A Fun Day in Bamberg

As fall sets in, sunny days are becoming few and far between.  To avoid early-onset cabin fever, I mapped out a few Franconian cities to visit. My first day trip was to a nearby medieval town that also happens to be a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Packing the best into a day

The medieval city of Bamberg, just a short train ride away, turned out to be the perfect choice for a fun day of sightseeing and relaxation.  Getting to the historic part of town does require a good twenty minutes of walking through the less attractive newer sections of town.  Make sure to either check your map before you go or plan on taking a bus, because the tourist information center is also nestled away in the winding streets of the old town.

Must see sites include the Bamberg Cathedral, the Prince-Bishop’s Palace, and Saint Michael’s Monastery.   Within the Monastery, which sits atop the Michaelsberg, there are restaurants as well as the Franconian Brewery Museum.  I did not have time to check out the latter, but given that the guided visits in the museum are exclusively done in German, it will not hurt to wait.

The old town has a unique ambiance, and is also a great place just to relax with friends for lunch or dinner.  With its crisscrossing canals and bridges, its narrow medieval streets, and its taverns, Bamberg is a cozy place to be on a gray fall day.  If you are feeling chilly, then you can warm up with a pint of “smoked beer” (Rauchbier).  Try it with an open mind.  This beer’s strong smoky flavor is a bit surprising at first.   If you are in search of an authentic backdrop for your beer tasting experience, head to one of the taverns on Dominikanerstrasse.  Otherwise, you can find it in bottles or on tap throughout the city as well.  Home to nine breweries, those who are not fans of this beer’s smoky flavor still have a wide variety of local beers to choose from.

Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the sites you can see there!