What to see in Bamberg ?

Bamberg resists time with rare obstinacy: the town escaped bombing during the Second World War, which allowed it to preserve an almost intact medieval centre. The Old Town, designated a UNESCO site, organises itself around seven hills and a branch of the Regnitz where former fishermen's houses form the quarter known as Little Venice. The Cathedral of Saints Peter and George, with its thirteenth-century stone horseman, remains the essential landmark.

Spring and autumn offer far more agreeable light and footfall than summer, when tour groups flood the alleys. Two days suffice to explore the town without haste, on foot or by bike along the riverbanks. Bamberg is easily reached by train from Nuremberg in forty minutes. Avoid concentrating your visit on smoked beer (Rauchbier) from the Schlenkerla brewery: it's a local curiosity, not the sole reason to come here.