We decided on an excursion to Bamberg with Rosemarie and Frieder. The city of Bamberg is a UNESCO world heritage site and it was easy to see why. There are plenty of interesting old buildings. Unlike many German cities Bamberg was not destroyed during the war. Time did not allow us to visit the cathedral or the Residenz, both of which are important landmarks. We arrived at lunchtime so our first stop was at the ‘Schlenkerla’, an old pub. After a beer and food we made our way to the River Regnitz, which flows between the old and new town. In the middle of the river is the impressive old town hall, which is reached by two bridges: the lower bridge in concrete replaces an earlier one blown up by German soldiers at the end of the war, the upper bridge was built in 1456 after floods destroyed the original. Between these two bridges, on a small island, sits the old town hall. It was first mentioned in the 14th century but took on its present appearance in the mid 18th century. We were also impressed by Little Venice, a row of fishermen’s houses along the river Regnitz, some dating back to the Middle Ages. A short river cruise rounded off our day in Bamberg.
