Things to see in Bamberg – European River Cruise

Bamberg’s fascinating historical townscape has developed over more than a 1,000 years. At the centre of this world heritage town is the largest preserved old quarter in Europe. Around 2,400 listed buildings and the centuries-old garden quarter make up the town’s unique cultural heritage. The façades of its buildings are richly decorated in fascinating detail with spectacular ornamentation.

The row of neatly kept historical houses along the river Regnitz is affectionately known as “Little Venice”. It looks really pretty and we were told that these days the area is a student district.  Most of these lovingly restored half-timbered former fishermen’s houses date back to the middle ages. Whilst their balconies and tiny front gardens with mooring points for barges look romantic today, they used to be working mooring points where the fishermen would bring in their catch. In August Little Venice is the setting for the “Sandkerwa” festival with its Fischerstechen river jousting contest and Italian evening.

As mentioned previously, this World Heritage Site was built on seven hills and is often compared with Rome. On one of the hills stands the imperial cathedral with its four towers, the heart of the town and the region’s most important architectural monument.

The old town hall was built on an artificial island in the middle of the river Regnitz in the 14th century, the only construction of its kind in Germany. At that time the river was the boundary between the merchant and episcopal parts of town. According to local legend neither side could agree on the location of the town hall and so the boundary river appeared to be the ideal compromise. The town hall’s façade is painted in a baroque style but the core of the Gothic building of 1463 has been preserved. The adjoining half-timbered Rottmeister house (1688) seems to float above the river.

Helen