And now we come to my favorite location that we visited in Bavaria, the city of Bamberg.
The town was conveniently located about halfway between Colberg and Nuremberg, the city we spent the night at.
We spent a decent amount of time in the city, around fours or more in the afternoon, which was enough time to explore most of the old town.
Bamberg was actually a pretty big city and we didn't bother to explore the more modern areas. Like usual we just stuck to the historic district.
I didn't realize how nice the old town of Bamberg would be prior to our visit though, and didn't realize how much we were going to like it.
Soon after our arrival I started to regret my decision to make Nuremberg our base camp for the trip.
I think I would have preferred to stay in Bamberg and then just visited Nuremberg for one full day or something. If i were to do it all over again that is what I would have planned.
These are the things that you don't realize until after your choice has been made and you see the location in person.
It could have just as easily gone the other way I suppose. We could have stayed there and regretted it, wishing we were in Nuremberg. That has also happened to us on more than one occasion.
It can be really hard to get an idea of a place based on just a few photos online, so that is why I like to add so many pictures to my blog. I probably remove a lot of the mystery but on the flip side you get a better idea for trip planning and what you may be getting into.
Okay I should probably talk about the town a little instead of just rambling on about nothing.
Bamberg is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Southern Germany in the state of Bavaria.
It received its designation in 1993 for its cultural significance, most notably for being the center of the Age of Enlightenment in Germany in the 18th century. Source.
It's situated along the Regnitz river which splits in two and flows down its center.
The city is steeped in history and tradition, which you get a feeling for just by walking through its colorful cobblestone streets.
For instance, the first book to be printed in the German language was comoleted in Bamberg in 1459 Source
Kaiserin Kunigunde
In the year 1007, the Duke of Bavaria at the time, Henry II, then became the King of all of Germany. Note: the statue above is not Henry II.
At that time, he immediately made Bamberg the seat of the Bishop, intending the city to become the "Second Rome" within the Holy Roman Empire.
In terms of architecture, the town is a mix of medeival and Baroque styles and it had a significant influence on the architecture styles of the Northern part of the country and into Hungary. Source for the above info.
There were so many places that I liked in town but one of the most obvious ones was around the Altes Rathause (Old Town Hall).
It's was a particularly beautiful spot where the river forks and travels around the historic building, turning it into an island unto itself.
Bridges spanning the water in different locations make for some great viewing platforms.
I took photos of it from every angle, as you can see.
I can pretty much guarantee that you will do the same if you decide to visit the city. It's a really beautiful spot.
The entire area around the Rathaus building is spectacular in fact.
Its front and rear entrance act as a tunnel into different parts of the city.
The detailed murals painted on the outside of the building were really nice as well and definitely worth a pause to admire.
The area is criss crossed with bridges and canals and is sometimes referred to as "Little Venice."
I don't know how many bridges there were in that spot but there were a lot of them.
We probably went to every single one that we could see too, just to get a different vantage point and a different view of the area.
Each location was incredible
and in both directions.
I especially liked all of the restaurants and cafes right next to the water.
We ate lunch in town but regrettably, it wasn't in such a beautiful spot. It was still nice, just not overlooking the water.
Moving on from there we found another spot that I liked, mainly for a different sort of view.
There were a lot of churches in town but I think that this one was called Pfarrkirche Unsere Liebe Frau (the Parish Church of Our Lady).
We didn't go inside but instead walked around the back to get an elevated look of some nice looking houses.
We did go inside this next church, the smaller one in the background of the photo below.
It wasn't anything too special but it's always nice to see a church or two when visiting any town.
It had a nice looking organ.
By that point is was nearing the end of the day,
so we eventually made our way back across a few bridges to where we started, back to our car to drive back to Nuremberg for dinner.
Overall we really loved the town of Bamberg. It ended up being my favorite location for the trip. I would rank it up there with Rothenberg ob der Tauber for charming cities. It's definitely a "highly recommend" location from me, one that is not to be missed.