Days 24 and 25 - Bamberg part 1

 It was a nice easy run from Plauen to Bamberg, and you could see the scenery changing. Bigger hills started to appear, and loads of forests. Camping Insel is a large site on the outskirts of Bamberg, in a district called Bug, but is very well run was very modern facilities and an excellent restaurant. The river runs right beside it.

Although Bamberg is technically in Bavaria, the locals say the area is known as Frankia. However, if you wanted to see a town that encompasses everything you knew or imagined about Bavaria, this is it. It is just adorable - pretty and impressive at the same time.

We took the bus in for a walking tour of Bamberg, with a guide called Sarah. Although a local, she had a long time boyfriend from County Down, so she had a Northern Irish accent which was clear and very easy to listen to. Quite charming, actually.

Probably the most photographed building in Bamberg is the Rathaus, or Town Hall. A new hall needed to be built, but neither the church on one side of the river, nor the businesses and hoi-polloi on the other would give up land - so they built it in the middle of the river.

The rest of Bamberg was just as impressive, with palaces and monasteries higher up the valley sides.

Does anyone recognise that last picture from a well known film? Think of an adventure film about some Frenchmen set in about 1630? Yep, The Three Musketeers.

Another thing Bamberg is famous for is brewing. There are still about 12 ancient breweries still working within the city boundaries, with scores of more modern craft breweries. They came up with a great idea - buy a pass that gives you four vouchers for a free beer (pint sized) from your choice of any of six of the old breweries, together with a stein and some chocolates. It is self guided, but good fun.

One beer above all others that is sold here is a smoked beer, which at first taste gives a flavour and aroma of bacon! It is weird, but by the third mouthful it is just down to a slightly different background flavour. 

We used up two of our beer vouchers, and will use the others when we ride into town on our bikes today (Sunday). If you are ever here, I can recommend both the guided and beer tours.

Bamberg? More like Wham-Bamberg!