Things to do in a day in Bamberg – Some Rauchbeer, the Old Town Hall and its own Little Venice
Strolling down streets ripped right out of the pages a fairytale, a smoked beer in hand, it took only moments for me to fall in love with the beautiful town of Bamberg.
Located in the upper end of Frankonia ( yes it’s also part of Bavaria, although don’t confuse the two to be the same – here’s more on that here), spread over 7 hills just like Rome, each crowned with its own majestic church and even a castle (thus it’s lovingly called the Frankonian Rome), this little town is certified beautiful postcard material, with thousands of years of history spilling into its streets and beautiful half timbered houses.
It’s almost impossible to picture Bamberg as one of the worst centers for witch hunts in Germany and as a town that survived a series of wars and epidemics including the plague. I guess, that means it’ s good thing that Bamberg came out of WWII mostly unscathed, and managed to retain its historic charm (that’s now been UNESCO-protected since 1993), because I am in love !!!!
How did a foreigner like me stumble onto this gem of a place – it’s a destination much popular in Germany, yet unfortunately, so unknown to foreigners visiting the country ? Well, for starters I recently moved to Germany with my husband (Want to get to know more about us? We have a whole page dedicated to that here).
Secondly, as someone who is still learning the German language, I was quick to assume that an S-Bahn was short for Straßenbahn (or Tram)!! But to my big surprise, the Germans call a tram, well… a tram !! The S-Bahn is actually short for Stadt Bahn (City Train) that runs with the other Regional Trains.
This knowledge is all that took to get me excited to go on this train with a different name, and hence got me searching for a stop I could reach on a S-Bahn ( I love to try everything I can lay my eyes on when it comes to travel experiences!)
And I thus found the UNESCO heritage town of Bamberg, and am I glad I did!!!
We visited Bamberg on a day trip, that gave us roughly 8hrs to explore the whole place. Wondering what we did in 1 day to make the most of our trip and see all the beautiful attractions in Bamberg? Read on…
How to get there!
Spoiler : Inspite of all the praises I sang about Bambeg, it’s still is a small town and hence obviously has no Airport. ( Nearest airports are in Munich and Nuremberg).
However the Bamberg railway station is well connected and you can find frequent trains here from Würzburg and Nuremberg. We caught a Stadt Bahn here from Nuremberg (yayee, mission accomplished!) It will be a great idea to get a Bayern Ticket, that not only makes a train ride of two (upto 5) cheaper, it also let’s you use all public transportation for a day on your journey with no additional payments.
Buy your Bayern Ticket here.
You can also obviously get here by a car or bus. There are also buses running in the city to help you get around if you are one of the more lazy ones like Vishi who hates to walk (and doesn’t have someone like me constantly luring you into walking with promises of photographic spots LOL.)
Okay, so now that you have arrived, here’s what you can do!
The area around the Bamberg HBF (main railway station) is extremely average, so are its immediate outskirts. But I suggest that you actually take my advise and walk to the old town and watch the architecture slowly start dating back further and further until you reach the picturesque old town – the best part of the city!
Once you are here, have your camera ready, because you will find yourself face to face with swoonworthy streets and architecture, you will swear you saw on a Disney fairytale. The river Regnitz slices the city, forming canals traversed by some beautiful bridges.
Since we pulled this stunt at the ease of COVID Lockdown, some of the attractions were closed for tourist entry, and hence we managed to hitch a ride to Seehof Palace.
And inspite of so many closed doors, we have zero regrets in visiting the Frankonian Rome and here’s why :
The Old Town Hall
The symbol of the Bamberg old town and one of its most iconic buildings, stand erected on the Regnitz. Half timbered and beautiful, there is an interesting story behind how it came into being which goes like this :
The Bishop of Bamberg did not want to give up any of his land to the citizens for the construction of a town hall and hence the citizens pounded stakes in the Regnitz and thus created an artificial island on which they built their town hall.
Inside, the Ludwig Porcelain Collection is on display and is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
Heller House
Located directly behind the Town Hall, this Wedgwood Blue house sits on the bank of the Regnitz River and was the birth place of Joseph Heller, a local businessman, historian and art collector. This Rococo style building in blue and white is an Instagram spot you wouldn’t want to miss!!!
Bamberg Cathedral
Completed in the 13th century (after the first two cathedrals burnt down in the 11th and 12th centuries), the cathedral is under the administration of the Roman Catholic Church and since 1993, the cathedral has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Town of Bamberg”.
It was founded in 1002 by King Henry II and consecrated in 1012, a late Romanesque building with four huge towers.
Inside you’ll find a tomb belonging to Pope Clement II, made from silver-grey marble with carved reliefs from the first half of the 13th century on all four sides, the only pope in history to be buried north of the Alps (psst : that includes all of Germany). It’s okay if you haven’t heard of him, he was only Pope for a year before his mysterious death by poison over 1000 years ago.
Inside, you’ll also find the carved tombs of Henry II and his wife Empress Kunigunde, which took 14 years to complete, and one of the city’s most famous sculptures, the Bamberger Reiter (Bamberg Horseman), which is possibly depicting the Hungarian king Stephen I and dates back to the 1200s.
New Residence
What served as the seat of Bamberg’a Prince Bishops until 1802, is now a museum and gallery (which was unfortunately closed at the time of our visit). It apparently has splendid rooms and lavish furnishings that are an impressive reflection of the prince-bishops’ life. The state gallery contains a significant collection of old German and baroque paintings.
Rose Garden
The garden of the New Residence is even more beautiful that the name suggests. Offering a panoramic view over the city, it’s filled with lovely rose plantations and Greek sculptures. With its own little cafe, this is an interesting choice for a relaxing evening !!!
The Historisches Museum and Old Court
With half-timbered buildings that look straight out of a movie (well, technically it is out of a movie), it consists of former residential and farm buildings of the episcopal court, which were built from the 15th century on the site of the Palatinate of Emperor Henry II .
Today it is the city’s historical museum.
Anybody recollect the 2011 adaptation of the Three Muskateers (yes, the one with Orlando Bloom, *drools*) ??? They filmed the famous fight scene right here.
In summer, the Calderon Festival takes place in the courtyard.
Pro tip : This is also the place you will find toilets (in case you ever wonder; which you can use for 50cents) and plenty of shade and seating.
St Micheals Monastery
After walking up the hill of Michaelsberg (one of the seven hills that Bamberg extends over) we finally reached the former Benedictine Monastery, founded on the initiative of Emperor Heinrich II, in 1015. Today its imposing baroque style architecture cannot fail to impress. The monastery is closed for a good few years to come due to undergoing restoration works – so yeah we didn’t really get to see past all the construction material, however, the church garden (called celestial garden), featuring 578 herbs and flower spicies, is open to the public.
The terrace behind the church as well as the gardens, boasts a beautiful panoramic view of the city and it’s honestly well worth strolling through the baroque terraced gardens, that even features a fountain.
You can also find a couple of eateries in case all that climbing got your hunger pangs blazing:)
Obere Pfarre
Another highlight in the Old Town, this one honestly looks really unassuming on the outside.The Church of Our Lady or Upper Parish is a Gothic Catholic parish church, with its first mentions found in the 1100s (talking ancient here!!)
The church got the popular name Upper Parish because of its location on the Kaulberg (another of the 7 hills) and since the 13th century has been an upper parish of the cathedral chapter.
With beautiful interiors (that certainly don’t match the regular exteriors) and a peaceful silence, this is a stop we absolutely loved:)
Little Venice
If you thought that Rome was the last renaiscence Italy reference this city was getting, well you are wrong!!!
Kleinen Venedig (Little Venice) is the name of a former fishing settlement in Bamberg which consists of a series of old 17th-century houses located directly on the eastern bank of the Regnitz . It forms the backdrop for the fishermen’s prick at the so-called Sandkerwa (Sandkirchweih), Bamberg’s largest folk festival in August .
Visit here for a quiet evening and some people watching…
Obere Brücke
This colourful street behind the Rathaus is a good idea to visit when in Bamberg! Lined with eateries and some boutiques, this is also the place you will find your souvenirs.
Seehofs palace
Located in the outskirts of Bamberg in Memmelsdorf, the summer residence for the Bamberg Prince-Bishops was built in 1686. It acted as a hunting lodge for Prince-bishop Marquard Sebastian von Schenk von Stauffenberg (whoa! What? Well welcome to the German naming system)!
We hopped on a bus that took us to the splendour of the marvelous rococo garden and the restored cascade with its water waterworks and the sculptures.
The nine state rooms of the restored Prince-Bishops’ apartment, including the “White Hall” with its magnificent ceiling painting by Guiseppe Appiani, are open to the public.
Most of the palace is today used by the Bavarian State Conservation Office.
PS: These photos do no justice to the sheer beauty of this magnificent building, however we couldn’t get any better ones , due to the ongoing construction works at the time of our visit!!
The waterworks are scheduled every hour on the hour from 10am – 5pm in Summer.
Diocesan Museum, Altenburg, Brewery Museum
Okay, in all honesty, while each of these require numberings and descriptions of their own with descriptions, one day was too little time for us to stop for visits here.
If our friends have been honest and the photos really do justice, these spots are definitely worthy of a visit!!
Do let us know in the comments below how you like them😊
Now that you are done with all the major attractions, stop for these Bamberger delicacies you CANNOT leve without trying!!
While we are permanently exhausted pigeons and took small breaks in between our exploring, we recommend that you don’t keep these to the last. When we came back for our second dose of Bamberger Zwiebel, most restaurants had run out of them ☹…
The Rauchbier and Bamberger Zwiebel
Rauchbier is made with malt which has been dried over an open fire, hence the smoky smell and taste. I would like to describe it to have the aftertaste of bacon *droool*!
Although many of our friends claim that it can only be loved as you acquire the taste for it, for us it was certainly love at first drink!!
PS: Ask that it’s extra chilled though!!
Bamberger Zwiebel on the other hand is every meat lovers’ dream – Baked onion stuffed with minced meat and topped with a strip of bacon, all slathered in beer gravy and served on mashed potatoes. Goshhh I am hungry again (*reminds myself of the latest 5 kilo gain. Sobs*)
Schlenkerla is a great place to try both of these out at their authentic best!!!
And finally, in a town known for canals, I guess it’s not shocking that one of the best ways to explore the town is from the water. There’s a few ways to do this!
1. For romantics (read lazy asses!!) like me there are Gondola rides offered during the summer on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. At only 15 euros per person, it’s way cheaper than a gondola ride in Venice. Also you get to sit and enjoy as you are being rowed along the Regnitz. You can read more about Gondola rides here.
2. For the adventure loving, stand up paddleboarding and kayaking options are also available.
Okayyy!!! So if you are inspired enough, make that trip to Bamberg. Also feel free to hit us up for more queries.
