2014 Germany Trip - Cathedral of Trier (Trierer Dom)/Cathedral of St Peter (Hohe Domkirche St. Peter zu Trier) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche) (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: Porta Nigra (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Visiting Liebfrauenkirche would naturally lead to another tour to the Cathedral of Trier next door. The structure is so humongous that it is easily be mistaken as a fortress. Compared to the former, the cathedral had lighter shades to its exterior but since both churches were basically next to each other and joined, it could confuse visitors that there were one church instead of two.

Cathedral of Trier

2014 Germany Trip - St Gangolf's Church @ Trier

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to


<- previous: Main market (Hauptmarkt)

next: Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche) (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Trier has no shortage of churches just like any other German cities with a long history. In fact they even had their churches differentiated by political affiliations due to the fact that the archbishops of past were both religious as well as secular leaders of a city. The Church of St Gangolf was the citizen's church and the second oldest church in Trier, second only to Trier Cathedral.

The Baroque portal that led me from Main Market square into the Church of St Gangolf.

2014 Germany Trip - Main Market (Hauptmarkt) @ Trier

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Roman Bridge (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: St Gangolf's Church ->

The Main Market square of Trier was not a UNESCO World Heritage Site, however there was no doubt that it was one of the most important places in the city. A large square surrounded by beautifully preserved houses and structures, it was also a place that travelers should not skip in his visit to Trier. Its location near famous sites and as the geographical center of the historic section meant that it is not very likely for one to miss it anyway.

Main Market square is a concoction of buildings from different era and a confluence of streets.

2014 Germany Trip - Electoral Palace (Kurfürstliches Palais) and Palace Gardens @ Trier

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Aula Palatina (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: Roman Bridge (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Almost every famous cities or towns in Germany has a castle or palace, which are as ubiquitous as an aging church in the country. Trier's own representative is the Electoral Palace, an elaborate Rococo beauty situated close to the heart of the historic town center and adorned with spacious Palace Gardens. During my visit it was unfortunately not opened for visit - I realized only quite late that it was still used presently as a district administration office and not opened regularly for public visit. It was a pity because a beautiful Rococo staircase adorned the palace's interior and it would be great to see it up close.

The beautiful south wing facade of Trier's Electoral Palace

2014 Germany Trip - Holy Trinity Church (Dreifaltigkeitskirche)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

I wandered around Speyer aimlessly after completing my tour in and around Speyer Cathedral. It was grand and imposing but it somehow lacked the kind of impact I felt in other churches I loved in my trip. In my stroll around the alleyway nearby the cathedral, I stumbled upon this church building that was partially hidden from Maximilianstraße. With a curiosity that could kill more than a cat, I took a step in to see what this building held within.

Baroque exterior

2014 Germany Trip - Marienberg Fortress (Festung Marienberg)

Location: Würzburg, Germany

German: Festung is German for fortress

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

2014 - Germany trip

The last leg of my journey across Würzburg Altstadt (that's 'Old Town' in German) brought me to the Alte Mainbrücke and the spectacular sight of Marienberg Fortress perched on top of the hill. I had visited the UNESCO listed palace, Würzburg Residenz, a palace fit for a price, and it seemed to me to be inappropriate not to visit the real residence before the commissioning of the more artistic residence.

Although the honor of a UNESCO status was conferred on Würzburg Residenz, the real power emanated from Marienberg Fortress, which had housed price-bishops for close to 5 centuries. It was a fort since time immemorial, its life being a refuge castle when first settled in the Bronze Age. Its first transformation was in around 1200 when Bishop Konrad von Querfurt built the large castle. Subsequent renovations and additions turned the castle into a fortified Renaissance palace and finally a Baroque fortress. It currently houses the Prince's Building Museum and Main-Franconian Museum.

Hilltop fortress

This mesmerizing view is the iconic image that visitors will not miss when crossing Alte Mainbrücke; more about the bridge could be read in Würzburg's Old Main Bridge (Alte Mainbrücke).

2014 Germany Trip - Würzburg Residenz's Court Garden

Location: Würzburg, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | All Würzburg attractions

My visit to Würzburg had been a few months back, and delay had led my writings from winter into spring. The scenery I saw online is far different from that which I captured, the now verdant garden was then just a drab scenery. Würzburg Residenz, the palace itself, only had its visiting hours began at 10 (it was February back then), so I began wandering around the gardens behind it. It was well worth a walk.

A reflection on Würzburg Residenz (notice the play of words...?).

2014 Germany Trip - A UNESCO Heritage @ Würzburg Residenz

Location: Würzburg, Germany

German: Residenz is German for residence, which in this case is a palace as it is a residence for the royalty

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | All Würzburg attractions

As I have come to learn in my visits, not all buildings in the UNESCO Heritage List are beautiful. They are there because of their value, not their appeal. Yet there are definitely some which are a sight to see, one which travellers would not miss for whatever reason. With Würzburg Residenz I have come to gain another insight in my travels - sometimes buildings appeal more inside than outside.

It is unfortunate that no photographs are allowed within the palace building, so I have to resort to words to describe the feelings of my visit, a task that is monumental given that the beauty I beheld was one where words failed me.

Würzburg Residenz, a UNESCO Heritage listed building, basking under the sun. On the outset, the palace of the Prince-Electors may be as impressive as those emerging from fairy tales, but its interior would charm even the most indifferent visitor.

2014 Germany Trip - Stift Haug @ Würzburg

Location: Würzburg, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

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This is not a church high on most list for a visit to Würzburg, yet it was the first I stumbled onto while on my way to Würzburg Residenz, and its beauty mesmerized me. From afar the dome top of the church was unmistakable, a remarkably beautiful Baroque structure standing tall amongst the modern dwellings and shop houses.

The dome of Stift Haug is inspired by another famous religious building, St Peter's Basilica.