Bamberg is a pretty beautiful town in upper Franconia, and this 3-day Bamberg itinerary includes the three best places in this area. The Bavarian city of Bamberg is built on seven hills. Coburg, a town not far from Bamberg and whose locals are Franconians rather than Bavarians, was the seat of dukes and a meeting place for high nobility. The highlights of Coburg are such as the market square and the residential castle. On our way back to Frankfurt, we stopped at Würzburg to visit the famous Bavarian State Winery.
Our trip took place in the deep autumn when the sky was clear and the air was chilly. Despite the perfect weather for photographing, we could not picture some iconic sights due to maintenance jobs. Nevertheless, we were amazed by the beautiful places during the short visit.
The detail of 3-Day Bamberg Itinerary is as follow:
1st Day: Bamberg
- St. Michael Monastery in the fog
- Bamberg Cathedral hill
- Lunch at the historical centre, the Little Venice
- Altenburg castle
2ed Day: Coburg
- Breakfast in the restaurant
- Market square
- Coburg fortress (Veste Coburg)
3rd Day: Würzburg (Bavarian State Winery)
1st Day: Bamberg
St. Michael Monastery in the fog
In the morning, we went up the hill to St. Michael Monastery. It was so foggy that we could not see the said view of the old town.
Bamberg Cathedral hill
So, we walked toward Bamberg Cathedral. The Imperial Cathedral, with four spires perched on top of one of Bamberg’s seven hills, is worth seeing. If you have been to Germany only once, you probably will not feel unusual that one of the sights is under renovation. This time, the Bamber Cathedral was under maintenance. Failing to take photos, we left the place to see the Old Imperial Court and Bamberg State Library.
Lunch at the historical centre, the Little Venice
Around lunchtime, we were back to the pedestrian zone around the Old Town Hall, the iconic sight of Bamberg, and the iconic touristic site in the little island district. Also called Little Venice, the island district of Bamberg has many restaurants and bars that provide Franconian food and smoked beer. Most restaurants offer Franconian food. We ordered a dish of five types of sausage and a large portion of Sauerkraut. And I was somewhat disappointed because the famous Blue Sausage was not part of it.
Later, I learned that the Franconian specialty, Blue Sausages, should be cooked mainly in wine vinegar, and therefore they are offered as a separate meal. I managed to order them in the restaurant Schlenkerla for dinner.
Altenburg castle
In the late afternoon, we went to Altenburg castle perched on top of Bamberg’s highest hill and enjoyed a panoramic view of the episcopal town and the surrounding region from the terrace.
2ed Day: Coburg
Breakfast in the restaurant
Commonly, restaurants and bars in Coburg offer various types of breakfast. After a breakfast in a restaurant near the main parking area, we headed to the market square. Well, because of the farmer’s market, we could barely saw the historic buildings around but the local food sellers.
Market square
Many historic buildings are around the market square that leads to side streets. One side street leads to the castle square, where we
did not see a soul around. The castle square was impressive! The state theatre (Landestheater) and Edinburgh Palace rise imposingly on one side, and Ehrenburg Palace towers are on the other side with its magnificent neo-Gothic sandstone facade.
Coburg fortress (Veste Coburg)
Our highlight was a short walk up to the Coburg Fortress (Veste Coburg). In the deep autumn afternoon, the sunlight was soft and warm. After a short walk, we had to take off our jackets and have a break to ease our breath. The walkway was covered by colourful foliage reflecting the golden sunlight, a typical autumn scenery!
3rd Day: Würzburg
Würzburg came to the Bamberg Itinerary because we had to pass it on the way to Frankfurt. Since we had only a few hours, we only visited the Bavarian State Winery during the short stay.
Right below the Würzburg Residence, the Hofkeller (the Court Cellar of the former Prince Bishop, today the Royal Bavarian Court Cellar) is a labyrinthine cellar covering 4,557 m². Bavaria’s beer has numerous varieties, and Bavarian events such as Oktoberfest make its beer world-famous. Hence, we are interested in knowing why Würzburg, a big Bavarian city, has such an excellent wine cellar operated for over eight centuries.
Our Hofkeller cellar tour lasts about 45 minutes. When it was wine-tasting time, I drank a glass of wine without thinking of my empty stomach. So, I was dizzy afterward and hurried to the town centre in search of food.
After two days of Franconian food, we longed to have different cuisine. But it was a difficult decision since most of the eateries offer local food. Finally, we went to a backstreet and popped into an Italian restaurant whose menu of the day was mussels and French chips. When we saw its menu, we decided on the seafood plate and salmon pasta, both priced reasonably.
Travel tips for Bamberg Itinerary
Where to stay in Bamberg
There are a handful of hotels in the old town, please see below.
How to get there
It is easy to reach Bamberg from Frankfurt, Munich, or Nürnberg via various means of transportation. Please check the detailed information here.
Travel tips for your Bamberg Itinerary
- You should try four local specialties: Blue Sausage, Smoked Beer, Bamberger Hörnla, and Schäuferla.
- The evening in the old quarter of Bamberg is busy, especially in front of the restaurant Schlenkerla. The Locals gather in front of the restaurant with a mug of smoked beer. You can only get a seat inside if you eat dinner as well.
- Don’t feel bothered if someone shares the table with you. In Bavaria, it is common to share a table.
- Many restaurants in Bamberg offer a breakfast menu. The layout of the breakfast menu looks pretty, but the food is too less. We tried two different restaurants on two days, and each had a set menu, but we were still hungry afterward.