Do’s and Don’ts: Our First Impressions of Bamberg, Germany.

Bamberg is a thirty minute ride down the train tracks for us, so we didn’t try to accomplish all our sightseeing in one day.  It was bustling with activity when we visited, which isn’t all that surprising considering its university and the city’s claim to fame as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  One of the first things you’ll learn if you start researching Bamberg is that is has seven hills and seven churches on each hill.  I wasn’t able to easily distinguish the seven hills while I was there, but I was able to find a list of the seven churches.

It was my first time getting to take the train; we got the regional pass for Bavaria for a decent price of 28 euros round trip.  I’ve only ever taken a passenger train in America so the smoothness and speed of the German trains really surpassed my previous experiences.  Plus, the bathroom was huge!  I’m pleased that taking the train is so easy and relaxing for us.  No more backseat driving and record breaking Autobahn trips…. okay, just less of them.

When we arrived in Bamberg there was a refugee protest going on across the street from the train station.  We were a bit alarmed to see such a strong police presence and shouting Germans.  It took a while for us to realize it was a peaceful demonstration about the refugee crisis.  They marched down the streets of Bamberg and occasionally chanted in English, “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here!”  Most of the protesters were casually drinking beer or walking their bike down the roads, which were lined with police vans.

After one trip to Bamberg I’m no expert on all there is to see and do there.  I’m looking forward to returning several more times because there really isn’t all that much to do here in Schweinfurt.  So for now I’ll give you the do’s and don’ts that we learned about the city.

DO try a smoked beer.  It’s what they are famous for, after all.  Most people go straight to the historical Schlenkerla brewery for their ‘Rauchbier’.  You can grab a table or stand outside in the street with the rest of the beer drinkers.  It’s got a smoky taste because it’s dried over burning beech logs.  It may taste strange and foreign, which is probably why most Germans will tell you that you need three smoked beers before they’re really good.  In October and November they make a stronger version that goes up to nearly 9% and the locals get really excited about it.

DON’T forget to return your beer glass.  You pay a deposit of two euros when you order your beer.  If you keep the glass as a souvenir that’s not a bad price, but otherwise be sure to take it back to the window.

DO see the main attractions.  Bamberg has some very unique buildings.  My favorite was the Altes Rathaus – the old town hall.  It was built on an artificial island in the river because a bishop refused to grant land for it.  The citizens of Bamberg refused to take no for an answer.

DON’T pay for the tourist group tour.  In fact, don’t even go on a weekend if you have the option.  The tourist groups are just obnoxious.  They all have ear buds in to listen to their tour guide because the group is way too big, they clog the streets, and they all have fancy cameras strapped to them.  Bamberg is far too lovely to see from a quick guided tour, and there is plenty to see that’s off the beaten path – like this guy.

DO enjoy the markets.  You can find the Grüner Markt (Green Market) easily because it stretches along several streets and the historic square.  We saw lots of food, decorations, and even a pumpkin carving area.  It was thoroughly charming and enticing.

DON’T get coffee at the Café Piano Bar.  I thought this place was THE COOLEST because they printed their menu into CD holders and they had a beautiful cream piano.  But they use a microwave to steam your milk (this is sacrilege), they burnt said milk and I had to sit for 20 minutes waiting for it to cool down, and they were generally overrated and too packed.  There are so many other lovely coffee shops that I plan on trying next.

DO see the locks of love bridge.  I enjoy these bridges so much, even though they aren’t always the best idea.  My favorite part is the variety of the locks, some people get really creative!  We saw everything: ornate engraved locks, bicycle locks, hello kitty locks, a key storage box lock (that one was interesting), oversized locks, and even a pair of handcuffs…

DON’T go out of your way to see the Liegende mit Frucht.  I apologize if I offend some serious art connoisseurs, but this large naked woman made me so uncomfortable that I didn’t even take a photo.

DO laugh at the graffiti.  We could get really upset that some youth desecrated a centuries old work of art.  Or we could laugh and move on.  There is a lot of vandalism in Germany.

DON’T sit on a Germans doorstep. I sat down for about two minutes to rest and an angry German man opened his door to glare at us.  I’ll add that to my list of blunders that I’ve made so far in Germany.

DO see Little Venice.  I think a lot of people skip this because it’s just a little fisherman village, but I found it adorable.  The people that live here form a strong community and enjoy taking part in the “Sandkerwa” beer festival each year.  Watch out for the Segway tours that come tearing through the viewing area though – those people are dangerous.

DON’T bother going behind Little Venice.  I read on a couple of travel sites that you just HAD to walk behind the houses because it’s so picturesque.  I think it looks like most of the German neighborhood streets.  I’ll save you the time and show you what it looks like:

DO hike up to see the cathedral.  It’s massive, beautiful, and there are lots of other things to see nearby (like the Neue Residenz).  It is definitely on a hill, though.

DON’T put your feet up on the train.  The conductor was quite upset with me for doing so.  I never really thought twice about it until the stern German warning made me blush.

That’s the heart of our day in Bamberg.  I can’t wait to go back and I really hope we get to explore the underground tunnels sometime.  Have you been?  What do you want to see the most?