the bridge, dates back to prehistoric times and was crucial to the maintenance of age-old trade routes, linking Frankfurt and other cities in the south-west to those in the north and east. The river Main itself is a historic shipping route and, together with ford and Marienberg fortress, was responsible for the city's foundation. Excavations have proved beyond doubt that both the city centre and fortress area on the other side of the river have been established settlements since prehistoric times. The Chapel of Our Lady, or 'Marienkapelle', situated in the inner courtyard of the fortress, attests to the widely accepted existence of an early Christian church in the eighth century.