Bamberg

Famous for being Southern Germany’s hub of the Enlightenment during the late 18th century (Hegel and Hoffmann both lived here), Bamberg is also home to a superbly preserved medieval town center, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Here, visitors find an endless array of architectural styles, from Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque and neoclassical, all spread through three distinct areas: the episcopal town, the island town, and the market gardeners’ town.

The Romanesque-Gothic cathedral of St. Peter and St. George is Bamberg’s most prominent building (it’s home to the famous Bamberg Horseman statue, the tomb of Henry II and Cunigunde, and the only papal grave in Germany), but the New Palace and the Alte Hofhaltung Palace are also must-sees, as are the town hall, the tanners’ cottages, and “Little Venice,” a former fishermen’s village with half-timbered houses and tiny gardens. If you’re a suds fan, be sure to sample Bamberg’s famous smoked beer before leaving.

Bamberg is, perhaps, the best preserved city from the Middle Ages in Germany. Fortunate to have its old town spared much of the ravages of WWII, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built on seven hills, it has been called the “Franconian Rome,” although Bamberg citizens like calling Rome the “Italian Bamberg”! In any case, the seven hills are a unique part of the city plan, with each hill crowned by a church. And, just how old is Bamberg? Well, in 1973 it held its 1000th birthday celebration. The glorious Bamberg Cathedral (1237) contains the tombs of an emperor and a pope. And, how many cities have a river flowing through their Town Hall? The Regnitz River, which joins the River Main, flows directly under the Alt Rathaus and the Obere Brucke bridge, making for one of the most iconic photos in Germany. So if you want to take a walk back through the Middle Ages, you need to visit millennium-old Bamberg, a former center of the Holy Roman Empire, and a modern-day jewel.

Medieval Bamberg was once the main residence of a powerful German dynasty, and it’s easy to understand why they chose to settle here. Beyond the lovely natural setting along the Regnitz River in Bavaria, the old town is packed enough charming sites and landmarks to earn UNESCO World Heritage status. Avalon’s guided walking tour covers the most notable, including the 13th-century cathedral, which houses tombs of an emperor and a pope; the 14th-century Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), built in the middle of the river when the bishop refused to grant the people land; and 18th-century mansions tucked along the serpentine streets. Historic rose gardens, abbeys, and nine breweries ensure there’s no shortage of ways to fill your time in port.