Bamberg

Bamberg is a beautiful German city located in the norther part of Bavaria, named Upper Franconia (important: not in Bavaria, please refer to a native Franconian for more information). The old city is part of the UNESCO world heritage and Bamberg is famous for its Beer Culture (but also much more) - and a great and growing CS community. Well - and LP states "It’s difficult not to be impressed by Bamberg, clearly one of Germany’s most beautiful cities. With a majestic centre, wonderful cathedral and superb palaces, this Unesco-listed place was built by archbishops on seven hills, earning it the sobriquet of ‘Franconian Rome’. Miraculously, Bamberg emerged from WWII with hardly a scratch, and most of the city’s finest buildings are originals. Pristine examples of architecture from the Romanesque era onwards have survived, and a genuine charm and romance pervade the city. Bamberg is also justly famous for its beer; there are 10 breweries in town and another 80 or so in the vicinity." Enough said?

Regular Activities
There are regular meetings (in 2013, every 13th of the month!) in which local and foreign members discover the city, so check on the Bamberg BW group for other and more events. Feel free to join! (Join the local group to know what is going on at the time of your travels here.)

Who to contact
If you intend to come to Bamberg or have questions during your stay the Bamberg BW forum plus the (sorrounding) Upper Franconia CS forum are good points to start from.

If you are looking for a host, do not post in the group but try a couchsearch and write to individual members! Read the advice on  to be successful.

By Train
Bamberg has a big train station right in the city. For tickets have a look at Deutsche Bahn.

By Plane
Closest airports are either Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC) or (very close) Nuremberg (NUE).

By Car
Bamberg is actually located very close to the center of Germany. It is easy to reach for travellers especially when they travel by car. There are two important motorways going by:
 * A3 (Dutch border - Cologne - Frankfurt - Würzburg - Nuremberg - Regensburg - Austrian border)
 * A9 (Berlin - Leipzig - Hof - Nuremberg - Munich - Austria)
 * Both motorways connect to A70 and A73 - which again cross directly close to Bamberg.

Hotels / Motels / B&Bs
If you look for a more economical way of staying in Bamberg you definitely should consider CouchSurfing. In the case that no couch is available throughout Bamberg you can still refer to the youth hostel. The most famous is the Jugendherberge. Motels are not very common in Germany but you also should keep your eyes open for "Pensionen" which are basically the same.

Eating and Drinking
This is a special one. We have made it a little tradition to meet frequently at different places in and around Bamberg. Check out at the noted Bamberg BW forum to find out more! You can spend a whole lifetime visiting the breweries in the region. OK, they´re not like Paul Bocuse restaurants, but that´s why everybody can afford to go there and you sometimes find whole families (from grandma to grandson) going there together. Plus another specialty - this area is very reasonable! You can enjoy half a litre or delicious beer for €2 or less and a decent meal for under €5!

Public Transport
In Bamberg, public transport consists of a bus system that enables you to get around in the town centre during weekdays. There are some evening and night lines in the town centre and of course plenty of taxis. However, if you stay in the centre, the best way to get around is on foot. If you intend to visit the region around Bamberg, you should have a rental car or at least know somebody (host?) who owns one. If you live in one of the villages around Bamberg, it is sometimes difficult to get to town by bus.

In Case of Trouble
Bamberg is a pretty safe city (Hey, we have our own bishop!), but you never know. In the case of a fire break-out or general emergencies call 112, call 110 if you need police assistance. (If someone gets hurt call an ambulance by dialing 19222.)  These numbers should work from every cellular phone - even without SIM card. If you don't have one look out for a phone booth or ask passers-by for help. Emergency calls are FREE! If you confuse the numbers it also shouldn't be a problem, you will be routed through. Please make sure to remember at least one of these numbers.

Outdoor Activities
Hiking, cycling, climbing in "Fränkische Schweiz", the beautiful region around Bamberg. Checking out scenic beer gardens and local breweries, there are about 150 breweries still existing in the region. In Bamberg: Relaxing in its beautiful parks like "Hain" and green areas like "Bruderwald". Going to beer gardens (again :-) like the wonderful Spezial Keller (http://www.spezial-keller.de/Spezial-Keller_Bamberg/Willkommen.html), and of course sightseeing in the centre that some people consider an open-air museum as it wasn´t destroyed in WWII.

Bars and Clubs
Have to admit, that the 'night life' here is rather scarce. But I guess, that's not what people come her for anyway? :) Though a stroll along Sandstrasse and Austrasse will show you are busy student night life.

Shopping
Well, we have here a few factories on the outskirts (i.e. Bosch for spark plugs and windshield wiper motors and Michelin for tyres) but they do not bother for factory sales obviously. On the other hand, there is everything here one needs including of course anything that a traveller needs. (Check with your host for details.) Looking for a distinctive souvenir, one should take along some of the special beer noted below...

History
Check Wikivoyage and Wikipedia for details. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamberg As a Bamberg resident, I must say that this place is so full of history that you don´t know where to start presenting it. However, always remember, if you stay with a true Bamberger, you are not in Bavaria, but in Franconia. It is one of the hapless misfortunes of history that Napoleon made Franconia part of Bavaria at the beginning of the 19th century.

Sightseeing
Bamberg, an old archdiocese, naturally has many great churches you can visit, the most important one being the cathedral started in 1007, meaning it´s more than 1000 years old. In it, you can find renowned statues like the "Bamberger Reiter" or "Ecclesia and Synagogue" dating back to the 13th century. Additionally, there are great altars and the tomb (made by Tilman Riemenschneider) of Emperor Heinrich and his wife Kunigunde who founded the diocese of Bamberg. But if you read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamberg_Cathedral - you realize that it takes weeks just to explore this one monument!

The church of St Michael used to be a monastery and is now a home for the elderly. The church has a wonderful painted ceiling and in it, there is the tomb of St Otto, bishop of Bamberg and missionary of Pomerania at the beginning of the 11th century. It is said to help cure backaches, so ask a local how to do that :-) On Michaelsberg, you´ll also find a very interesting beer museum. The old town hall was built right in the middle of the river Regnitz and is famous for its 3D-painted facades. With the cathedral, it is the most famous monument in Bamberg. From the upper bridge, you have a beautiful view of "Little Venice", old fishermens´ houses along the river Regnitz. This is by the way not the only point why Bamberg is sometimes compared to Italy. Bamberg is built on seven hills like Rome and the region around is sometimes referred to as "Franconian Tuscany". Don´t forget to go to one of the brewery pubs like "Schlenkerla", "Spezial", "Keesmann", "Mahr´s Bräu". This is Franconia at its best. Have a stroll around the old town and a break at one of the beautiful students´ cafés. And if possible, go see a basketball match in this so-called "Freak City" of basketball in Germany or enjoy a performance of the renowned Symphonic orchestra.

There is much more to be found and experienced. Link:

http://www.bamberg.info/

Web Links

 * Public Transport: http://www.verkehrsbetriebe.de/page.php?page=bamberg/opnv/opnv.html
 * Tourist Information: http://www.germany-tourism.de/ENG/culture_and_events/unesco_south_bamberg.htm

hitch:Bamberg