Even though it has to take place online, we welcome you - at least virtually - to the world heritage city of Bamberg!
We are happy to introduce the city and the most beautiful activities of Bamberg to you here, and will try to make further offers for you to get to know during the online conference.
Historical buildings, sights and history in the World Heritage Site
OLD TOWN HALL | Bamberg's most famous building: the Old Town Hall on the Upper Bridge. Today a porcelain museum and postcard motif, it used to be the boundary between the bishop's mountain and the bourgeois island town. Legend has it that the bishop did not want to give the citizens of Bamberg any of his land for a town hall - so they drove stakes into the river Regnitz, created an artificial island and built the town hall on it. The town hall was rebuilt between 1461 and 1467, in its present form.
BAMBERG CATHEDRAL | With its four towers, Bamberg Cathedral dominates the cityscape, and it also plays an important role in the city's history: its foundation stone was laid as early as 1004, before the Bamberg diocese was founded in 1007. Since then, the building has burned down twice. The cathedral as seen today was completed in 1237. Of particular interest: Bamberg's second bishop Suidger was elected pope in 1046. However, he was buried in Bamberg Cathedral - making his tomb the only tomb of a pope in Germany and north of the Alps.
LITTLE VENICE | The former fishing settlement is not only a tourist magnet, the locals also like to come here - not only for the traditional Fischerstechen in August. "Little Venice" is located in the middle of the city and offers a particularly beautiful sight with its mostly medieval half-timbered houses. Each house is unique - but one thing is certain: none of them is symmetrical.
ST. MICHAEL | Similar to Bamberg Cathedral, the former monastery of St. Michael towers over the cityscape. A church was first built on this site as early as 1015. After a fire in 1610, the monastery was rebuilt. After its dissolution in 1803, the former Benedictine monastery became the property of the city and has housed a spital ever since. The monastery church has been undergoing restoration since 2012 due to structural defects and is therefore not expected to be accessible until 2025.
BAMBERG HORSEMAN | One of the city's best-known symbols is the Bamberg Horseman. And this despite - or perhaps because - it is still unknown who the rider represents. What is certain, however, is that the statue dates from the first half of the 13th century and used to be painted in colour. Art historians see strong similarities to statues from Milan, Lucca or Iran.
in and around Bamberg
In the Bamberg city area and surrounding countryside, more than 70 breweries brew more than 400 different types of beer. These include not only the traditional beers. From Rauchbier to Franconian Kellerbier, from “Ungespundetes” to Bockbier - Bamberg’s family-owned breweries offer every beer lover a diverse range. Beer culture also includes going “to the cellar” in Bamberg. In the summer months, the traditional Wilde Rose or Spezial beer cellars are well worth a visit, as are the associated brewery pubs all year round.
In 2021, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 75th anniversary. Founded in 1946 by members of the German Philharmonic Orchestra Prague and musicians who had to flee during the Second World War, the orchestra has since given over 7,000 concerts in 63 countries. In 2003, the orchestra became the Bavarian State Philharmonic. The current and thus fifth principal conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra is Jakub Hrůša.
One of Bamberg’s most popular cultural venues is the E.T.A.-Hoffmann-Theater. It was named after the writer, composer and caricaturist Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, who worked at the theatre from 1808 to 1813. After a long break due to the Corona pandemic, performances have been held again since the end of May.
To get to know the city and life in the World Heritage Site better, there is a diverse range of guided tours and walking tours through the history, culture and culinary delights of Bamberg. In addition to typical tours of the Old Town, Bamberg also offers its visitors themed tours, such as on the history of the witch burnings. In addition, there are the city tours with the red Hop-On Hop-Off bus, night watchman tours and a variety of culinary tasting tours through the history of Bamberg’s brewing art as well as its malt houses and breweries.
Historical buildings, sights and history in the World Heritage Site
in and around Bamberg
