238km (148 miles) NW of Munich, 61km (38 miles) NW of Nürnberg, 97km (60 miles) NE of Würzburg
This little city is one of the gems of Franconia, although visitors often pass it by. Bamberg is set in the rolling Franconian hills where the Regnitz River flows into the Main. It's loaded with attractions, including numerous architectural treasures, and suffered very little damage in World War II.
In the Middle Ages, Bamberg was a powerful ecclesiastical center. Originally, it was two towns divided by the river: the ecclesiastical town of the prince-bishopric, of which it was the capital for 800 years, and the secular town of the burghers. Bamberg's architecture reflects more than 1,000 years of building, with styles ranging from Romanesque to Gothic, Renaissance to baroque, up to the eclecticism of the 19th century. There are narrow cobblestone streets, ornate mansions and palaces, and impressive churches.
Today, Bamberg and beer go together like barley and hops. The town has been called "a beer drinker's Eden" (there are more breweries here than in Munich). The average Bamberger drinks 190 liters (50 gal.) of beer a year, making the rest of the German people look like teetotalers by comparison. Beer lovers come from afar for Rauchbier, a smoked beer first brewed in 1536.
