First stop on the blog tour: Bamberg. Highly historic town and birthplace of my wife. Must be a winner then, right? Right. In short, it’s a beautiful, quintessentially-Bavarian town with one of the most picturesque old towns (Altstadt) I’ve ever seen. It’s also where the film The Three Musketeers was filmed, so you may even recognise some parts.
I spent the last weekend in this stunningly old town, which – fun fact – has its old town hall (Altes Rathaus) in the middle of the river (yes, you read that correctly, in the middle of the river). Legend has it that the people of the day couldn’t decide which side of the river to build the town hall on, so they came up with a strikingly simple solution: build it in the middle of the river. I mean, why not? Should be easy, right? And that in the 15th century! Well, here it is on Saturday (beautiful isn’t it?):
After crossing the river over the Obere Brücke (being the bridge running through the Altes Rathaus – the picture on the left), we headed for a lovely coffee in one of the many cafés in the Austraße, the Hofcafé. The café was a charming place, with a large selection of bio hot chocolates, ranging from cocoa with ginger to cocoa with cinnamon and bourbon-vanilla. In the summer, this really is a treat, as there are tables and chairs in the open courtyard, with more tables and chairs upstairs looking down into the courtyard from the balconies. That said, my wife says her favourite café in the street is Café Müller, and she has good taste in these things. As for the Austraße itself, it really should be renamed “Kaffeestraße” (or “Coffee Street”), as it is jam-packed with cafés. It is also right in the centre of Bamberg, but slightly off the beaten track, such that it’s more full of the locals than visitors.
After warming up, we strolled through the old town, allowing ourselves to get lost in the many alleyways meandering through the town and generally ending up at either a gloriously beautiful church (of which there are many) or the river, the Regnitz. The so-called “Little Venice” (Klein-Venedig) alongside the river in town really is a must-see. It’s a row of old fishermen’s houses, all of which are rather quirky and painted in different colours. A real delight (and especially romantic) at sunset, that’s for sure.
If you fancy something very “bambergerish” (for want of a better word) but also rather an acquired taste, you should check out the Schlenkerla, which is right in the middle of the old town. There is always a bunch of people outside of it in the street – rain or shine – and it is the home of the Rauchbier (literally “smoke beer”). And it tastes just as it sounds: smokey, very smokey. Personally I’m not a huge fan, but both of Ramona’s parents swear by it and going by the sheer number of people inside and outside at pretty much any hour, it must be likeable for some. Whether you like the sound of it or not, you should definitely try it out. As they say: “when in Rome…” (well, the Franconian Rome).
I won’t go on about all of the churches (and cathedral) in Bamberg, as that really would cause this post to quadruple (and some) in length. I do however want to emphasise that a trip to the Bamberg cathedral (Bamberger Dom) is wholly recommended, as is the Michelsberg Abbey (Kloster Michelsberg). Within the abbey complex itself is also a wonderful Italian restaurant called Ristorante da Francesco (guess the name of the owner ;)). The best thing about this restaurant is the orangery on the back of it, which boasts a great view over Bamberg. The food is also very good, so definitely worth a trip if you want to venture away from the rather meat-driven Bavarian cuisine.
Talking of Bavarian cuisine, we enjoyed some excellent Franconian dishes at one of the best restaurants of the kind in Bamberg, the Alt-Ringlein. The recommendation here absolutely must be the Franconian platter for two, which costs a very reasonable €28. My parents ordered this between them and couldn’t finish it; it is definitely enough for three ravenous or four hungry adults (check out the picture of it below), so you could really get yourself a deal here (and have enough to splash out on some more Rauchbier as well; win-win!).
Saving the best until last. On top of one of Bamberg’s seven hills lies the Altenburg, which is a castle overlooking Bamberg dating back to the ripe old year of 1109. It is really worth a visit, not just for the fact that it is a stunning castle, but also because of the breathtaking view it offers of Bamberg. A quick tip is to – if you are able – ascend the tower, as the best view is to be had from the top of it. The entry to the tower costs €2 each (popped into a tin at the bottom of the steps, so bring the right amount with you). All of this climbing will no doubt create an appetite, which is (quite literally) well catered for here, as the Altenburg boasts a top-class restaurant, offering the best of Franconian food and drinks.
To sum up: A trip to the Franconian Rome, Bamberg, is without a doubt worth the trip. It is steeped in history, Bavarian culture, delicious regional food and lots of wine and beer (even smoked beer, if that’s your kind of thing). You could even combine it with a trip to Nuremberg or Würzburg, which are both within an hour by train. Not that you need to though – it really is somewhere you can spend a good couple of days.
Let me know if you need any further tips. I’ve been there numerous times and am married to a native of the city, so should be able to point you in the right direction. In any event, enjoy!
The Bavarian Englishman 
Your description would fill me with nostalgia for Germany, were it not for the fact that I’m going to be there imminently – albeit in the opposite corner …
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