Located in the picturesque, rolling hills of Upper Franconia in central northern Bavaria, Bamberg is a popular tourist destination and is well known for its abundance of near perfect architectural gems covering a staggering 1,000 years of history!! It is a cultural and architectural highlight of any trip through Bavaria as it includes all of the major historic architecture styles from the Romanesque period onwards with most of the buildings being in pristine condition and unharmed by the Second World War. This little city of 70,000 residents has one of Europe’s largest intact Old Town centres which has been recognised by listing almost 2,000 of its buildings as a U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site. Bamberg also stands at the divide between the wine producing and beer making areas of Germany, with the city being famous for its breweries as there are 10 within the urban area and a further 80 within the district. Beer making in Bamberg is especially well known for its Rauchbier, a smoked beer brewed since the 16th century. The economy of the city is based on engineering, light manufacturing and of course brewing all of which takes advantage of the port facilities of the town which lies on the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal.
Standing just 60 kilometres almost due north of Nuremberg, the city lies on the Regnitz River, 3 kilometres from its confluence with the River Main and is surrounded by the German Uplands, an attractive area of nature parks and historic castles and palaces. This river system is today part of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, which, by using the Regnitz River and its tributaries allows water transport access to the North Sea and the Black Sea.
Bamberg, often referred to as the Franconian Rome, was once the capital of a powerful ecclesiastical state from 1007 to 1802, after which it passed to secular Bavaria. The town of Bamberg is a remarkable example of a medieval Central-European town with the early medieval planning rules of a cross having been used for its layout, with the Churches of St Michael, St Stephen, St Gangolf and St Jacob being the four cardinal points. Scattered over both sides of the river Bamberg was originally divided into two areas one being the ecclesiastical town of the ruling Prince Bishops who used this as their capital for 800 years, and the secular town for the burghers. Bamberg is also built over seven hills, each crowned by a beautiful church, the majestic centre of town is full of ornate mansions, superb palaces and has an impressive 13th century Romanesque Cathedral intertwined by narrow winding alleyways and cobblestoned streets making the city one of Bavaria’s most beautiful and charming places. The cathedral is home to the 13th century ‘Bamberg Rider’, a well known piece of Gothic sculpture which is considered to be the first equestrian statue in western art since the 6th century!!
The main sights to see in town include the Cathedral, officially known as the Bamberg Cathedral of St Peter and St George. This magnificent Cathedral, which, with its four towers stands on a low hill, was built in 1237, and is the town’s most famous landmark and the seat of the Archbishop of Bamberg. It is considered one of Germany’s most famous Cathedrals. The rich cathedral treasury can be seen in the adjoining Diocesanmuseum. Another important building is the Alte Hofhaltung, the Bishop’s Palace which was the residence of the Bishops during the 16th and 17th centuries, and lies on the north side of the Cathedral. This 16th century Palace is an impressive example of a half timbered Renaissance styled building and is known for its frescoed rooms, the main banqueting hall, its large balconied, cobblestoned courtyard and rose garden. The Old Palace also contains the Historical Museum which displays the art and culture of Bamberg and Upper Franconia. Opposite the Alte Hofhaltung is the Neue Residenz or New Palace which was constructed in the late 18th century. This building is much larger and more impressive than the first palace and includes four wings within the complex of 40 stuccoed rooms which are full of 17th and 18th century furniture and tapestries. The building includes the Emperor’s Hall, the second floor houses the former Imperial Apartments and the complex maintains a Baroque Rose Garden. Today this magnificent building houses the State Library and the State Gallery.
Built during the 14th century in the middle of the Regnitz River stands the Old Town Hall, which according to legend was constructed here as the ruling Bishop’s were not willing to offer any land for the building, so in defiance the townspeople used the river!! Surrounded on all sides by the river, it is an impressive building and approached by two bridges. The Altenburg Castle or ‘Old Court’ is located on the highest of Bamberg’s seven hills and is mentioned as far back as the 10th century, it is the former residence of the Bishops. Located on another of Bamberg’s seven hills is the 12th century Michaelsberg Abbey, this former Benedictine monastery was completely destroyed by fire in the 17th century and totally rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 18th century. Two of Bamberg’s most beautiful Baroque mansions were built by Ignaz Bottinger, the Bottingerhouse, which is a heavily ornamented grand Italian styled palace and Concordia, a Baroque styled water castle standing on the very edge of the river. Also along the river stands ‘Little Venice’, a group of picturesque former fisherman’s houses which line the Regnitz River. These and many more buildings and monuments make up this wonderful old city which is a delight to just walk around!!
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