Bamberg Things to Do

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Bamberg cathedral is one of the older cathedrals in Germany. It was originally built in about 1000 AD and underwent several transformations through about the 13th century where it took on it's present form.

Bamberg has the only Pope interred outside of Italy and France, unfortunately, I did not spend long enough in the Cathedral to visit the Popes tomb. I BELIEVE I got a photo of it through a lower window as I was exiting. Not a very good shot but I'll post it anyhow. :-)

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Somewhere in my notes (if I can ever find them again) I feel sure that they will tell me that this building is the hospital. Most people have their back to this building while taking photos of the "Little Venice" section across the Regnitz.
Again trusting my memory, this place once was a palace.

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It seems that any town that has a river running through it and a bit of history wants to be known as a version of Venice. Well, personally speaking, I wish they'd stick to what they really have. Here is the spot that is displayed when Venice is mentioned but the boats are for fishing, not gondolas transporting people. In addition, the houses that you mostly see in the pics were fisher folks residences.
It is attractive though, as many parts of the Regnitz are where it flows through Bamberg.

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Bamberg's first cathedral was constructed by Heinrich II and consecrated on May 6, 1012. On Easter Sunday 1081 it burned down. Bishop Otto 1 rebuilt the cathedral during his term as bishop between 1102 and 1139. In 1185, it again was destroyed by fire. In 1215/20 under Bishop Ekbert von Andechs-Meranien (1203-1237), construction began on a new larger Cathedral. Today's Cathedral was consecrated on May 6, 1237.In the 17th century, it received a baroque facelift but the baroque furnishings were removed between 1828-1837 and replaced with a neo-romanesque interior which is largely visible to the present day. During the last restoration between 1969 and 1974, the Cathedral was adapted to the requirements set down in the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council thus the High Altar was moved from the east choir to the main west choir. the double tomb of the Imperial couple Heinrich II and his consort Kunigunde was created by Tilman Riemenschneider in 1513.

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St Martin's is a Baroque church (I believe the only baroque church in Bamberg). It was built by the Dietzenhofer Brothers in about seven years from 1686 -1693. Some feat for a church of this size and quality. It was originally built for the Jesuits as part of the Jesuit university. It stands in the very central Gruner Markt and is probably the easiest church to find in Bamberg. It is a beautiful building, don't miss it.

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The history of the Alte Rathaus is documented many times over on VT travel pages, so all I can say is that it is worth a trip to Bamberg just to see this amazing building which is built on an artificial island in the Regnitz River. It's not just the Rathaus with its wonderful exterior frescoes and unusual design, but the whole area around it is chockful of atmosphere, beautiful buildings, fast running river, restaurants, shops, flowers, you name it. A wonderful place to wander. I was gobsmacked.

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The Luitpold-Strasse leads from the station to the town. In the St. Gangolph-Platz, on the left, is the church of St. Gangolph founded in 1063. It was originally Romanesque, with a Gothic
choir, but was disfigured by alterations over the years. In the chapel in the N. transept, behind the altar, there is a crucifix with a draped and crowned lifesize figure of Christ at rest.
Unfortunately the church was closed when I was there so the photos I have are all of the outside of the building. As much as I was disappointed that I could not go in, there was some very interesting statuary on the outside in small grottos around the base of the building.

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St Michael stands on the highest of the seven hills of Bamberg. The walk from the cathedral leads up the old cobbled road.
St Michael's church was founded by the first bishop pf Bamberg, Eberhard in the 11th century. Once the church of Benedictine monastery, now it is a museum and an almhouse.
One of the highlights of the church is the tomb of bishop Otto of Bamberg dating from 1443. It has a mysterious hole in its tombstone and many visitors willingly crawl through it because it is said to help when you suffer from backaches.
But what makes the church really unique is its ceiling ornamented with so called 'the Garden of Paradise" painting. It is the most unusual church ceiling that I have ever seen. There are over 500 different types of plants presented very realisically. Beside the local plants we can also see the examples of exotic ones, like cotton or pineapple. The only animals in the garden are some parrots and songbirds.