The beautiful town of Bamberg was one of many reasons that I had fallen in love with Bavaria. After I first saw photos of the Atles Rathaus, the Old town hall, which is positioned on the river with bridges on either sides, I thought how stunning! I had seen various photos of towns in Bavaria prior to my trip, but this town was unique and it had to do with the Old Town Hall.
When I walked into Bamberg, the Old Town Hall was heavy on my mind, and I was focused on finding it. Along the way though, I could not help but notice the authentic Baroque and medieval buildings while walking down the old streets. Everything around me was charming, and I started to take photos to capture what I was seeing- the extraordinary and vibrant town of Bamberg.
The historic town of Bamberg dates back to the 9th century, and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The architecture and town plan layout is one of the best examples of medieval and Baroque influences in Europe, which has survived over the centuries. There are three historic core areas of Bamberg, and the street layouts still retain their medieval features, as many of the historic buildings are authentic. The city is also home to one of Europe’s largest old city walls that is intact.
The Old Town Hall was constructed in 1386 and set in the middle of the Regnitz River, with two bridges on either side. The legendary story behind the unique construction of the town hall goes as follows: Bamberg’s bishop had not granted the city’s citizens land to construct a town hall, which they desired to have. The people of Bamberg decided if no land was granted, then they would create an artificial island in the middle of the river to build the town hall.
The Old Town Hall was a spectacular site, not only for the fairy tale construction and its unique river placement, but for the beautiful frescoes that give the building three dimensional scenes. One that was noted to me was the cherub whose leg looked as if it extended out of the wall like a sculpture. It was an astounding building, and it exceeded my expectations when I saw it first hand.
After visiting the town hall, my travel companion and I decided to go our ways for the day and meet for dinner. He wanted to check out the beer scene, and I wanted to explore the city more. This gave me a good opportunity to stroll the medieval streets, stand on the bridges over the Regnitz River, and have a little snack in between.
Bamberg Cathedral – One of the sites that interested me in Bamberg was the Romanesque Cathedral that was consecrated in 1012. Over the centuries it had been rebuilt and added to due to fire or periodical style change. The original Romanesque – Medieval Cathedral has layers of Gothic and Baroque, which is more apparent inside the church.
The cathedral is extraordinary as it houses many exterior and interior sculptures, graves and tombs of significant royalty, popes and bishops, as well as several intricately carved altar pieces. Walking through the cathedral, I could feel the layers of time this church had seen and it was a fascinating site to visit. The cathedral was an added bonus to my already enriching Bamberg experience.
I love the café scenes throughout Europe, and I always make time to take part in it. While strolling the town’s old streets, I noticed a large café patio that just invited me in. To this day, I do not recall the name of this café, but I do recall the creamy cappuccino and the lovely plum cake that I had. It was a lovely little quiet break, which is one of the reasons I enjoy Europe’s café scene.
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Bamberg is one of several Bavarian towns that I fell in love with. This part of Germany is filled with fairy tale towns, and majestic landscapes. If in Bavaria you must come to Bamberg, as it is one of Europe’s finest medieval towns.
For tourist information, please visit – City of Bamberg
Better to see something once, then to hear about it a thousand times…
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📸 All photos are taken by me and are my intellectual property – Trixie Navarre
Trixie Navarre 
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