So sorry for ghosting everyone, life got in the way. And honestly I just wasn’t feeling this entry anymore, but it is such an amazing town that I want to do it justice.

Here we go- my son’s name is Kyllian, therefore a quick google search looking for St. Killian festival or church will show you that this blog post is about Würzburg, Germany.

This Stadt (city) was recommended to me to visit by a friend from back in the states. He mentioned how gorgeous the architecture was as well as how amazing the church was. Although it was a complete surprise that the church was named St. Killian. An even bigger coincidence is that we just so happened to visit on the feast day of St. Killian. Which they celebrate by, you guessed it, a festival. The festival lasts an entire month long. If you are familiar at all with Germany, you’ll know they love their festivals. Between Easter to Christmas you can pretty much find a celebration festival every weekend. They really do know how to have fun.

The city itself is located about an hour and a half from Frankfurt. It is a quick day trip via train and definitely worth it! The city was originally founded in 1000 BCE by Celts and well known for its religious architecture. However, it was heavily bombed and destroyed during a 20-minute British raid in 1945. The city was ultimately rebuilt and reestablished, however it has a more modern feel mixed with old baroque architecture.

We started out heading to, you guessed it- St. Kilians. The building itself was built around the 700s and the skulls of three Saints (St. Totnan, St. Colman, and of course, St. Kilian) were placed in the High Altar and are still there today. The church itself is worth a visit as it is beautiful and also includes a considerable collection of art, tombs, and statues.

After leaving The Cathedral, we decided to explore the town and sit down for some authentic Bavarian cuisine. We decided to eat at a restaurant called Sternbäck. I opted for the Käsespätzle and a glass of local white wine, while Patrick ordered the Weißwurst, which is a traditional Bavarian white sausage made from minced veal, pork back, and various spices. As someone who doesn’t eat meat, it wasn’t my jam, but he had no complaints.

After lunch we hit the Marktplatz to find a lovely farmer’s market with local vendors, Oberer Markt. We walked around for a while browsing all of the food and other items until we came across yet another chapel, Marienkapelle. The marktplatz itself as well as the church, like much of European history, has a violent past. During the ‘Black Death’ plague of 1349, a rumor spread that the Jewish community was responsible for the sickness by poisoning the wells. As such, on April 21, 1349, the Jewish community was brutally murdered and their quarter razed while the synagogue was burned. Construction then began in 1379 on the Roman Catholic chapel that stands presently, St. Mary’s Chapel. While the both the inside and outside of the chapel is stunning, it is important to not forget the bloodied history surrounding this chapel and understand the implications on which it was built.

After exploring the Marktplatz, we headed towards the Alte Mainbrücke (Old Main Bridge), or ‘Old Wine Bridge’ as its often referred to. This bridge connects old town with the marktplatz and offers incredible views of the river as well as the Marienberg Fortress. The bridge itself also houses 12 statues representing old bishops, Franconian Apostles, and Charlemagne and his Father, Pippin. Brückenschoppen is the local tradition of enjoying a glass of the regional Franconian wine while walking across the bridge and taking in the views. A must do if visiting on a sunny day.

When we finished the walk, we drove up to the Marienberg Fortress. It is possible to walk through the vineyards and is supposedly a nice hike, but we aren’t that kind of family. Especially with a 1 month old in tow. Unfortunately the fortress itself is currently closed indefinitely due to construction, but it is worth the trip up to see the outer walls and views of the city below. As such, I am not going to delve into its history since I didn’t get to learn much about the fortress itself. Hopefully on my next trip to Würzburg I can discover more about it’s history.

Würzburg is definitely an underrated city within Germany and I love being able to explore these places that are often overlooked by tourists.

Anyways, apologies for such a long time between posts, my main goal was to write about my exploits chronologically but that isn’t just how my brain works. For now on, I hope to post more frequently and I’m going to write about what I want, when I want, and where I want to. Thanks for following along and delving into the chaos that is my brain and my life.

Next post- I’m thinking a trip I just got back from and absolutely loved. Think blue seas and skies, amazing islands, and beautiful Roman History.