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Medieval flavours

Eat, drink and be merry in Wurzburg, says Inder Raj Ahluwalia. After you have taken in its medieval charms, that is.

It is basically a baroque city with a southern flair. Gateway to the `Romantic Road' (a scenic 350-km journey from the River Main to the Alps), Wurzburg is made for tourism. This lively German university city straddles the river Main for miles and is sur rounded by parks and gardens with lush vineyards covering nearby hillsides.

On the morning of our visit, it looked particularly pretty. The view from the courtyard of Fortress Marienberg atop a hill couldn't have been better. The air was crisp and the sunshine mellow. At our feet flowed the Main and beyond lay the local architec tural marvels.

The medieval fortress dominates the city and has been its symbol for 1,000 years. It took us 30 minutes to scour the environs of the fortress which was remodelled several times during the Renaissance and the Baroque period. Among its interesting features are the chapel of St. Mary and the fortified Maschikuli Tower.

Since the foundation of the Wurzburg bishopric in 742 A.D., the city has been the religious centre of the region, experiencing its most prosperous period during the rule of the art-loving prince-bishops of the Schonborn family. It was for this family tha t Balthasar Neumann built the `palace of palaces', the Wurzburg Residence, now a UNESCO World Heritage monument. The Venetian artist, Tiepolo, painted a vast fresco on the ceiling above the famous staircase, thereby creating the world's largest painting. The White Hall, the Emperor's Hall, the Mirror Cabinet and the Court Church are all worth admiring.

The town offers other sights as well. St. Kilian's Cathedral is a major German architectural achievement and Germany's fourth-largest Romanesque church. An impressive number of tombstones inside date from the 12-20th century period.

The Marienkapelle (chapel of St. Mary) at the market square is one of the most interesting late Gothic Bavarian churches, with tombstones of Franconian knights and Wurzburg citizens such as Konrad von Schaumberg and Balthasar Neumann. At the portal are R iemenschneider's world-famous sandstone sculptures of Adam and Eve.

The other local `must-see' is Mainfrankisches Museum which combines the State Museum of Lower Franconia, the Historic Museum of the former high-chapter of Wurzburg and the duchy of Franconia, as well as the Museum of Wurzburg's history. Among the display s are the masterpieces of Riemenschneider and the original sculptures of Ferdinand Tietz.

The city has a varied cultural programme that includes the Festival of New Music in May, the Africa Festival in May, the world-famous Mozart festival in June, the Kiliani Fair in July, the Winemakers' Festival in October and the Jazz Festival in November .

In the land of beer, this is wine country. The famous wine estates, `Burgerspital zum HI.Geist', founded in 1319, and the `Juliusspital', founded in 1576, have a following of their own. Between them, the two estates annually produce over two million bott les, and many a bottle of Franconian wine, mild or dry, has been sampled in their portals.

Awaiting me at the Juliusspital was Horst Kolesch, the estate's manager, spokesman, and public relations representative rolled into one. ``Franconian wines are considered balanced, with lower levels of acidity and totally dry, which makes them suitable f or many dishes. Our wines go best with fish and white meat,'' he explained. The `Silvana' grape which comes from the nearby woods, is the main one in use. Around 97 per cent of the produce is consumed in Germany itself. Interestingly, Juliusspital fulfil s social obligations too. The wine estate and its proceeds belong to the `Juliusspital Charitable Foundation' which tends to the sick, the old and the needy.

Not surprisingly, wine cellars pop out of nowhere. Some are big, some small, others classy, but the most impressive one of the lot is the one under the Residenz. Here, one can try out more wines than imaginable at prices considered reasonable by German s tandards.

When it comes to feasting, Franconians know a thing or two that others don't. The pick of the local eateries is easily Wurzburger Ratskeller, a top-of-the-line tavern-cum-restaurant that resembles an art gallery. Room after room unfolds as one traverses its length and breadth, each adorned to a specific theme. The food is excellent and the ambience equally effective; it comes as no surprise that all tourist groups try to squeeze it into their itineraries.

Sure, the city's architecture is of awe-inspiring gravity but from there on, things change. The Franconian way of life ensures that there are wine houses and restaurants with a lot of flair. Visitors can partake of wine-tasting sessions and enjoy wine an d beer festivals as well as short boat or coach trips.

Or just walk around as I did and savour a mug of strong black coffee...

Fact file

How to get there: Wurzburg is a two-hour journey by train to Frankfurt, Germany's main aerial gateway. Lufthansa operates direct flights connecting Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

Where to stay: Local accommodation ranges from deluxe to standard hotels and guest houses, and the tariff is DM 60-200 ($30-100) per room.

What to do: One can enjoy diverse cuisines including typical Franconian fare. Vegetarian food is readily available. Car hire services are available but one can also walk around the city and see its sights.

Best time to visit: Weather-wise, from April through September.

Indian nationals require a visa to enter Germany.