Situated on the western edge of the region, Bamberg, with its UNESCO World Heritage Old Town and thriving beer culture, is well worth a day trip. The Old Town survived the Second World War virtually unscathed and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Like Rome, the city is spread across seven hills and is divided into the ecclesiastical ‘mountain town’ around the Cathedral Hill, the civic ‘island town’ between the branches of the Regnitz, and the unique ‘gardeners’ town’.
👀 Sights
- Cathedral – The four-towered Imperial Cathedral houses the world-famous ‘Bamberg Rider’, the tomb of Emperor Henry II and the only papal tomb north of the Alps (Clement II).
- Old Court & New Residence – Former bishops’ residences on Cathedral Square; the New Residence entices visitors with its state rooms and the Rose Garden, complete with a view over the rooftops.
- Old Town Hall – Spectacularly built on an artificial island in the middle of the Regnitz, with magnificent façade paintings.
- Little Venice – Colourful former fishermen’s houses with small gardens right by the river.
- St Michael’s Monastery (Michelsberg) – Former Benedictine monastery dating from 1015, offering panoramic views over the city.
- Gärtnerstadt – A living testament to urban agriculture; the Gärtner- und Häckermuseum tells the story of vegetable cultivation, which has shaped Bamberg for centuries (such as the ‘Bamberger Hörnla’).
- Sandstraße – A historic alleyway and popular nightlife spot.
🍺 Beer cellars
Bamberg has one of the highest densities of breweries in Germany – ‘going down to the cellar’ here means popping into a beer garden:
- Wilde-Rose-Keller
- Spezial-Keller – with a magnificent view of the Old Town
- Greifenklaukeller
🍺 Rauchbier
A Bamberg speciality: the malt is kilned over an open beechwood fire, which gives the dark beer its distinctive smoky flavour. Classic examples include Schlenkerla and the Brauerei Spezial.
🍨 Best ice cream
Café del Corso.
🎉 Events
Sandkerwa – Bamberg’s biggest folk festival, traditionally held from the Thursday before the last Sunday in August. Around 200,000 visitors come to watch the historic Fischerstechen (jousting) on the Regnitz and the grand closing fireworks display.
🏖 Attractions
Hainbad – In the spacious Hainpark, you can not only soak up the sun on the grass or the wooden planks of the jetty, but also take a dip in the Regnitz itself.