The iconic Bamberg landmark. The Old Town Hall in Bamberg is one of the most important buildings…read morethat characterize the historic city center. It is located between the mountain and island town in the left Regnitz arm. This location "... marks the old rule border between the episcopal mountain town and the bourgeois island town and clearly shows the power striving of the Bamberg bourgeoisie." You see, the bishop of Bamberg did not want to give any of his land to the citizens for the construction of a town hall. Therefore, the crafty citizens struck stakes in the Regnitz and thus created an artificial island on which they built their town hall. The Regnitz marks the old rule border between the episcopal mountain and the bourgeois island town. The town hall was mentioned for the first time in 1387 and was rebuilt between 1461 and 1467, so that it took on the shape it is today. At this stage of construction, it was mainly influenced by the Gothic. Johann Jakob Michael Küchel redesigned the town hall between 1744 and 1756 in the Baroque and Rococo styles. Worth mentioning are the façade paintings originally created by Johann Anwander in 1755, which have been restored many times. After not much of these paintings could be seen in the 1950s, the painter Anton Greiner repainted between 1959 and 1962. Both sides of the building are completely decorated with simulated allegorical scenes and architectural details, the typical illusion painting of this time. Small, actually figurative elements on the eastern side reinforce the spatial impression. The Rococo balconies and coat of arms reliefs come from Jos. Bonaventure Mutschele. The half-timbered house attached to the bridge tower, the Rottmeister's house, served as accommodation for the leaders of the guards. You cannot miss this structure when/if you are in Bamberg. It's a must-visit place along with Bamberger Dom and Neue Residenz.

Mitten über dem linken Arm der Regnitz thront das opulente "Alte Rathaus" Bambergs. Das von der…read moreGotik beeinflusste Gebäude entstand zwischen 1461 und 1467 und wurde im 18. Jahrhundert im Barockstil umgestaltet. Die schönen Malereien auf der Fassade stammen ursprünglich von Johann Anwander, mussten aber 1959-62 von Anton Greiner komplett neu gestaltet werden, weil die Originale verblichen waren. Auch die Neubemalung verblasst langsam. Die Brücke führt direkt durch das Rathaus, man gelangt hier in die eigentliche Altstadt. Architektonisch bemerkenswert ist das "Rottmeisterhäuschen", ein Fachwerkanbau auf der Seite, der fast so wirkt, als strecke das Rathaus seinen Hintern in Richtung Fluss aus. Es war ursprünglich ein Anbau für die Wachsoldaten. Dass Rathaus beherbergt ein wichtiges Museum, die Sammlung Ludwig: Es war die größte private Porzellansammlung in ganz Europa und wurde von den Erben der Stadt Bamberg hinterlassen.

Rathaus (City Building) our Globus tour stopped in town for a short while .. around an hour so we…read morejust had to grab lunch and see what we could see in that short time. It was a charming town .. very clean and quaint. The city building looked interesting but only saw it from outside.

The City Hall, if you will, of an absolutely awesome medieval town not too far from Ansbach. As far…read moreas Rathauses throughout Germany are concerned, not as cool as others, but still cool. There's a tower you can climb up for awesome views. When in Rothenburg you should swing by, you'll enjoy it. Cheers!

This is by far my favorite city in Germany...at this point I have to admit I'm a little biased…read moresince I had a privilege of living here for two years while serving in the US Army. Nonetheless, Bamberg offers its enchanting medieval old town atmosphere enticing those who visit with its unique charms that other cities/towns may or may not exude IMHO. No wonder the old town area was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. It is nicknamed the "Seven Hill City" or "Franconian Rome." It is sometimes called "Rome of the North" with its seven hills (with castle or church on them): Abtsberg, Altenburg, Jacobsberg, Kaulberg/Obere Pfarre, Michaelsberg, Stephansberg, and Domberg, the hill upon which the Imperial Cathedral is built in the center of all. Rivers Main-Danube Canal and Regnitz also run through it. All that makes a very picturesque town for sure. A "Castrum Babenberg" existed on the Domberg (Cathedral Hill) and was mentioned in 902 for the first time. King Heinrich II. founded a diocese in 1007. The first cathedral was consecrated in 1020 by Pope Benedict VIII. Heinrich II. also founded a Benedictine abbey on the Michaelsberg. King Heinrich and his wife Kunigunde chose Bamberg as their favorite residence, and they supported the diocese of Bamberg with their wealth. The royal couple was well-educated and religious. In 1014 Henry was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by pope Benedict VIII. Emperor Henry II died in 1024, and his wife empress Kunigunde in 1040. They were both canonized and are buried in the cathedral in their beloved Bamberg. The second bishop Suidger of Bamberg was elected as Pope Clemens II. in 1046. His last resting place in the Bamberg Cathedral is the only preserved tomb of a pope north of the Alps. From the 13th century on bishops were also princes of the German Empire, overseeing the construction of major buildings in the city. It paralleled the economical development of Bamberg. Bamberg has a long history in brewing beer, thus it is also known as the City of Beer. It was known for its hops trading, and the city flourished with over 90 breweries in the past, however, only nine of them still remain in operation to the present day. The most famous of Bamberg's breweries is the historic the dark "rauchbier" (smoked beer) brewery, Schlenkerla. This 6th-generation family brewery has been quenching thirst since 1405 and still taps beer the old-world way - from wooden barrels. 27 years before the German Purity Law (Deutsches Reinheitsgebot) was issued in 1516, prince-bishop Heinrich III. worried about the quality of beer and ordered that nothing more than hop, malt and water should be in Bamberg's beer. At that time beer already had a long tradition in Bamberg. It is documented that bishop Otto I. granted the Benedictine monks at the St. Michaels abbey the privilege of brewing beer in 1122. It is a must visit in Germany if you are in Franconia, the vicinity of Nürnburg or even in München. You will not regret it.

Stadt Bamberg has been UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993. The city lies on the confluence on…read morethe Main and Regnitz rivers in the upper Franconia area of Germany. Once a Roman Fortress, Bamberg still has evidence of Roman occupation. Roman walls and city gates can be seen. Beginning in 800 AD, Bamberg began to draw a large Slavic population which is still present. Having over 2,000 historical monuments, it survived the war relatively intact. It is truly picturesque displaying some of the finest architectural designs from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Some examples are the 16th century (Old Bridge Town Hall) with it's Trompe d'oeil exterior and Rococo Hall, the Neue Residenz which was the seat of the Prince-Bishops until 1802 with 40+ magnificent rooms, an Imperial Hall painted by Melchior Steidl and the elector's rooms and prince-bishops apartments, and the Old German and Baroque Galleries. The adjacent Baroque Rose Garden designed by Balthasar Neumann features 4,500 roses, sculptures by Ferdinand Tietz (1760-1761) and a garden café. Also in Dom Plaza you can visit the Dom featuring the Bamberg Horseman and tomb of the holy imperial couple Kunigunde and Heinrich II. The tomb was the creation of Tilmann Riemenscheider, Germany's master artist. The Dom also houses the papal tomb of Clemens II. There are so many photo opportunities, restaurants and opportunities to drink Bamberg's famous smoked beer. There are nine breweries in Bamberg the most famous of which is Ambrausianum where I had my first smoked beer. The ambience that you will find in Bamberg is transporting.

A gorgeous building in the city centre. It is steeped in history and also holds a lot of history…read moreabout the war. Most of this town was destroyed due to heavy bombing and has been painstakingly restored since. There are very interesting displays and a model of the town after the bombing at the old town hall. There were many tours passing through this building while we were there. I would recommend you go here and read all about it when in town. It is also a lovely building to visit.