On-track to discover Franconian wines & Bavarian traditions

The train guard pointed to his watch and said ‘We will arrive in Munich in just over 3-hours”, a relatively short journey from Frankfurt’s grand terminus. Yet, between these two points, I had the chance to hop into Franconia’s wine country, skip between the medieval charms of Nuremberg and jump straight into the cosmopolitan flair and Bavarian traditions of Munich, swapping a crisp glass of white wine with a ‘Die Maß’ litre glass of beer at Oktoberfest, along the way.

Viticulture and the brewing of beer holds a deep historical legacy for Bavaria, and continues to play an authentic part in the lives of locals and tourists alike. Leaving Frankfurt, the city of Goethe and skyscrapers behind, the train interplayed and intertwined with the ‘Main River’, vaguely following its meandering path, until the steep-sided ‘Steinwein’ (stone) vineyards signified our arrival at the Franconian city of Würzburg.

First Stop Würzburg

Neat rows of vineyards, seemed to wrap a protective arm around the city, and is most evident from the fortified Marienburg Castle, which sits imperiously above Würzburg, with neatly-braided vineyards draped steeply from its stone base. This elevated perch, commands a dramatic vista which encompasses a historical tapestry of medieval alleyways, market squares, church spires rising above ochre-coloured rooftops and the mighty ‘Main River’ bisected by the ‘Alte Mainbrücke’, Wurzburg’s ancient stone bridge.

The bridge is edged by twelve saintly statues, who witness the daily ritual of ‘Brückenschoppen’ (drinking a 0.25I glass of wine) at sunset. Locals come to socialise with each other, with Silvaner or Reisling wine in hand; this alfresco-experience is a modern evolution of a wine heritage whose roots date to the 8th Century.

From the bridge, one can walk towards the castle and onto nature or conversely into the medieval alleyways of the centre, which unveil buildings of great architectural importance, displaying gothic, baroque, rococo and neo-renaissance façades, like peacocks proudly fanning their feathers. These include, St Killian’s Cathedral, MarienKapelle (St, Mary’s Chapel), the Rathaus and Faulkenhaus.

Tours of subterranean cellars, such as Bürgerspital, one the city’s oldest wine producers and foundations, set-up in 1316 to help ‘the needy’, revealed vaulted spaces, elaborately carved barrel fronts and even a ‘Steinwein’ wine bottle dating to 1540, once owned by the late King Ludwig of Bavaria.

Viticulture is everywhere, soaked into the very bones of Würzburg, contributing to a very relaxed vibe. But this does not create any type of malaise; a lively student population is spread across three universities, which have produced 14 Nobel prize winners and the city is home to the UNESCO-listed – ‘The Residence’, built by Balthasar Neumann, Europe’s greatest architect of the Baroque era. The former home of the Prince Bishops of

Würzburg, held the nickname “the castle above all castles”. Witnessing the fresco painted by Venetian Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, above the grand staircase makes a visit to the city worthwhile, alone. The palace’s White Hall & Imperial Room, plays host to the annual Würzburg ‘MozartFest’; the classical music, dazzling under the chandeliers, the stucco-work and frescoes must be like stepping back in time.

Onward to Nuremburg

It took some motivation to want to leave Würzburg, a most liveable city. On the short train journey to Nuremburg, the vines were still evident upon the landscape, where stories of ‘grape-to-glass’ continues to thrive. It provides the backdrop to the Franconian wine country, where viticultural heritage is a lifestyle, presented through wine festivals and family-run producers. Word has it that in the coming years, the picturesque village of ‘Volkach’ host to the region’s largest wine festival, will have a rail connection; two great reasons to return.

In just 50-minutes the walls of Nuremburg’s old town framed my train window, before exiting Nuremberg station via the grand main hall, so as to admire the detailed mosaic walls, stucco ceiling and then standing in front of the station’s limestone façade, all of which hold early 20th century art nouveau glamour.

Opposite the station, the 12th century ‘Frauentor Gate’ and city walls embrace the old town and one can walk upon the ramparts before heading towards market square and onto Nuremberg’s Imperial Castle. To get there, the leafy and cobbled centre is a stroller’s paradise, especially walking beside the ‘Pegnitz River Canals’, a network of waterways which literally reflect the half-timbered old-world architecture. The iconic and gothic Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) overlooks market square, whilst the Imperial Castle, a symbol of Nuremberg overlooks the entire photogenic city.

What really fascinated me was Nuremberg’s underground world, in the form of their historic rock cut cellars. Our descent below the surface began directly behind the Albrecht Dürer statue, which alongside the nearby 16th-century artist’s house, survived WWII. The kilometres of tunnel network stretch beneath the ‘Imperial castle’, once one of the most important royal palaces of the Holy Roman Empire.

“Beer saved us” cited Nuremberger’s who survived the devastating allied bombings during second world war. They had sought refuge within the 13th-century subterranean beer cellars, which had taken 400-years to complete. This wasn’t the only time ‘beer’ was seen as a saviour, having replaced the undrinkable waters of medieval times; in the late 14th century, Nuremberg, had more than 40 breweries for a population of under 30,000 people. The red-sandstone walls are still scarred by ancient tunnellers, together with glow-in-the-dark phosphorescent plaques from the second world war.

The tour ended, as we blinked back into daylight, emerging into the courtyard of ‘Hausbrauerei Altstadthof’ to sample their malty Rotbier (red beer); a precursor to what awaited me in Munich. Altstadthof brewery has revived Nuremberg’s brewing tradition on the site of the former ‘Red Brewery’ and still focuses on brewing beer traditionally using copper kettles, wooden fermentation vats and equipment.

Munich is dressed to impress

The finest Lederhosen and Dirndl of every colour and pattern, swept passed me on the concourse of Munich Central Station, along with an intoxicating wave of excited anticipation as people flocked to the world-renowned ‘Oktoberfest’.

The festival only officially opens once the mayor of Munich taps the first keg in the Schottenhamel Marquee, upon the Theresienwiese (“Therese’s green”). In his wake follows 16-days of processions and parades of beer wagons, floats, folkloric costumes and festival-goers spread across 100 acres, consuming 7million litres of beer and spending around a billion euros.

Once you have found a space in one of the trophy tents, consumed a ‘Die Maß’ (stein), swayed to oompah bands, clinked glasses to ‘Ein Prosit’, admired the nimble waitresses carrying many-litres of beer rested upon buxom bosoms, experienced the fairground rides, admired the statue of ‘Bavaria’ and climbed the 97-meter-high bell tower of the nearby St. Paul’s Church to view the enormity of Oktoberfest, one is ready to explore the rest of the city.

In some ways the savvy traveller will visit Munich outside of Oktoberfest, giving time and space to infuse a quite beautiful city, with a hugely diverse culture and history dating back to 1158. One only needs to walk around the old town to admire the neo-gothic ‘Neue Rathaus’ (New Town Hall) in Marienplatz Square and the gothic ‘Frauenkirsche’ cathedral, to feel this heritage.

Art lovers can visit Germany’s biggest modern art museum ‘Pinakothek der Moderne’ or ‘Haus der Kunst ‘– museum of contemporary art. The latter hides one of Munich’s best kept secrets, ‘Goldene Bar’. Here I sat down for an alfresco drink in-between the neo-classical colonnades of the museum and listened to whoops of joy from the surfers on the fast-flowing Eisbach River rapids. Inside, the elegant and candle lit interiors, showcase walls bedecked with the wooden (and golden) panelled artwork by K. H. Dallinger, dating from 1937 depicting historical maps of alcohol production.

The Bavarian capital, also has an enviable quality of life and is the gateway to the Alps. ‘Englischer Garden’ is the place to relax, unwind or get fit, being the sprawling green lung of Munich. The city is inextricably linked with sport, as it is home to FC Bayern Munich; whether you are a fan or not, head to the ‘Halo’ shaped ‘Allianz Arena’ an architectural gem designed by Herzog de Meuron and where heavenly football is played out.

Nearby, every other type of sport is available at the Olympic Park, including a flying-fox zipwire from the Olympic stadium’s iconic tent-like roof. Adjacent BMW Welt, is a cluster of modernist architecture including the BMW museum and their cylinder-shaped HQ.

If one is still craving the ‘Oktoberfest’ experience, it can be found the year around in beer gardens or at the legendary ‘Hofbräuhaus’. It offers authentic Bavarian hearty dishes like ‘Schweinsbraten’ (roast pork) and ‘Knödel’ dumplings, washed down with steins of beer and served on sociable communal tables. Historically, ‘Hofbräuhaus’ has a strong connection to Oktoberfest, as it was the celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1810, that gave rise to Oktoberfest, and the very same King opened ‘Hofbräuhaus’ to all the citizens of Munich in 1828.

Whilst I had connected the rail dots between three great Bavarian cities, I was already planning to be ‘on-track’ to explore more of Germany’s largest regional state!