It is a prominent landmark on the left bank of the Main River in Würzburg. The mighty Fortress Marienberg is a symbol of Würzburg and served as a home of the local prince-bishops for nearly five centuries. It has been a fort since ancient times. Most of the current structures originally were built in Renaissance and Baroque styles between the 16th and 18th centuries. After Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden conquered the area in 1631 during the Thirty Years' War, the castle was reconstructed as a Baroque residence. After it ceased to serve as residence of the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg, the fortress saw repeated action in the wars of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Festung Marienberg was severely damaged by British bombs in March 1945 and only fully rebuilt in 1990. Today, it houses two museums. In the early 8th century, the Franks under Duke Hedan II constructed a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary and a fortification (earth ramparts and half-timbered houses) on the hill. The chapel - probably built at the site of a former pagan holy site dedicated to some mother goddess - and later churches that replaced it, was the reason why eventually hill and fortress became known as Marienberg ("Mary's Mount"). This likely was the first Christian church built of stone north of the Alps outside of the territory formerly controlled by Rome (i.e. east of the Rhine and on the far side of the Limes). The Prince-Bishops of Würzburg moved their residence to Marienberg beginning around 1200 as medieval fortifications were constructed on the hill. Besides its historical and architectural interests, it makes a nice hike if you choose to walk from the old city-center. From the foot of fortress hill at the Alte Brücke, there are two ways to hike up...one is more direct way to the front gate (25 minutes) and the other through the vineyard (40 minutes). A must visit if you are in Würzburg. read more

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Beautiful castle fortress! I recommend coming to see this! They have a decent amount of parking. We were there for about 2 hours and it cost 2euro to park. We did not even get to the museums because we had to go to our next stop, it's so huge and there are a lot of great views and photo spots. read more

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Evidence of pre-historic settlements have been gathered in the area and a Celtic Refuge Castle existed on the site in 704 AD. In 500 BC Wurtzburg was part of the wine trade network with Greece.The fortress has evolved over the years. The foundation of Saint Mary's church dating to the 8th century. There is a free standing Romanesque Keep dating to the 13th century.The fortress was reinforced after the Peasant Revolt of 1525 only to be overthrown in 1631 by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden during the 30 years war. The fortress was again damaged during the Napoleonic wars and WWII but it has been restored to it's predominately Medieval past. Today the fortress sits 100 meters above the Main River. It becomes a steep climb and is about a 20 minute walk from the Alte Mainbruecke. The # 9 bus will take you to the top during frrom (April-October). You can drive and park at the fortress for a fee. Once at the fortress you are free to roam and explore the exterior and Furstengarten which are beautiful and have a formal Baroque design. Views and photographic opportunities abound. See my pictures of Wurtzburg and the Alte Mainbruecker below. The fortress offers two museums both of which are worth the money. Six Euro will buy you a combined ticket. The Furstenbaumuseum contains 1200 years of Wurtzburg history while the Mainfrankischer museum has displays of paintings, furnishings, tapestries, etc.. and wood carvings by Tilman Riemenschneider. There is a restaurant and gift shop in the fortress. They sell items which I did not see in the town. read more

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For my 1400th review I chose this one. I was quite taken by Würzburg and, I had no idea it was so badly damaged due to heavy bombing during the Second World war. The fort is really special place and you can get a very good view of the town from here. You have two choices to get up here, walking from town which takes about 30 mins or driving upto the fort. There is parking just outside the gates and also some just inside the gates. The mighty Fortress Marienberg is a symbol of Würzburg and served as a home of the local prince-bishops for nearly five centuries. It has been a fort since ancient times. Most of the current structures originally were built in Renaissance and Baroque styles between the 16th and 18th centuries. After Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden conquered the area in 1631 during the Thirty Years' War, the castle was reconstructed as a Baroque residence. After it ceased to serve as residence of the Bishops of Würzburg, the fortress saw repeated action in the wars of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Festung Marienberg was severely damaged by British bombs in March 1945 and only fully rebuilt in 1990. I did not visit the museums but we did walk around the whole place and take in the beauty of the city below. I would love to come back again and spend more time finding out about the place and visiting the museums. read more

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This is a once in a lifetime experience to see a fortress and to also look down below at the beautiful view of Wurzburg. It is a very scenic walk up the hill through gardens and pathways up to the fortress. You pass through a children's park in the beginning. The fortress is massive. The trail around the perimeter at the top is also a peaceful, scenic walk. We were not able to venture up into the tower, which was disappointing. Also, the majority of the building is closed. There is a restaurant that was closed during the day. There is a very small gift shop. There is also a museum with relics to look at from the fortress. Worth the 20 minute walk up the hill to see. I would recommend going. read more

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This castle towering above Wurzburg, looms a little less dominantly than the castle in Krakow for example, but is still very impressive nonetheless. Unfortunately I didn't have time to go up there and take a closer look, but am rating it for its stunning impact on the various views you get of it from the city below. read more

A truly impressive complex high above Würzburg. The grounds are maintained very much. The Castle Fest 2010 was not as the bearer for 5 EUR admission. Time to mention the parking fees. Must for any cost in Germany Mist money? read more