Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1523, is worth closer inspection. Because its central theme is the birth of Christ, it's also
called the Christmas Altar.
However, the Dom's star attraction is the statue of the knight-king, the
Bamberger
Reiter
. Nobody has a clue as to either the name of the artist or the young king on the
steed. The canopy above the statue represents the heavenly Jerusalem, suggesting the
mysterious figure may have been revered as a saint.
Altes Rathaus
(Obere Brücke)
The best views of the Gothic 1462 Altes Rathaus, which perches on a tiny
artificial island between two bridges like a ship in dry dock, are from the small Geyer-
swörthsteg footbridge across the Regnitz. Look for the cherub's leg sticking out from the
fresco on the east side.
For closer views, turning at the end of the Geyerswörthsteg then right again onto Obere
Brücke brings you face to facade with the imposing tower, a baroque addition by Balthas-
ar Neumann. It provides access to the precious porcelain and faiences - mostly from
Strasbourg and Meissen - housed in the
Sammlung Ludwig Bamberg
Offline map
Google map
( 871 871; Obere Brücke 1; adult/concession €3.50/2.50;
9.30am-4.30pm Tue-Sun)
.
HISTORIC BUILDING
Historisches Museum
( 519 0746;
www.museum.bamberg.de
; Domplatz 7; adult/concession €5/4.50;
9am-5pm Tue-Sun May-Oct)
Bamberg's main museum fills the
Alte Hofhaltung
(Old
Court Hall), a former prince-bishops' palace near the cathedral, with a mixed bag of ex-
hibits. These include a model of the pilgrimage church Vierzehnheiligen and the Bamber-
ger Götzen, ancient stone sculptures found in the region. Often of greater interest are the
expertly curated special exhibitions (some of which run through the winter), which exam-
ine aspects of the region's past in more detail.
MUSEUM
Neue Residenz
( 519 390;
www.schloesser.bayern.de
;
Domplatz 8; adult/child €4.50/3.50;
9am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Mar)
Home to Bamberg's prince-bishops from 1703
PALACE
