There are fairytale places all around Munich. We don’t just mean King Ludwig’s love castles or the romantic villages by the water. From a historical point of view, Bavaria is also a federal state that hardly any other can match! There are several UNESCO World Heritage Sites around Munich that are more than worth a day trip. The old town of Bamberg has been one of them since 1993 and is considered one of the best-preserved medieval city centers in Europe.
Why is Bamberg a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
The old town of Bamberg is sometimes called “Franconian Rome . ” This explains UNESCO’s decision: Bamberg is simply the ideal model of an early medieval city in Central Europe. The city is built on seven hills, which is where the comparison with Rome comes from.
It also combines three historic city centers: the garden city consists of unique cultivated areas in the middle of the city that have been used since the Middle Ages. The mountain city is the religious center with the imperial cathedral. And the island city represents the bourgeois commercial center—today it is the pedestrian zone. Bamberg has thus preserved a lively city structure that is over 1,000 years old.
1000 monuments in a small area
The fact that the old town of Bamberg is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site is also thanks to a lucky coincidence. Bamberg remained almost completely intact during the decisive air raids of World War II due to a thick cloud cover .
Today’s World Heritage site covers around 142 hectares and includes over 1,000 individual monuments. You can explore the three city centers on your own. Various events and visitor tips related to the UNESCO World Heritage site are offered regularly – check the website for dates and guided tours. In addition, the impressive Imperial Cathedral of St. Peter and St. George with its four towers is one of the city’s top attractions. The cathedral houses important examples of medieval art, such as the Bamberg Horseman, the tomb of Pope Clement II, and the tombs of Emperor Henry II and his wife.
And if you feel like taking a break after so much culture, the city’s brewing tradition is also inextricably linked to its World Heritage status. With an extremely high density of breweries and the famous Bamberg Rauchbier, a centuries-old craft tradition lives on here.