In the city of Bamberg, in the federal state of Baveria, Germany

 😊 "People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war, or before an election."

-- Otto von Bismarck
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(in Bavaria a federal state in south-central Germany) Bamberg is a town in Bavaria, where history and culture blend harmoniously. The Old Town is a delight to explore, with its medieval and baroque buildings, bridges, and alleys. Don't miss the Altes Rathaus (Town Hall, shown here), that sits on an island in the river -- or the Bamberg Cathedral, a majestic Gothic-Romanesque edifice with a mysterious equestrian statue. Bamberg is also famous for its beer, brewed in nine local breweries, and its smoked Rauchbier, a specialty with a distinctive flavor.

+ The city of Bamberg lies along the Regnitz River, 2 miles (3 km) 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, 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. In 1459 the first book printed in the German language was published in Bamberg. The city passed to Bavaria in 1802 after the secularization of the see. An archbishopric was established in 1817.

+ Like Rome, Bamberg sits on seven hills, though these are lush, green Bavarian ones. You’ll find all sorts of architecture here, so enjoy exploring the cobbled streets. Lots of shopping and museums await you, as do nine different breweries. The city loves markets and festivals, especially around Christmas,

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 (old) Residenz, or old palace, which houses a local history museum, and the Neue (new) Residenz, containing several notable art collections. Other historic buildings include the former Benedictine abbey and St. Michael’s Churchecrated 1015), the 12th-century St. Jacob’s Church, St. Martin’s, the Old Town Hall, the chapel of the ancient fortress, Altenburg, and several Baroque patricians’ houses. In 1993 the town of Bamberg was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its cultural influence, particularly as the center of the Enlightenment in southern Germany during the 18th century.

+ A disarmingly beautiful architectural masterpiece with an almost complete absence of modern eyesores, Bamberg's entire Altstadt (Old Town) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Bavaria's finest. Generally regarded as one of Germany's most attractive settlements, the town is bisected by rivers and canals and was built by archbishops on its hills, earning it the sobriquet of ‘Franconian Rome,’ Students inject some liveliness into its streets, pavement cafes, pubs and no fewer than 10 breweries cooking up Bamberg's famous smoked beer, but it's usually wide-eyed tourists who can be seen filing through its narrow medieval streets.