From north German Hanseatic cities to small, southern Bavarian towns, there are certain places in Germany we can’t wait to visit or re-visit now that travel restrictions are easing. This week’s recommendation is Bamberg.
Bamberg town hall. Photo: Th G via Pixabay
Bamberg is a beautiful, medieval town located on the River Regnitz in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, a 50-minute train ride from Nuremberg. This charming town with its winding, cobblestone streets, half-timbered, colourful buildings and well-preserved old town is a popular destination in Germany.
It’s impossible not to be enchanted by Bamberg’s authentic, historical Altstadt, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The old town is a 20-minute walk from Bamberg Hauptbahnhof, but it is definitely worth it. When you cross the river Regnitz over the Untere Brücke, on your left you can find Bamberg’s stunning, Baroque-style Altes Rathaus, perched on an artificial island in the middle of the river, and on your right Bamberg Heller Haus, a striking, light blue building.
A short stroll along the River Regnitz, you will come across Bamberg’s picturesque Klein Venedig (Little Venice), an old, idyllic fisherman’s settlement from the 19th century.
Little Venice, Bamberg. Photo: Gerhard G. via Pixabay
A little further into the town, you can find Neue Residenz Bamberg, an ornate 17th-century palace overlooking the town with a fantastic Rosengarten comprised of over 4,500 roses and numerous statues. Close by you can also find Bamberger Dom, a 13th-century Romanesque cathedral with a famous equestrian sculpture of the Bamberger Reiter, Diözesanmuseum Bamberg, a museum home to several significant medieval items, and Alte Hofhaltung, an eye-catching historical building complex consisting of former residential and farm buildings.
Due to Bamberg’s seven hills, the town is also often referred to as 'Franconian Rome'. Kloster Michaelsberg, an impressive, former Benedictine monastery, sits atop one of these seven hills. On the outskirts of the town, standing proudly atop Bamberg’s highest hill, you will find Altenburg, a 12th-century castle and architectural gem, boasting magnificent views of the old town and lush, green countryside.
Bamberg makes a perfect day trip from Nuremberg and is undeniably a beautiful, architectural masterpiece.