Bamberg is built on seven hills, like Rome, and its townspeople are proud of the comparison. The old town survived the Second World War almost unscathed, which makes it unusual in Germany, and its jumble of medieval and Baroque streets, spread between the Regnitz river and the hills, is a World Heritage Site, listed in 1993. At the top of the cathedral hill stands the Kaiserdom, a four-towered Romanesque cathedral that holds the tomb of the Emperor Henry II, who founded the bishopric in the early eleventh century, and his wife Kunigunde. It also holds a mysterious medieval equestrian statue known as the Bamberg Horseman, whose identity is still debated.
On the river below, the old town hall sits on an artificial island in the middle of the Regnitz, joined to both banks by bridges, and its painted facade looks as though it were floating. Nearby, the fishermen's houses of Little Venice line the water, with balconies and small gardens stretching over the stream. The whole town has a lived-in feel, with students, shops and cafés filling the lanes.
Bamberg is also a beer city, famous for its smoked beer, Rauchbier, brewed with malt dried over beechwood fires, which tastes like a smoky sausage to the uninitiated and like heaven to the faithful. The town and the surrounding countryside have a great many small breweries, so a day here is easily turned into an education. Franconian food is hearty, with pork, dumplings and cabbage, and the onion stuffed with meat, a local speciality, is worth a try.
As a place to ride, the surrounding Franconian hills offer winding roads through orchards, forests and small villages, with a gentle gradient and a good surface. The Franconian Switzerland to the east is particularly good for bends. Bamberg itself is busy, with narrow streets and cobbles in the old town, so leave the bike at the edge and walk.
With seventy thousand inhabitants, the town has fuel and every other service you could want. The ride links it to the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth and on to Bad Kissingen, a good run through the heart of Franconia.