Wowed in Wurzburg

Napoleon called the Wurzburg Residence the "nicest parsonage in Europe," and while I've yet to travel the entire world, it was easily the most beautiful building I have ever seen. This baroque palace features the world's largest ceiling fresco and enough optical illusions to make anyone take a second look.

Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed to take photos inside, so my only option is to describe the stunning interiors. There's the White Hall, filled with white stucco decorations on a light gray background. Many of the stucco patterns are designed into recognizable shapes, mostly military-related items and themes. There's the Imperial Hall with red-, white- and yellow-shaded marble and a stucco-accented white dome. The Hall also features several paintings depicting moments in Wurzburg history. There are also the Southern and Northern Apartments filled with ornate furniture and decorations, and the Court Chapel and Garden.

The most beautiful sight, however, is the entrance staircase. That's where you find the large ceiling fresco (677 square meters) by Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It's also where you'll find several optical illusions of sorts. In addition to the paintings and stucco, the palace features statues and other items protruding from the walls to provide a measure of visual depth. I visited the palace with several people on the Viking river cruise, and we were all amazed at how the artists incorporated gorgeous, decorative drapes into the walls and ceilings. And then we learned they were actually painted stucco and not real tapestries. The guide also pointed to a dog image near the base of the dome and asked if we thought it was a painting or a statue. Everyone thought it was a statue, and it was actually a 3-D style painting. I literally had to walk to the other side of the room to confirm it, that's how much I was in disbelief.

The Wurzburg Residence sits along Germany's famous Romantic Road, a popular trade route during the Middle Ages that still retains much of its medieval charm. We followed much of the Road on our cruise, and this UNESCO World Heritage Site palace was definitely the most stunning sight of all.

Though I could only take photos of the outside, I found links to online images that include some interior shots. It's not the same as seeing it in person, especially since these images lack close-ups and detail, but at least they give you an idea. Check them out here and here.