Destination Bamberg

We'd got used to the pattern of sightseeing in the morning and then having free time in the afternoon. This time we had a leisurely morning on board while we continued on to our destination of Bamberg.

We were warned that, unlike all the other places that we had visited, Bamberg's port area is totally unattractive. As we saw when we arrived just after lunch, that was certainly the case. Fortunately we had buses to pick us up and take us to the centre of town.

Bamberg is certainly a very attractive town and we began by walking alongside the river from where we could admire all the old houses along the water's edge on the opposite bank. With good reason the area is known as Little Venice. We then walked quickly through the old town and up the hill to the cathedral. It and the surrounding buildings are quite spectacular, though our guide unfortunately was in a bit of a rush which limited the opportunity for photographs. Opportunities were further limited by the large amount of road and foot traffic in the area and by the fact that many of the buildings were undergoing repairs and restoration work. Nevertheless, what we did see was quite impressive.

Our guide then took us back down the hill to the old town, leaving us to our own devices for a couple of hours. That was fine, except for the fact that round about then it started to rain. This was unfortunate because up until then the weather had at least been dry, though overcast and cold.

Bamberg contains many shops and restaurants, and would have provided many photo opportunities also if the weather had been kinder. We were tempted to try the smoked beer, a local specialty, but as we had been eating and drinking so much on board the ship we decided to give it a miss. At the appointed time we were happy enough to get back on the bus and return to the comfort of our ship. We were certainly pleased to have visited Bamberg, though a little disappointed that the weather had prevented us from getting a lot more out of the visit.Read more