Würzburger Residenz

About the museum

In the early 18th century, the prince-bishops of Würzburg moved their court from the Festung Marienberg fortress into the city. On May 22, 1720, Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn had the foundation stone laid for a new residence. Overall planning was entrusted to the young court architect Balthasar Neumann, who coordinated his designs with leading architects from Vienna and Paris such as Lucas von Hildebrandt, Robert de Cotte, and Germain Boffrand. The Court Church was consecrated in 1743, and the shell of the building was completed at the end of 1744.

For the interior, the patrons from the House of Schönborn and their successors brought in artists of European stature: Antonio Bossi created the stucco work, and the Venetian Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted the frescoes in the Imperial Hall and on the vault of the monumental staircase from 1751 to 1753. Further suites of rooms and the Court Garden were added by around 1780. The result, completed in barely a generation, was a palace of remarkable unity.

Secularization brought the prince-bishopric to an end; after an interlude under Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany, Würzburg passed to Bavaria in 1814. In 1921 the Residenz was opened to the public as a museum.

In the air raid of March 16, 1945, the building burned out almost completely. However, the central section with the staircase, the White Hall, and the Imperial Hall was largely spared, and much of the furnishings had been moved to safety in time. Reconstruction lasted until 1987, when the reconstructed Mirror Cabinet reopened. As early as 1981, UNESCO had inscribed the Residenz, together with the Court Garden and the Residenzplatz, on the World Heritage List.

Highlights

• Staircase with the enormous ceiling fresco by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
• Imperial Hall with Tiepolo's frescoes and gilded stucco
• White Hall with stucco work by Antonio Bossi
• Mirror Cabinet, reconstructed after its destruction in the war
• Court Church by Balthasar Neumann and Lucas von Hildebrandt (free admission)
• Baroque Court Garden with espaliered and trained fruit trees

Permanent exhibitions

• Prunkräume der Residenz – Tour through around 40 period rooms, from the vestibule via the staircase, White Hall, and Imperial Hall to the Imperial Apartments, the Ingelheim Rooms, and the Princes' Hall, with 18th-century furniture, tapestries, and paintings.
• Staatsgalerie in der Residenz Würzburg – Branch gallery of the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) in the north wing, with Venetian painting from the Renaissance to the Tiepolos.
• Gedenk- und Dokumentationsraum – Rooms on the tour that recall the destruction of the Residenz in March 1945 and the decades-long reconstruction.

Founded

1921

Operated by

Bayerische Verwaltung der staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten und Seen

Visitors per year

approx. 365,601 (2025)

Admission & discounts

2026 prices. Court Church and Court Garden free. The ticket includes participation in a guided palace tour (up to 45 minutes). Private themed tours for groups €100 fee plus admission (foreign-language surcharge €10). Annual pass €55 (family/partner €100), 14-day multi-day ticket €40 (€80).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Access to the ticket office via a ramp (9.3%); the historic entrance door must be opened manually. All important areas step-free by elevator (130 × 120 cm), doors at least 90 cm wide. Three accessible parking spaces directly in front of the Residenz (approx. 100 m, cobblestones); accessible restroom on the ground floor by the lockers. Court Church step-free via a ramp in the 2nd inner courtyard; Court Garden accessible through several gates, paths to the upper promenade steeper than 6%. Tactile model of the Residenz next to the Court Garden entrance. Bookable guided tours in German Sign Language and in simplified language. No tactile guidance system, no audio guide, no induction loop. Assistance dogs possible (visitor report on the official website); other animals not permitted.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly

Your own strollers are not allowed in the exhibition rooms, but free loaner buggies are available. Bookable children's tours "Kunst-ZOO" (Art Zoo; ages 3–6, approx. 60 min.) and "Willkommen am Hofe!" (Welcome to Court!; from age 5, up to 90 min.), plus family and holiday activities and programs for daycare centers and schools.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

The leased restaurant is currently closed and is to be leased out again. Museum shop available. Free lockers (€1 deposit) for bags from 35 × 30 × 12 cm and backpacks. Free Wi-Fi in the museum shop, Princes' Hall, Garden Hall, and parts of the Court Garden, among other places.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 450 guests.

Available for rent through the Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung: Garden Hall (up to 450 standing, 200 banquet; mid-May to mid-October, outside opening hours only), Imperial Hall (400; mid-May to early September, evenings), White Hall (324, summer concerts only), Princes' Hall (up to 200, year-round), ground-floor vestibule (standing reception 300, only together with a hall), and Court Church (up to 160; concerts, Catholic/ecumenical weddings on Saturdays only). Suitable for concerts, lectures, ceremonies, receptions, and banquets; no wedding parties, balls, or dances in the halls.

Plan your visit