IN the city of Bramberg, in the north of Bavaria, south-central Germany

 When Henry II, Duke of Bavaria, became King of Germany in 1007 he made Bamberg the seat of a bishopric, intended to become a "second Rome."

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(in south-central Germany, in Upper Franconia, in the north of Bavaria) The city of Bamberg lies along the Regnitz River above its confluence with the Main River, north of Nürnberg. First mentioned in 902 as the seat of the ancestral castle of the Babenberg family, the town dates back to the 9th century when its name was derived from the nearby Babenberch castle. Bamberg became the seat of a bishopric founded here in 1007 by the Holy Roman emperor Henry II; the bishops became princes of the empire in the mid-13th century. The city passed to Bavaria in 1802 and an archbishopric was established in 1817. Bamberg’s imperial cathedral contains many notable statues, the tombs of Henry II, his wife, Cunegund, and Pope Clement II -- and a wooden altar carved by Veit Stoss. There are two bishops’ palaces: the Alte Residenz, or old palace, with a history museum, and the Neue Residenz, which contains art collections. Other historic buildings include the former Benedictine abbey and Saint Michael’s Church, the Saint Jacob’s Church, Saint Martin’s, the old Town Hall, and the chapel of the ancient fortress, Altenburg. (In 1993 Bamberg was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.)

+ Cited as one of Germany's most beautiful towns, with medieval streets and Europe's largest intact old city wall, Bamberg became a key link with the Slav peoples, notably those of Poland and Pomerania. It gained considerable prosperity from the 12th century onwards, when it was briefly the center of the Holy Roman Empire. The town's architecture from this period strongly influenced that of Northern Germany and Hungary. From the middle of the 13th century onwards, the bishops were princes of the Empire and ruled Bamberg, while overseeing the construction of monumental buildings.

+ Bamberg lost its independence in 1802, after becoming part of Bavaria in 1803. After WWI, the state government fled to Bamberg and stayed here for almosty two years before Munich was retaken by Freikorps units. Following WWII, Bamberg became an important base for the Bavarian, German, and then American military stationed at Warner Barracks (until 2014).

+ One of Germany's most attractive settlements; the town is bisected by rivers and canals and was built by archbishops on seven hills, earning it the sobriquet of "Franconian Rome." Students inject some liveliness into its pavement cafes, pubs, and breweries that produce Bamberg's famous smoked beer. Between the two river branches you will find spectacular Bürgerstadt, a small borough of Bamberg that contains the Grüner Markt, a pedestrian zone with the Baroque church of Saint Martin.

+ To the north is the New Town Hall, or Neues Rathaus, built in 1736. Yet, perhaps the town's most important structure is the Old Town Hall, which was built on top of the Obere Brücke (Upper Bridge).