We began our visit with a walking tour of Bamberg’s Old Town.
Bamber survived WWII bombings relatively unscathed, preserving its historic character. With over 2,000 timber-framed buildings, cobblestone streets, and baroque buildings, it is a living example of a medieval European city.
We fell in love with this cute little shop. Which, unfortunately, was closed. But wait until you see their stall in the Christmas Market!
On our walk, we stopped outside of St. Elisabeth’s Church.
St. Elisabeth Church
The church was consecrated in 1354 to serve the hospice in the area. The choir dates back to around 1400, and the nave was erected in 1493.
However, it is best known for its modern stained-glass windows by German artist Markus Lüpertz, depicting scenes from the life of St. Elisabeth and her works of mercy.
The Straw Star
Just outside St. Elisabeth’s church, we saw a Christmas tree lit with lights and adorned with beautiful straw stars.
German Straw Christmas ornaments have been used in Germany and Scandinavia for years. They are easy and inexpensive to make, and since most people had access to straw, they became quite common. But it’s more than that; straw is closely tied to the symbolism of the Christ Child’s birth in a manger.
We loved their simplicity and made sure to find one at the market to add to our Christmas ornament collection.
Bamberg Cathedral Square
Up on the hill above the old town is Bamberg’s Cathedral Square. The square is surrounded by three impressive and historic buildings dating back nearly 1000 years.
The Cathedral
The cathedral is the first thing most people see as they come up the hill.
While the Bamberg Dom, or the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. George, consecrated in 1002, appears to be a separate building, it’s actually part of the old court complex.
A cathedral fire in 1185 destroyed the original building. For a while, there was a single-story place on the site, which was replaced with the German Renaissance building in the 16th century.
It is famous for its four towers, the tomb of Emperor Heinrich II and his wife, and the sculpture of the “Bamberg Knight.” Additionally, it’s home to the tomb of Pope Clement II, the only pope buried north of the Alps.
The Old Court
The Old Court was the seat of the first Bamberg Bishop in 1007 under Emperor Heinrich II. The traditional half-timbered buildings began in 147 with the addition of several Renaissance-style buildings, and the Beautiful Gate, or Shöne Pforte, was added in 1568.
The New Residence
Across the square is the New Residence. These two magnificent baroque wings were built between 1697 and 1703 under Prince-Bishop Lothar Franz vonSchönborn. At the time, it was the largest palace built in Franconia.
Until 1802, it was the seat of the Bamberg prince-bishops, who were not only the heads of the church but also secular rulers.
We got to stroll through the courtyard and the Rose Garden. Unfortunately, in the middle of winter, there wasn’t a lot to see, but that just had to have been magnificent in their time.
The views of the city below, with its red-tiled roofs, are beautiful.
Old Town Hall
Altes Rathaus, or the old town hall, was an incredible building that sits on an artificial island in the middle of the Regnitz River.
The building is famous for its ornate Lüftlmalerei frescoes that cover its exterior.
The local legend says that citizens created the island after a local bishop refused to grant them land for the town hall.
The building combines the old town hall with the ‘upper bridge’, which offers fantastic views of the waterways surrounding the building.
There were several beautiful statues along the upper bridge. However, the most interesting was a statue of Saint John of Nepomuk. A Czech saint and martyr who was drowned in the Vltava River in the late 14th century. He became the patron saint against floods.
Random Weird Stuff:
The original statue of Saint John of Nepomuk in Prague was created in 1683. This replica was installed in Bamberg in 1927; many other European cities also have replicas on bridges to protect against flooding.
Bamberg Christmas Market
We strolled through the city’s Green Market, which at this time of year seemed to become an extension of the Christmas Market.
It was filled with produce and seasonal greenery, we saw roasting chestnuts and even butcher’s stalls were selling their sausages dressed for the holidays.
We passed the market stall from the incredible flower shop we had seen earlier. Their work was spectacular – just a little significant to pack for flights back to Mexico.
The Christmas Market was full of wooden stalls with lights and greenery. The tops of several stalls were decorated with spectacular wood carvings.
At one end of the market was its Weihnachtspyramide, or Christmas Pyramid. Decorated with carvings of angels, figures of the nativity, and other Christmas decorations, the warm air from the candles turns the carousel and the propellers at the top.
We also enjoyed quite a few sweet treats. One stall was filled with delicious Coconut Macarons, one of our favorites.
We also ate quite a few Lebkuchen, often called Gingerbread. However, these are very different than typical crisp Gingerbread, somewhere between a cookie and a cake. They are soft, dense, and nutty, commonly flavored with honey, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. They are often flourless and made with almonds and hazelnuts.
While this style is actually famous in Nuremberg, we saw it in multiple cities and in lots of flavors!
We loved our time in Bamberg, but our next destination, Würzburg, blew us away!
