In these days of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, what better World Heritage Site could there be to review than one whose Outstanding Universal Value is best appreciated from the inside: the Würzburg Residence (with the Court Gardens and Residence Square). So why do I attach a picture of the outside of the residence if the interior is superior to the exterior? Unfortunately, the Würzburg Residence is one of the World Heritage Sites that does not allow for interior photography, ostensibly because it hinders group tours.

Nevertheless, I do recommend a visit to the palace to see the interior, for the architecture and frescoes are marvelous. The Würzburg Residence was designed by German architect Balthasar Neumann and constructed in Baroque style during the 18th century. I appreciated my first glimpse of the house during my wait for the tour to begin in Neumann's fantastic Garden Hall on the ground floor when I visited in March of 2019. The tour continued to the grand staircase, meant to impress all visitors to the residence and topped with master artist Giovanni Tiepolo's magnificent Apollo and the Four Continents on the ceiling, apparently the largest fresco in the world. I really liked this work, and was amused at Tiepolo's interpretation of America, which remained largely unknown to him.

I would gladly have spent more time studying the fresco, but the tour continued through the first floor to the other two main highlights of the house: the Imperial Hall (or Kaisersaal) and the White Hall. The Imperial Hall was domed and ornately decorated, with marble columns, gilded and stuccoed walls and ceilings, chandeliers, and windows overlooking the gardens. On the walls were two more frescoes painted by Tiepolo, representing significant moments in Franconian history. Immediately adjacent the Imperial Hall was the White Hall, an audience chamber resplendent in stucco and covered in a beautiful parquet floor. Of the other rooms on the first floor, the only one I distinctly remember was the Venetian room, since I enjoyed the scenes of the city. At the end of the tour, I also appreciated the visit to the Hofkirche, richly designed by Neumann, and including altars painted by Tiepolo.

The Würzburg Residence is definitely worth a visit when in central Germany, but I'd also recommend a tour of the city itself, to include the Marienberg Fortress and Alte Mainbrücke, the historic bridge over the Main River. At one end of the bridge is a restaurant where I had one of my favorite meals in Germany, a pleasant memory as I spend time at home.

Logistics: The Würzburg Residence has a car park in the Residence Square at the front of the palace, and runs guided tours of the interior throughout the day.