Is Wurzburg Residence Worth Visiting?
Read our tips to get the most out of your visit to Wurzburg Residence.
Without any doubt, the Wurzburg Residence is one of the must-visit attractions in Wurzburg.
The 18th-century palace that is only a short walk from Wurzburg's town center is a jewel of baroque architecture, filled with richly decorated rooms, remarkable frescoes, and beautiful gardens.
No wonder it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For us, it was undoubtedly one of the most impressive historic landmarks we visited in Bavaria.
Unlike the Munich Residence, another magnificent royal residence, you don't need that much time to see it all.
Here, we've compiled this guide to help you have a more enjoyable trip to Wurzburg Residence.
History
Wurzburg Residence (Wurzburger Residenz in German) was commissioned by the Prince-Bishop of Wurzburg, Johann Philipp Franz von Schonborn.
Until then, Prince-Bishops of Wurzburg resided in the Marienberg Fortress on the opposite side of the river.
Philipp Franz thought that the current solution did not fit the importance of Prince-Bishops, who were some of the most important figures in the Holy Roman Empire.
So, he came up with the idea of building a palace to match the opulence of the Palace of Versailles or Schonbrunn Palace.
It was built between 1720 and 1744, with interiors being finished in 1780. The main architect was appointed Balthasar Neumann, a native of Eger (today known as Cheb, Czechia).
The Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and his son, Domenico, are the authors of the stunning frescoes in the building.
If you have been to the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg or similar places, you already know that most German cities were heavily bombed during WW2.
Wurzburg was no exception, and this building was badly damaged by the Allies as well.
During the guided part of the tour, we learned that the opulent fresco miraculously survived the bombing.
In one of the rooms, we learned the story of John D. Skilton, an American officer stationed in Wurzburg after the war.
He deeply loved art and helped to save the Tiepolo ceiling by building a wooden roof to protect the frescoes against the elements like rain and wind.
In 1981, Wurzburg Residence was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
How to Visit Wurzburg Residence
Wurzburg Residence has a central location, so you can easily get there on foot while sightseeing the city.
For us, it was a fast-paced 20-minute walk from Marienberg Fortress as this was the place we visited the first thing in the morning.
We knew the guided tours in English were available twice a day, so we tried to reach the Wurzburg Residence before 11 AM. Luckily, we managed to get there on time.
Guided Tour
If there's one tip we can share with you about Wurzburg Residence, it's that you should take the tour. It's very informative, fairly short, and included in the ticket price.
Unlike some other palaces, like Schloss St. Emmeram, which we toured while in Regensburg, the regular Wurzburg Residence tour basically focuses only on Staircase Hall and Imperial Hall (with a brief stop at White Hall).
Still, it's definitely worth it, and we can't imagine how much we would have missed without it.
Plus, it helped us to notice additional details about similar places we visited in the following days.
After the tour, we had plenty of time to explore the remaining areas of Wurzburg Residence on our own.
The only downside is that the English tour departs only twice a day.
Remember that photography is not allowed during the tour, but don't stress about it; you will have plenty of time afterward.
Self-Guided Tour
You can tour Wurzburg Residence without a guide, but you will miss many details (so make sure to get at least the official guidebook containing essential information).
So here are some of the most notable places you can see within the Wurzburg Residence, including the Northern and Southern Imperial Apartments.
Garden Hall
The first place you can visit is the Garden Hall (Gartensaal), with impressive marble columns and a beautiful ceiling painting that includes images of Feast of the Gods or Diana at Rest.
It used to connect the palace with the Court Garden, but now the access through the door is not available to visitors.
Staircase Hall
Designed by Balthasar Neumann, the Staircase Hall is probably the finest example of a palace's grandeur.
While this Baroque hall, which was 23 meters high and had three flights of stairs, was impressive, it was the ceiling painting by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo that stole all our attention.
It is one of the world's largest ceiling fresco, which pretty much sums it up.
It depicts four continents - Europe, America, Africa, and Asia, a realm of the gods, or the glorification of the Prince-Bishop Karl Philipp von Greiffenclau, who commissioned this piece of art.
Imperial Hall
The other room we visited with a guide was the Imperial Hall (Kaisersaal), also dominated by beautiful frescoes depicting scenes from Wurzburg's history.
Here, we learned some really cool details and facts.
For instance, the 9-meter columns are not made of marble but are a result of intricate stucco work that only looks like marble (this was done to save money).
Green Lacquered Room
The green color on the walls that give this room a unique look was applied to a silver base, which gave it depth and a bright shine.
Unfortunately, the Green Lacquered Room was damaged during WW2, and the effect is no longer as prominent as it used to be.
Still, it's one of the highlights of every visit to the Wurzburg Residence, partly also because of the three-dimensional wooden floors made by Balthasar Hermann.
Mirror Cabinet
With walls decorated with inset glass panels, stuccos, and carvings, the Mirror Cabinet (Spiegelsaal) is one of the most beautiful rococo rooms in Wurzburg Residence.
The room was destroyed during the WW2 air raids but recreated in the 1980s using the original techniques. The results are simply extraordinary.
This theme is quite common, though; we could see similar rooms in places like Linderhof Palace or New Palace Bayreuth.
Court Chapel
After you're done with the residence, you can take the extra time to tour the Court Chapel (Hofkirche) afterward (it's free to enter).
The Baroque chapel is supposed to be very ornate and worth seeing, but it was closed at the time of our visit.
Court Garden
After touring all the accessible rooms and areas at the Wurzburg Residence, we headed out to explore the Court Garden.
The adjacent palace garden that was built during the rule of Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim is free to visit.
Despite it being a fairly cold day, we really enjoyed strolling through the garden.
Surprisingly, it was not as huge as the gardens at Nymphenburg or Neues Schloss Schleißheim.
We then headed back to the historical center, where we continued exploring this impressive city.
So check out our post on the best things to do in Wurzburg to learn more.
Photography
As mentioned earlier, photography is allowed at Wurzburg Residence for personal purposes (just not during the guided tour).
Opening Hours
Wurzburg Residence is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM between April and October (the last entry is 5:15 PM).
During November-March, you can visit the residence daily between 10 AM and 4:30 PM (the last entry is at 4 PM).
Unlike some other Bavarian castles and palaces, Wurzburg Residence offers tours in English every day from 11 AM and 3 PM.
German tours are obviously more frequent, usually every 20 minutes in the peak season and 30 minutes in the off-season.
The Court Garden is open daily until dusk or 8 PM.
Entrance Fee
The entry fee at Wurzburg Residence is €9 for adults. The best part is that the ticket includes a guided tour, but remember that you need to time your visit right (at least if you want to join the English tour).
Wurzburg Residence tickets were only available at the ticket offices inside the building, and the tour couldn't be booked in advance at the time of our visit.
The Court Garden at Wurzburg Residence is free to enter. If you're traveling around Germany on a budget, that's great news.
You can still admire the Wurzburg Residence from outside and walk around the gardens for free.
How Much Time Do I Need
We believe two to three hours sounds about right for Wurzburg Residence. The guided tour took about 40 minutes, but that was just the tour.
Then, we explored the adjacent rooms and stopped again at the Staircase Hall to take some photos.
Don't forget that you can easily spend at least another 30 minutes in the castle garden.
When to Go
Wurzburg Residence is open all year round, which is great news for travelers visiting Bavaria in the off-season.
While technically there is no best time to visit, remember that the adjacent Court Garden is most beautiful from late spring (May or June) to early autumn (September).
We visited the Wurzburg Residence in April, and the garden was already pretty green (though it was generally a cold day).
Keep in mind that summer is the main travel season in Germany, and popular attractions, such as Wurzburg Residence, see more visitors during this period.
Obivously, you can explore Wurzburg Residence in the winter.
Even though this is an ideal season for exploring museums and similar places, be prepared that Bavaria is generally very cold during this period, and visiting some places like Neuschwanstein might not be as enjoyable as during summer.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
What to Pack
Bring only essentials as you must leave your daypack at the locker before you depart on tour (a deposit of one Euro coin is required).
Obviously, don't leave anything valuable in it.
Our next tip is to bring your favorite camera with an ultrawide lens to fit all that grandeur in your frame, though a telephoto lens is also useful to capture all the details.
How to Get There
There are several ways to get to Wurzburg Residence, including by car, train, bus, bike, or foot.
On Foot
If you're already in the city, the easiest way to reach Wurzburg Residence is on foot.
It's centrally located, and you can walk there from Rathaus or Marktplatz in about 10 minutes.
If you're getting around Germany by public transport, note that Wurzburg Hauptbahnhof is also about a 10-15 minute walk from Wurzburg Residence.
Car
We drove to Wurzburg from Bamberg during our Bavaria road trip via Schweinfurt (north route), but you can also follow the A3 (south route).
Wurzburg Residence is about 90 minutes from Nuremberg, 90 minutes from Frankfurt, two hours from Stuttgart (A3), and 3 hours and 15 minutes from Munich.
Rent a Car
We use Rentalcars.com, a reliable rental website that helps you compare prices, find the best car rental deals, and make reservations for your next trip.
Parking
You have several options if you're arriving in Wurzburg by car, as it all depends on your itinerary.
There is a huge parking lot right in front of the Wurzburg Residence.
While it's paid parking (with rates similar to nearby parking garages), it has a convenient location for those who want to explore Wurzburg on a day trip.
Obviously, if you plan on staying in Wurzburg overnight, your best approach is to book a hotel with on-site parking.
As we visited Marienberg Fortress first, we left our vehicle at Parkplatz Talavera. It was a bit out of the city center but free at the time of our visit.
Public Transport
The nearest bus stops to Wurzburg Residence are Mainfranken Theater and Residenz.
If you prefer the tram, get off at Dom stop. Again, unless you're really strapped for time, you can easily cover Wurzburg's city center on foot.
Where to Stay
Thanks to its central location, you can find several great hotels near Wurzburg Residence.
This is excellent news, as you don't have to compromise on quality or comfort if you want to stay as close to this beautiful site as possible.
The following hotels with excellent reviews are within a 5-minute walk from Wurzburg Residence.
Motel One Wurzburg | Right in the heart of Wurzburg, only a 3-minute walk from the Wurzburg Residence, you can stay at Motel One Wurzburg. This contemporary 3-star hotel has air-conditioned rooms, helpful staff, and a buffet breakfast.
Hotel Franziskaner - Located only 500 meters from Wurzburg Residence, this family-run 3-star hotel is perfect for those seeking a relaxing experience. It has a quiet location, bright rooms (some with balconies), a scenic roof terrace, and a tasty breakfast.
Best Western Premier Hotel Rebstock | If you're seeking a bit more luxury, Hotel Rebstock is a great place to stay. This 4-star hotel with a beautiful facade has comfortable rooms, amazing food, and a free off-site sauna. It is about 600 meters from Wurzburg Residence.
Is Wurzburg Residence Worth Visiting?
So let’s get back to the title of this article and our answer to that. In our opinion, Wurzburg Residence is a must-see while visiting the third-largest city in Franconia.
This UNESCO-listed palace is too grand to miss; it has stunning interiors and interesting history, and the Tiepolo's frescoes took our breath away.
Together with the Marienberg Fortress, it was one of the main highlights of our visit to this beautiful Bavarian city.
So the answer to your question about whether Wurzburg Residence is worth seeing is easy: yes.
If you want to see more UNESCO-listed places in Bavaria, visit Regensburg's Altstadt, Church of Wies, or Margravial Opera House.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
