Bamberg is one of those places that you hear about, but never really know much about.
Because we have our American spec car now, we have started to plan out our parking situation before heading out to an unknown city. American vehicles tend to be taller, wider, and longer than Euro spec. This makes parking in a garage really hard. We have parked in garages with our Euro spec rental before, and even that was a pain in the ass.
For our Bamberg trip, I had found an outdoor car park that sits just outside of the main city center the night before, and we settled on parking there. It wasn't too far of a walk, maybe 15 minutes, but the walk to the center takes you through really beautiful neighborhoods. It was worth it!
Once in the city center, you'll see the typical surroundings of any German city: Fountains, squashed houses, bridges, shopping stores, pubs, restaurants, etc,. I began to wonder where everyone was, Bamberg being a larger city and all, but then I figured it out when I walked into H&M. All of the people were in there! I quickly turned around and exited the store. Usually Saturdays call for hustle and bustle throughout a city center, but it was honestly a mild crowd day.
We wandered in and out of our favorite stores, explored some of the streets, and then I pulled my phone out to aid in navigating to the famous Bamberg Rathaus.
I remember living on a street not too long ago called "Bamburg Drive", and people over the phone taking my information would always say "Huh?". I'd just frustratedly reply "like the German city, but a U instead of an E". Then they'd say "Oh...I think I have heard of that place before".
I often saw the city on House Hunters International, too, but it's really not the first place you think of when wanting to sight see in Germany. I am glad we visited though. Bamberg has a charm unlike some of the other larger cities we've been to.
The drive to Bamberg from our house took us through some neat places. We hit a city called Pottenstein, and there you see cliff side homes (sans water), homes built on rocks, and all sorts of interesting architecture. They also had a large cave along the main road, which seemed to be accessible to tour. We didn't stop, but know that we'll have to go back one day.
Another thing I noticed on the drive: More castles! Most were in ruins, but still, I was amazed at how many there were that we'd never heard of. Sure they're not huge tourist attractions, but as you may have read in previous posts, that's what I love about the lesser known places. Unfortunately I didn't capture pictures of any on the drive, but just you wait...you'll see them as soon as I have the chance to return!
Because we have our American spec car now, we have started to plan out our parking situation before heading out to an unknown city. American vehicles tend to be taller, wider, and longer than Euro spec. This makes parking in a garage really hard. We have parked in garages with our Euro spec rental before, and even that was a pain in the ass.
For our Bamberg trip, I had found an outdoor car park that sits just outside of the main city center the night before, and we settled on parking there. It wasn't too far of a walk, maybe 15 minutes, but the walk to the center takes you through really beautiful neighborhoods. It was worth it!
Once in the city center, you'll see the typical surroundings of any German city: Fountains, squashed houses, bridges, shopping stores, pubs, restaurants, etc,. I began to wonder where everyone was, Bamberg being a larger city and all, but then I figured it out when I walked into H&M. All of the people were in there! I quickly turned around and exited the store. Usually Saturdays call for hustle and bustle throughout a city center, but it was honestly a mild crowd day.
We wandered in and out of our favorite stores, explored some of the streets, and then I pulled my phone out to aid in navigating to the famous Bamberg Rathaus.
When we hit the Rathaus, I had to wonder what the fuss is really about. I know it's a historical building, but if you don't know the historical significance, it doesn't have an aesthetic significance that sets it apart from anything else you have seen in Germany, really. It's a pretty building though, don't get me wrong. There were large groups of tourists taking pictures with it, behind it, in front of it, etc,. My favorite part about it was the balcony detailing, oh and the devil baby on the wall. Maybe he's not a devil baby, but his hot tamale color gave me the impression that he is.
After roaming through the city a bit longer, we set forth to our car. We had one more stop in Bamberg. It was getting close to sundown; the days are shorter now as we approach winter, which really sucks when you want to see everything.
We headed to Schloss Altenburg, a near by castle, of course!
I recommend driving to the castle if you are visiting Bamberg, because it's not exactly within the city center, and like most castles, it sits on a hill. The sky was getting darker, and I feared rain, but we were lucky enough to tour the castle without a drop from the sky. The castle is self-guided, which again, makes me a happy camper.
After losing daylight, we headed to the car and started the 1.5 hour drive home. Bamberg made for a lovely day trip, and I will return soon. I missed a few of the things I really wanted to see there, but feel as if I got to see much of the city, which I don't take for granted!
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