Wurzburg needs to be the home base. 7 or 8 days of Day Trips. A knowledgeable local Guide might be advisable so as not to waste time. Rothenburg seems very close. Suggest Half-timbered villages + one or two of Ludwig's castles. Perhaps Fussen? A reputable local Guide would help to maximize limited time. Possible one "overnight", maybe...Salzburg? Open to suggestions by all of how to get a smattering of different "top" sights in Germany. Most evenings need to be back in Wurzburg to visit with Adult Student Family members. Would really appreciate informed 'tips' on local Guides who operate out of Wurzburg! Also very open to "top sites" not mentioned by me when could be assessed from Wurzburg!
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
7119 posts
Ludwig's 'castles' are in southern Bavaria, with Linderhof and Neuschwanstein being the closest, but still 3-4 hours drive by car (each way). Not really a day trip unless you enjoy sitting in a car for up to 8 hours. I would suggest looking for places closer to Würzburg, like Bamburg, Nuremberg, Rothenburg OdT, or Heidelberg. Don't disregard spending a couple of days to explore Würzburg itself. Have you ruled out renting a car and doing it yourself? Or going by train and making use of the Bayern ticket?
Google has many links to websites full of possible day trips to smaller towns as well.
Posted by
Paradise
8044 posts
You've chosen a good base town for outings to interesting places.
First and foremost of these requires a direct train trip to NUREMBERG. Just over one hour each way. Walkable old town zone with pedestrianized streets, easy to navigate.
https://wikitravel.org/upload/shared/8/8d/Nuremberg_Altstadt.png
https://www.reise.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/nuernberg-altstadt.jpeg
Museums of all kinds: https://tourismus.nuernberg.de/en/discover/museums/
Walking tour with local guide: https://tourismus.nuernberg.de/en/guidedtours/old-town-walking-tours-in-english/
Rothenburg seems very close. Suggest Half-timbered villages + one or two of Ludwig's castles. Perhaps Fussen?
Ludwig built palaces in the late 19th century, not castles, and they are excessively far from Würzburg anyway. I suggest you focus on the many nice places that are close by instead.
Bamberg: A UNESCO World Heritage old town center with many half-timbered buildings, one of Germany's best-preserved towns, lots to see and do, known for its brewery-restaurants and smoke-beer. 55 minutes from Würzburg by direct train.
Bad Windsheim: a half-timbered town with an excellent open-air museum, the Franconian Freilandmuseum that educates you on how the locals have lived here for the last 600+ years. 1 hr, 15 minutes, change trains in Steinach:
Ochsenfurt and Marktbreit: two half-timbered towns that are very close to Würzburg on the Main River. Direct train, just 20 minutes away:
Rothenburg: 1 hr, 10 minutes; change trains in Steinach
Iphofen: An old walled town with towers, loved by wine enthusiasts and artists, with Tilman Riemenschneider works in the city's church. Just 25 minutes from Würzburg by direct train:
https://tramino.s3.amazonaws.com/s/iphofen/752858/160927-iphofen-ortsprospekt-eng-web.pdf
If you'll be making multiple outings, as I suspect, look into the DEUTSCHLAND TICKET which is good for ALL types of transportation throughout Germany - regional trains, subways, buses, trams, and valid for one month at a bargain price.
https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-germany.htm#Deutschlandticket
A day ticket like the Bayern Ticket will cost €54/day/3 persons, so €18 each per day, but it comes with hours restrictions (no travel before 9 am on weekdays) which may constrain your day trip travels to some degree. The Deutschland-Ticket (€63 each) has no such restrictions and requires just one purchase for a full calendar month of travel.
Posted by
Atlanta
5655 posts
...Suggest Half-timbered villages...
Miltenberg is only an hour or so west of Wurzburg. Google it and see if it interest you.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
9269 posts
You don't mention when you will be there, but in Wurzburg, a very popular thing for locals and tourists alike is to grab a bottle of wine, and head to the old Main bridge, now pedestrian. You can also buy a glass or bottle there, then just chill with the dozens (hundreds?) of others enjoying the evening. Also a couple good beer gardens nearby.
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
2610 posts
April is a great time to be in Frankonia! The trees will be leafing out, the flowers blooming, and everything will be green. It will probably rain, so expect that, but not every day.
The Residence in Wurzburg is better than Neuschwanstein. The fortress is undergoing major refurbishment, but you can still do tours. Take the bus up the hill! Rothenberg on de Tauber is just a short train ride away and very easy to do as a day trip. Nuremberg also. About an hour away by train is the pretty little town of Bad Windsheim. But, if you have a car, just take a ride down Hwy 13 through Uffenheim, Marktbergel, Bergbernheim, and down to Ansbach. It's a pretty drive, picturesque old villages, and Ansbach is really nice. (You can do this by train also, but it's a nice drive.)
Take a very short train ride to Kitzengen and walk the old town there. Very pretty. From there you can drive down Hwy 8 through Markt Bibart, and Neustadt an der Aisch to Nuremberg, another nice drive with old, historic, towns.
Bamberg is close, and very popular, but just a bit further over to the east is Bayreuth, which I prefer.
i can't recommend a guide, but it's really not hard to find half timbered houses, castles, and places with a lot of history in this area. And while the major cities, like Schweinfurt and Regensburg got flattened by bombs in WWII, most of the small towns in this part were spared, as the war was pretty much over when the Allied Armies swept through.
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1614 posts
Can't recommend a guide. We go to Prichsenstadt every year in May to buy wine. https://prichsenstadt.de/ Take some time for the Franken Wine region. Great view of the Main River valley Mainschleife at Vogelburg.
https://vogelsburg-volkach.de/
Posted by
Atlanta
5655 posts
The Residence in Wurzburg is better than Neuschwanstein.
Agree 100%! Do not visit Wurzburg without going to the Residence. And be sure you do not miss the small chapel that is located on one end of the main building. It is absolutely jaw droppingly beautiful.
Posted by
Duluth, MN🌲
11560 posts
Don't forget that Tilman Riemenschneider lived and worked in Würzburg for many years, so you have a wonderful opportunity to see some of his incredible sculptures, especially those of wood. And I think his Lamentation, dated to before 1508, is now at Würzburg University, in the Martin von Wagner Museum.
If you make it to Rothenburg, definitely look for his Altarpiece of the Holy Blood at St. Jacobs (St. Jakobskirche). It's one of the most brilliant and breathtaking pieces of art I've ever seen. I could look at it for hours and I'm not even religious. 😊