In Bamberg, the old town hall appears to have stopped in the middle of the river. Its painted walls rise from an artificial island in the Regnitz, with bridges connecting the building to both banks. It is an irresistible first view, but the city’s story continues beyond the water: uphill to a cathedral square, through streets of former fishermen’s houses and into a district where market gardens still belong to the urban landscape.
This is Upper Franconia, in northern Bavaria. Bamberg’s historic town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1993. Give it more than the time needed for a photograph of the town hall; its character emerges by walking between the different neighbourhoods that make up the historic city.
