Wurzburg Germany Bavaria

2067 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

AmaWaterways (72 Cruises)

Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaCerto ship

AmaCerto

162 Passengers
3500 tons
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Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaPrima ship

AmaPrima

162 Passengers
3500 tons
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Avalon Waterways (156 Cruises)

Cruise AVA Avalon Waterways Expression ship

Avalon Expression®

166 Passengers
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Avalon ImageryII.

Avalon Imagery II®

128 Passengers
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Cruise AVA Avalon Waterways Panorama ship

Avalon PanoramaSM

166 Passengers
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Avalon Tranquility II.

Avalon Tranquility II®

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CroisiEurope (16 Cruises)

Emerald Waterways (235 Cruises)

Emerald Dawn.

Emerald Dawn

227 Passengers
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Emerald Luna .

Emerald Luna

227 Passengers
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Emerald Sky.

Emerald Sky

227 Passengers
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Emerald Star.

Emerald Star

227 Passengers
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Emerald Sun

Emerald Sun

227 Passengers
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Riviera Travel (22 Cruises)

Scenic Cruises (612 Cruises)

Scenic Amber.

Scenic Amber

169 Passengers
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Scenic Crystal.

Scenic Crystal

169 Passengers
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Scenic Jade.

Scenic Jade

169 Passengers
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Scenic Jasper.

Scenic Jasper

163 Passengers
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Scenic Jewel.

Scenic Jewel

169 Passengers
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Scenic Opal.

Scenic Opal

169 Passengers
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Uniworld Boutique River Cruise (42 Cruises)

Viking River Cruises (897 Cruises)

Viking Longship Gefjon.

Viking Longship Gefjon

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Viking Longships Alsvin.

Viking Longships Alsvin

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Viking Longships Baldur.

Viking Longships Baldur

240 Passengers
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Viking Longships Idi.

Viking Longships Idi

243 Passengers
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Viking Longships Lif.

Viking Longships Lif

238 Passengers
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Viking Longships Magni.

Viking Longships Magni

240 Passengers
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Viking Longships Mimir.

Viking Longships Mimir

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Viking Longships Modi.

Viking Longships Modi

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Viking Longships Skirnir.

Viking Longships Skirnir

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Viking Longships Ve.

Viking Longships Ve

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Viking Longships Vidar.

Viking Longships Vidar

238 Passengers
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Viking Longships Vili.

Viking Longships Vili

240 Passengers
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Port of Würzburg | Cruise Port Guide

A glass of white wine enjoyed standing up, right in the middle of a stone bridge lined with statues of saints: the Brückenschoppen is a local ritual, and many passengers adopt it within an hour of arriving. Würzburg has the rare good fortune of welcoming ships right in the heart of the city: the Main quays almost touch the old town, and everything else follows on foot. All around are vine-covered hillsides, a fortress watching over the river and a Franconian capital patiently rebuilt after the destruction of 1945.

A quay beneath the old crane

Boats moor along the Kranenkai, named after the old 18th-century harbour crane whose stone silhouette still rises above the bank. You walk down the gangway, pass a few façades, and the centre begins. The old bridge can be reached in less than ten minutes, the Residence in a quarter of an hour: few river calls are as easy to explore on your own.

The bridge of saints

The Alte Mainbrücke has spanned the Main since the Middle Ages, guarded by a row of Baroque statues that includes St. Kilian, the Irish monk who became patron of Franconia. From the deck, your gaze takes in the old town's bell towers on one side and Marienberg perched on its planted hillside on the other. Nearby cafés serve the famous take-away glass: you sip it leaning on the parapet, between photos, as the locals do in the late afternoon. The comings and goings of pedestrians, cyclists and boats make up a spectacle that is hard to tear yourself away from.

The Prince-Bishops' Residence

A quarter of an hour's walk from the river, the Würzburg Residence ranks among the most accomplished Baroque palaces in Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The grand staircase designed by Balthasar Neumann opens beneath a vault painted by Tiepolo, considered the largest ceiling fresco in the world: the four continents unfold there in a whirl of skies and allegories. The Imperial Hall, the Mirror Cabinet and the chapel complete the tour, each vying with the others in stucco and gilding. The Court Garden, free to enter, then offers a green break among clipped yews and statues, with the Baroque ramparts in the background.

The fortress above the vines

On the other bank, Marienberg Fortress housed the prince-bishops before they moved into their palace on the plain. You climb up in half an hour along the paths through the vineyard, a steady climb but well rewarded: from the terraces, the view stretches over the red roofs, the bell towers and the meanders of the Main. Those less keen on walking will opt for a taxi or the bus, saving their energy for the lanes on the way back.

Bocksbeutel and Franconian lanes

The centre still has St. Kilian's Cathedral, the Marienkapelle standing opposite the market, and squares where fruit stalls sit alongside winemakers' signs. Franconia bottles its whites in the Bocksbeutel, a flattened bottle recognizable anywhere; dry Silvaner is its flagship. Two centuries-old institutions, the Juliusspital and the Bürgerspital, have funded their charitable hospital work for centuries thanks to their vineyards: tasting a glass there means drinking a piece of local history.

Port of call at a glance

SiteDistance from the dockAccess
Old bridge (Alte Mainbrücke)About 600 mOn foot
Residence and Court GardenAbout 1 kmOn foot
Marienberg FortressAbout 2 kmOn foot (uphill), taxi or bus
St. Kilian's CathedralAbout 700 mOn foot

At dusk, the citadel lights up and silhouettes crowd onto the bridge deck once again, glass in hand, while the river takes on coppery reflections. You return to the gangway in a few minutes, with the feeling of having crossed a condensed version of Franconia: the bishops' stone, a Venetian's fresco and the dry taste of a Silvaner drunk facing the vines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Along the Kranenkai, named after the 18th-century harbour crane that still raises its stone outline above the bank. The Main quays almost touch the old town: few river calls are this easy to explore on your own.
The old bridge is about 600 metres away, under ten minutes. The Residence is a kilometre, a quarter of an hour on foot. St. Kilian's cathedral is 700 metres away, and the Marienberg fortress roughly two kilometres.
A local ritual: a glass of white wine drunk standing, right in the middle of the old stone bridge lined with statues of saints. Nearby cafés serve the glass to take away, and many passengers adopt the habit within an hour of arriving.
A row of baroque statues, among them St. Kilian, the Irish monk who became patron of Franconia. From the deck the view takes in the steeples of the old town on one side and the Marienberg fortress on its planted slope on the other.
One of the most accomplished baroque palaces in Europe, inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage. The grand staircase designed by Balthasar Neumann opens beneath a vault painted by Tiepolo, considered the largest ceiling fresco in the world: the four continents unfold there in a whirl of skies and allegories.
The Imperial Hall, the mirror cabinet and the chapel complete the route, each outdoing the last in stucco and gilding. The court garden, free to enter, then offers a green pause among clipped yews and statues, with the baroque ramparts behind.
On foot, in half an hour, by the paths crossing the vineyard: a steady climb rewarded with a view over the red roofs, the steeples and the meanders of the Main. Those less keen on walking take a taxi or the bus.
Dry Silvaner, the standard-bearer of Franconian whites, bottled in the Bocksbeutel, a flattened bottle recognizable anywhere. Two centuries-old institutions, the Juliusspital and the Bürgerspital, have funded their hospital work from their vineyards for generations.
Largely not: the Franconian capital was patiently raised again after the destruction of 1945. So it is not an intact set, but the reconstruction is careful and the centre has recovered its proportions, between St. Kilian's cathedral and the Marienkapelle facing the market.
Dusk, when the citadel lights up and figures crowd the bridge deck again, glass in hand, while the river turns copper. You are back at the gangway within a few minutes. Currency: the euro.