Bamberg is one of those German cities that came through the twentieth century almost undamaged, so its old centre feels more like a seventeenth-century drawing than a place that has been repaired. It was listed by UNESCO in 1993, and it is easy to see why: it stretches across seven hills, like Rome, with the cathedral and the old bishop's residence on the highest, the Regnitz river looping through the middle, and rows of half-timbered houses and fishermen's cottages along the water. The little town hall sits on an artificial island in the river, reached by bridges, and has frescoes that seem to spill out over the walls.
The city owes its shape to Emperor Heinrich II, who made it a bishopric in 1007, and the cathedral that he founded still holds his tomb and the famous Bamberg Horseman, a medieval stone rider whose identity is still debated. Later, the prince-bishops added baroque palaces. Perhaps the best-known local product, though, is smoked beer, or Rauchbier, with a flavour like a campfire sausage in a glass. Whether you love it or not, it is a point of local pride, and several old breweries and taverns still serve it from wooden barrels, along with hearty Franconian food like pork roast with dumplings.
For riders, Bamberg is the northern end of the Castle Road section from Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The road gets here through gently rolling Franconian farmland, with wooded ridges, orchards and small villages built around church spires and castles. The surface is generally good and the bends are easy rather than dramatic, so the pleasure is steady and unhurried. To the east, the Fränkische Schweiz, the Franconian Switzerland, has more twisting roads, rock formations and cave systems, and it is worth an extra day if you have one.
The city has about seventy thousand people, so fuel, parking garages and services are plentiful, though the old town is a maze of one-way streets and pedestrian zones. Leave the bike in a car park at the edge and walk in. The 'Little Venice' fishermen's quarter is best at sunset, and autumn is a lovely time, with harvest festivals and lighter crowds. Weekends in summer can be busy, so book rooms ahead.