Tag: Lower Franconia

2024 · Bavaria · Germany · Travel Tuesday

A Boat Ride From Würzburg To The Veitshöchheim Court Garten, Lower Franconia, Germany 2001

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The Veitshöchheim Palace is sitting on the grounds of one of the most important Rococo gardens in Germany. Until 1802 it was the Summer residence of the Würzburg prince-bishops. The summer residence was built on the site of a hunting lodge under Prince-Bishop Peter Philipp von Dernbach from 1680 to 1682 and was enlarged from 1749 to 1753 by Balthasar Neumann, who also redesigned the roof. The ceiling stucco work by Antonio Bossi also dates from this time, and the staircase sculptures were completed by Johann Peter Wagner in 1780. The castle has been owned by the Bavarian Crown since 1814 and was also used as a summer palace by the royal family in the 19th century.

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After the 4th of July, Kevin and I had off a couple of days. Since the weather was so nice, we decided we do something outdoors. So, we went to the Main River to take a boat ride from Wurzburg to Veithoechheim approximately 5 miles (8 km) down the river.

When we arrived in Veithshöchheim I made sure I knew the boat schedule, before we walked over to the Court Garden. Kevin and I were strolling around in the gardens until we arrived at the Grotto with Belvedere, where the bottom part has animal sculptures, which are made of shells and snail houses. I was always fascinated with the grotto when I was a child visiting the Court Garden. The gardens have a lot of historical sculptures of astronomical figures, poets, and many more.

When it was time to leave, Kevin and I went to the ice cream parlor before we made our way down to the boat again. On the boat ride back to Würzburg, we had a nice view of the vineyards am Stein. This Franconian wine from these vineyards is famous all over Germany and Europe.

2023 · Bavaria · Days of The Week · Germany · Travel Tuesday

Würzburg & Fortress Marienberg, Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany 1993

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One afternoon in May 1993, I went up to our Fortress in Würzburg. Once, I walked up the hill, I captured some photos of the Fortress Marienberg. There is also a big wall, where visitors can overlook the city of Würzburg, which is my hometown where I was born, raised, and lived for 30 years before I moved to the United States.

Würzburg was also the filming location for the “The Three Musketeers” in 2010. Other places included Bamberg, Burghausen, the Herrenchiemsee Palace, Munich, and Potsdam in Germany. The movie was released in 2011.

2023 · Bavaria · Days of The Week · Germany · Travel Tuesday

From Schaippach To The Rieneck Castle In Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany ~ 1986

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Rieneck Castle (German: Burg Rieneck) is a hill castle in the town of Rieneck, in Bavaria, southern Germany. It was built by Ludwig I, Count of Loon and Rieneck, around 1150. It is today used by the German Christian Guide and Scout Association. Rieneck Castle sits on a hill in the town of Rieneck, overlooking the Sinn river. It is located in the Spessart hills, in the Main-Spessart district of Bavaria, about 80 km east of Frankfurt.

In 1150 Ludwig I, Count of Loon and Rieneck, ordered the building of the castrum Rinecke on the northeastern boundary of his territory, with the aim of safeguarding the lands of this aristocratic family against the neighboring lordships of Mainz, Würzburg, and Fulda. The little hill in the Sinn valley offered excellent conditions. There was only one direction where the castle required additional protection by a defensive ditch and offered as narrow a front as possible to attack. The latter can be clearly seen in the ground plan of the keep, the 19-metre high “Thick Tower”, which is outwardly an irregular, seven-sided polygon, whose tip points towards the nearby hill. The castle complex initially consisted simply of a courtyard surrounded by defensive walls, and the keep, with its 4 to 8-metre thick walls. Inside the walls, half-timbered buildings were constructed as living quarters, store rooms, and stables. Of these only what we now know as the “arched cellar” survives.

Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rieneck_Castle

2023 · Bavaria · Days of The Week · Germany · Travel Tuesday

A School Trip To Randersacker, Germany ~ 1985

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The Kartoffelturm (Potato Tower) was built before WWII to warrant a great view over the Main river. The tower is located in the vineyards of Randersacker which produce some of the best wine in Lower Franconia. The whole area is worth a hike. You can start in Würzburg and then either go alongside the Main river or directly walk through the vineyards. Wherever you look, you will see a beautiful idyllic coexistence of nature and human life. Trees, shrubbery, and meadows are omnipresent between the river and the mountains. Once you go uphill you can enjoy the fantastic clean air of this region. And when you arrive at the Sonnenstuhlturm you will have a magnificent panoramic view. In 1972, the name was changed to Sonnenstuhlturm (Sun Lounger Tower, or Sun Deck Chair Tower). However, Kartoffelturm is still the more common name for the residents of Würzburg and Randersacker.

Randersacker is located in the south of Würzburg. This part of the Main is called Maindreieck. The term refers to the course of the river, it looks similar to a triangle. The city of Würzburg is about three miles away from the village center of Randersacker. There are two subdistricts: Lindelbach and the main part Randersacker.

2023 · Bavaria · Days of The Week · Germany · Travel Tuesday

From Schaippach To Gemünden In Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany ~ 1985

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When I was 11 my schoolmates and I went to a school camp in Schaippach an der Sinn with our teacher. In the mornings, we had regular school. But school started at 9 AM and ended at noon. and in the afternoon, we hiked several miles to learn more about regional history and geography. There was still plenty of time to hang around the building or sit in the story area and write a letter or postcard for the family at home. We had also responsibilities like taking care of the dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Make our beds and go to bed on time. Sleeping was another story when being in a room with nine other girls. After five or six days, we rode the bus back home, where our parents, in my case grandparents, were waiting in front of the school to pick us up. At home, we had a lot of stories to tell about that week at camp.

On one hike we went from Schaippach to Gemünden. Our teacher was always talking about the merging of the rivers Sinn and Saale into the River Main (pronounced: mine). A river merging with another river into a larger river means “münden” in German. Therefore the town at the three rivers is named Gemünden. So, we students wanted to see it and hiked to the exact place, where the merging of the rivers can be viewed from that spot.

Gemünden is about 25 miles (40 km) NNE down the river from my hometown Würzburg and located in the region of Main-Spessart in Lower Franconia, Northern Bavaria Germany.

2023 · Bavaria · Days of The Week · Germany · Travel Tuesday

A Late Summer Hike In Guttenberger Wald ~ 1984

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When I began 5th grade, I had a teacher who loved to hike. So, a lot of times we had school outdoors by hiking to places from Würzburg to Randersacker, to Frankenwarte, and many other outdoor places. Rain or shine, we hiked instead of sitting in a stuffy classroom all year.

One place, we went to was the Guttenberger Wald, which is an unincorporated forest near the Reichenberg/Höchberg area in the district of Würzburg, Germany. The Guttenberger Wald has an area of 18.05 km ² (4480 acres) and is 362 meters (1188 feet) above sea level. It is a nice and quiet place away from the city.