Juliusspital, Würzburg

The Juliusspital has been a hospital, care home and winery all at once for more than four centuries. Behind the long yellow façade on Juliuspromenade lies an arcaded courtyard with a Baroque fountain, then a park with a garden pavilion, and underneath one of Franconia's most impressive wine cellars. In a city shaped by both church and wine, this is where you see the two together.

History: a hospital funded by vineyards

Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn laid the foundation stone on 12 March 1576, endowed the foundation with fields, forests and vineyards in 1579, and on 10 July 1580 the first 21 patients were admitted. The hospital was meant for the poor, the sick, orphans and pilgrims. To build it, Echter also had the cemetery of the expelled Jewish community levelled, a dark side of the story. Famous doctors such as Albert von Koelliker and Rudolf Virchow later worked here. The main building was almost completely destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt by 1953. In 2026 the foundation celebrates its 450th anniversary.

It still funds its social work partly through wine: the estate is one of the largest in Germany, with sources giving between 163 and 177 hectares of vineyards.

What to see

• Fürstenbau and courtyard: The long Baroque wing with arcades frames a courtyard with a fountain by Jakob van der Auvera from 1706.
• Garden pavilion: Built in 1705–1714, it served as an anatomical theatre until 1853. Fine stucco survives inside.
• Rococo pharmacy: One of Germany's finest historic pharmacies with its original fittings, shown on certain tours.
• Barrel cellar: 225 metres long and lined with 220 oak barrels, many with carved ends.

Tours and prices (as of October 2026)

The public wine walk lasts about 90 minutes, covers 1.5 km through the grounds and cellars and includes three wines, for €21 per person. Dates until 20 December 2026: Fridays 17:00, Saturdays 15:00, 17:00 and 17:30, Sundays 10:30 (including the Rococo pharmacy). Children under 14 go free. A three-hour tasting in the barrel cellar with six wines and a Franconian snack platter costs €50. The wine shop in the tithe barn is open Monday to Saturday 10:00–19:00 from March to December.

Getting there

The Juliusspital is on Juliuspromenade, about ten minutes on foot from both the main station and the cathedral. Drivers can use the public Juliusspital car park, entered from Koellikerstraße 4.

Tripto tip

Allow one to two hours for courtyard, park and a tour. The Sunday 10:30 tour is the best pick, as it includes the pharmacy. In Advent, the Christmas market on the Marktplatz is just a few minutes' walk away.