Bamberg

Kaiserdom

Imperial Cathedral

The Imperial Cathedral of St Peter and St George is one of the legacies of Emperor Henry II and impresses with various sights inside.

Emperor Henry II had the cathedral in Bamberg built as early as 1002 and it was completed in 1012 after an incredibly short construction period of just 10 years. However, this church burned down, as did its successor. The third building, which features elements of both late Romanesque and early Gothic styles, has survived to this day. Worth seeing are the high tomb of the holy imperial couple Cunegonde and Henry II, which was designed by Tilmann Riemenschneider, the mysterious "Bamberg Horseman", the altar of the Virgin Mary by Veit Stoß and the papal tomb of Clement II.

Notes: Guided tours of the cathedral are not permitted for groups on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with the exception of the cathedral chapter's tourist office (cathedral tourism). Silence is requested. A tour authorisation is required for cathedral tours that are to be conducted by a guide. Protective fee €5.00, order from the Cathedral Tourist Office.

Kaiserdom
Domplatz 5
96047 Bamberg

Altes Rathaus

Old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall in Bamberg is truly a curiosity: the frescoes that adorn the façade of the building are just as astonishing as its history. According to legend, the Bishop of Bamberg did not want to grant the citizens space to build a town hall. Therefore, the people of Bamberg drove piles into the Regnitz and created an artificial island on which they erected the building. The Old Town Hall is particularly notable for its frescoes, which lend the façade plasticity by means of mock architecture. One particular detail is always a source of amusement: the leg of one of the putti protrudes from the wall frescoes as a sculpture. Today, the Old Town Hall houses the prestigious Rococo Hall and the Ludwig Collection.

Altes Rathaus
Obere Brücke
96047 Bamberg

Klein Venedig

"Little Venice"

The former fishermen's settlement in Bamberg's island city is affectionately known as "Little Venice". Densely packed half-timbered buildings and tiny gardens characterise the image of this district. Most of the half-timbered houses date back to the Middle Ages. They are lined up along the Regnitz in a beautifully decorated row, with barges bobbing at the moorings in the front gardens. Today, excursion boats sail right past this unique row of houses

Klein Venedig
Am Leinritt
96047 Bamberg
www.bamberg.info

Bergstadt

"Hill Town"

Winding corners, narrow alleyways, baroque and romantic façades and medieval flair are what characterise Bamberg's old town.

Bamberg's well-known name of "Seven Hills City" or "Franconian Rome" refers to the hill town. From the 11th century until 1802, the Cathedral Hill was the spiritual and secular centre of power of the Bamberg High Abbey. The imperial cathedral, the baroque New Residence, the Old Court and the Michaelsberg Monastery are certainly the most famous and dominant buildings in the city of Bamberg. Other defining elements are the former monasteries of St Stephen and St Jacob and the parish church of Our Lady (Obere Pfarre). The Altenburg castle towering above everything, the greenery of the mountainous area and the church towers visible from afar form the typical backdrop of Bamberg.

In addition to this dominance of ecclesiastical institutions, the townscape in the mountain town is completed by the bourgeois settlements in the sandy area (Sandstraße) and at the foot of Kaulberg and Stephansberg, as well as the parts of the settlement located on the mountains. Crafts, breweries and bourgeois, sometimes palatial buildings alternated here. The neighbourhood of the former crofters' settlement stretches up the Kaulberg. The special aesthetic quality of the hilltop town results above all from the views within the area and from individual points outwards to the valley town.

Bergstadt

Gärtnerstadt

"Gardeners' Town"

Even centuries ago, Bamberg's gardeners exported their products - onion sets, seeds and, above all, liquorice - far beyond the city's borders. So it's no wonder that they are still affectionately referred to as "onion treaders" today. In the gardeners' quarter, you can still find the typical "gardeners' houses", as they were inhabited by the numerous gardening families.

Gärtnerstadt