Marienberg Fortress dominates the hillside across the Main from the old town, visible from virtually every point in Würzburg. The prince-bishops lived here from 1253 until 1720, when they moved into the newly completed Residenz, and the fortress shows the full range of medieval, Renaissance, and baroque fortification styles accumulated over five centuries. The views from the ramparts over the Main valley, the vineyards on the surrounding hills, and the spires of the old town are the finest in the region.
Inside the complex, the Museum für Franken contains one of the best collections of German Gothic and Renaissance art in the country, with particular strength in the wood sculptures of Tilman Riemenschneider — the late-Gothic master who lived and worked in Würzburg. The expressively carved figures here are worth the visit on their own. The fortress is reached from the old town by crossing the Alte Mainbrücke and walking up through the vineyards, or by a small ferry and a bus.