Würzburg insider tips

WINE AT THE STONE / BISMARCK TOWER
The Würzburg Stone is the elongated vineyard that borders Würzburg to the north. It invites you to wonderful walks with a sublime view of the city. The long steep path up will certainly leave even the experienced a bit out of breath – but it's worth escaping the Würzburg fine dust bowl via this route for a good while. The "Weingut am Stein" deserves special mention. Every year (this year 28.6. – 10.07.) the "Wein am Stein" Festival takes place here. It sounds much more old-fashioned than it actually is: here old and young meet in a cosy wine and concert atmosphere at one of the festival highlights of the year. What is also remarkable is the strong line-up for such a small venue: Shantel, Jamaram and others. Even those with a small purse can listen to the music with cheap wine from the Kupsch from the neighbouring vineyards for free. The winery is also worth a meal or wine tasting otherwise. Prerequisite: your parents are visiting and paying the bill. At the end of the long vineyard path we also find the Bismarck Tower. In itself a rather ordinary stone colossus from long-forgotten times, its ambience has been home to subcultural techno parties for a few years now. So: keep your eyes and ears open!

WINE CELLAR OF THE RESIDENCE
Wine again: beneath the well-known, majestic Residence, 4500 m² (!) of space with cellar passages of almost a kilometre stores the best the region has to offer. Incidentally, Würzburg officials used to be paid in wine units. If you know our tap water, you can imagine why. For seventy-five cents you get a tour through the cellar vaults by candlelight. The state court winery promises: "During a tour through the wine cultural heritage of Würzburg Stone, all of Würzburg lies at your feet". Deal!

FRANKENWARTE
Frankenwarte …, and your long-time flatmate will say: "Of course, that's that … thing, the line XY goes there, somewhere near Steinbachtal …". Exactly: everyone has heard of it somehow, but few have actually climbed the 173 steps. The Frankenwarte offers the widest view (that's right, it's not the fortress) over the Main valley and the surrounding villages. On the way up you can also pick up the Käppele, one of Würzburg's "luminaries", on the side. On the hill there is also a playground with a huge open space for playing frisbee etc. and for firing up the barbecue. A nice, quiet oasis in the little wood, but also relatively close to the city centre and well served by public transport.

FREIRAUM
The Freiraum in Maiergasse is a non-commercial space for gatherings of all kinds. The idea behind the shop is to create space for various forms of togetherness, free from consumer pressure or dress codes. "It makes it its task to offer a threshold-free space for all people, regardless of social status, origin and age, to overcome social boundaries and promote a sense of community" (freiraumwuerzburg.wordpress.com/freiraum-wuerzburg). The changing "offer" currently consists of, amongst other things, yoga, political laboratory, a self-taught learning experiment, the intercultural tea room, the Non-Violent Communication group, meditation, and regular concerts. "Offer" is written in quotation marks because the Freiraum questions the classic model of provider + consumer. The shop grows with people who want to share their knowledge and skills with others (free of charge). Drop by on open days Wed-Sat-Sun, get involved or try out one of the various groups.

SCHELMENKELLER
Or rather: the "Schelm in the Cellar! Those in the know understand what awaits them when they have descended the steps into the old vaulted cellar. Not just a freshly poured pilsner or a good Franconian wine, plus something small from the kitchen – in the Schelmenkeller you also find a real rogue as landlord!" (www.schelmenkeller.de). There is little to add to this self-description of the Schelmenkeller. Practically impossible to find, tucked away in the depths of the Pleicher alleyways, the Schelmenkeller offers medieval atmosphere and on good days the whole place hangs on the lips of the aforementioned rogue. Cheers!

MAIN MEADOWS
On summer days the Main meadows invite you to lie around, slackline, play frisbee, barbecue and of course river bathing. The meadows are found (especially) in the districts of Zellerau and Sanderrau. Which ones are more beautiful is something the factions of both districts will certainly not agree on. According to rumour, every Würzburg student spends a semester "lying on the Main" during their studies. The BAföG office has so far refused to recognise any claims based on Main culture.

AND ALL AROUND THEN?
The semester ticket lets you explore large parts of Lower Franconia (the districts of WÜ, Kitzingen and Main-Spessart) completely free of charge. Even though classic city tours aren't included, it's worth taking a look at the map (and this article). You can reach, amongst other things, the Spessart, which may soon be placed under nature protection. The Volkach Main loop is also beautiful, the wildlife park in Sommerhausen or the Steigerwald nature reserve. This list can of course be continued, but the message should merely make clear: Netflix off, get out of the house. If you never leave Würzburg, you won't have understood the quirky people of Lower Franconia by the end of your studies.