Bamberg is the second oldest city in Germany. It dates back to the 2nd Century, and it was untouched by WWII. The reason being, is that it had an artillery factory near it, and that prevented planes from getting near to it. The town itself is exactly as it was. Everywhere are half timbered houses and narrow streets. It is situated in Bavaria and located on the River Regnitz close to its confluence with the River Main. Before the Germans took possession of Bamberg it was inhabited by Slavs. The castle Babenberg was built around 900 AD but most of the churches were built by the monks. For a short time, Bamberg was the center of the Holy Roman Empire.Bamberg is located 39 miles from Nuremberg. It is unique as it extends over Seven Hills, each crowned by a beautiful church. This has been called the Franconian Rome. In the summer they actually have gondollas traveling up and down the river. There is a standing joke among Bambergians, that Rome is referred to as the Italian Bamberg. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage, because of its authentic medieval appearance. One famous person that came form Bamberg was Claus Von Stauffenberg, who was the German officer who made an attempt on Adolf Hitler's life.
This is a beautiful town and the many half timbered houses are amazing. The Canonary houses were built by the cannons themselves in 1200's with stone as the basement and half timbers for the top.
We were able to see the Old Court which was where the former Babenberg Castle was. It was built in the Renaissance Style and it was the home of a Catholic Bishop. We were too late to take a tour as the big doors were just closing to the inside of the mammoth gate way, but it made for a beautiful backdrop for some picture taking.
This is the new residence which was built as an extension of the old court in a Baroque style by Bishop Schonborn in 1693. It is built from Franconian sand stone. If you walk through the inner court yard you will find a rose garden which of course had no roses as this is winter time. I'm sure it is spectacular in the summer however. Today it houses the History Museum with exhibits ranging from prehistoric times to the 20th Century.
The first church we were able to see was the Obere Pfarrekirche (St. Martins Church) begun in 1300. It was built for the towns people. From the tower a night watchman looked over the town to ring the alarm bells in case of fire and other dangers, right into the 20th Century. As you can see it is built in the Gothic style which I dearly love. It is so ornate and old looking. The ceilings in the inside are gorgeous. They were painted later in the Baroque art style. The statutes and other art work are very ornate and the pipe organ was very beautiful at the upper end of the building as you can see from our pictures. We were so lucky to be able to see the inside of this one.
Little Venice is a name given to the row of houses and the area around them in the 17th Century because of their similarity to Venice Italy. Today you can see arcades, wooden galleries, window flower boxes and blooming gardens in the summer. Their living rooms overlook the river, the cellars use to be open for the boats to dock in.
The River Regnitz is a powerful force in Bamberg. Many trades used the River. First and foremost the Fishermen, rope makers, tanners, sail makers, dyers, millers and butchers. Above all, it was a source of much needed power. Three weirs (over flow Dams) supplied the power for more than forty mill wheels that were used for milling, pounding, sawing and grinding.
The Rathaus (Town Hall) was the main draw for us in Bamberg. It was first built by the Town's people and it was simple. It is the little building that looks like a house in the middle of two rivers, The Main and the Rignitz. After a few years the Bishop wanted a more grand building so he built the one attached to the small house. It is a beautiful building. It was built in 1750 and has murals painted on every wall. There are four bridges which connect the south part of the city with the north part and they all cross onto the island where the Rathaus is. The most famous bridge is the Obere Brucke completed in 1455. We stood on this bridge for 30 minutes and it was so cold but it was so facinating looking over both sides. We couldn't believe a structure could stand like this for 800 years. We watched while three absolutely crazy people were practicing their maneuvers in this frigid water.
On the bridge to the Rathaus are two statues. One of Cunigunda the wife of Heinrich Emperor of Germany, the other is your guess. Interesting!
We walked back into town to the platz and found two
interesting stores while window shopping. A collection of black dolls dressed as the servants were in the 15th century at the palaces. Another was the Holland hat company. I thought my daughter Kim would enjoy seeing these. Anything look good?
We visited the Imperial Cathedral which was later renamed St.
Stephens church. It was built in the 1200's in the Romanesque style. Four copper spires have a set of 10 bells which has a very unique sound only in Germany. This Cathedral was built in memory of Henry the II. Each tower is 266 ft. high. Inside is a rare treasure. A statue that they call the Bamberg Horseman. It is as old as the Cathedral. It serves as a symbol of the city. It is said to be St. Stephen the King of Hungary or "The Apocalyptic King of the Last Days.
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