Before visiting Bamberg, I knew nothing about this town. Normally, I’m the kind of traveler who meticulously plans every pit stop, with a detailed itinerary of “must-see” attractions. But not this time. No, this time I left my fate in the hands of my friends, who had been there before. I can tell you right away: it was a very wise decision! Naturally, there are many tourist points of interest. But you know what I enjoyed the most? Taking a leisurely stroll through the city’s narrow, crooked streets lined with fairy tale houses: each one just begging you to take a photo or, better yet, to find the nearest pub and soak in the scene. Bamberg is practically packed with breweries. One could never die of thirst in Bamberg!
Now, speaking of beer (and how could we not?), let’s talk about Bamberg’s pride and joy: smoked beer. Yes, you read that right—beer that tastes like it’s been hanging out at a barbecue all day. This local specialty is the kind of thing you either fall in love with immediately or swear off forever. As for me? I was head over heels by the first sip.
Of course, after trying something new that I liked, I dived into the history of the product. And here was another surprise waiting: as it turned out, the smoked beer has some serious historical credentials. We’re talking about a beer-making method that dates back 5,000 years! Yes, five thousand. Apparently, back in the day, when folks were drying their malt over open flames, they simply had no choice but to give their beer that signature smoky flavor. But progress found its way into beer making, and on July 23, 1635, the first smokeless kiln was officially patented in England. This date marks the beginning of brewing the ‘normal’ beer we know now. The process became cheaper, and new kilns were not dependent on high-quality wood anymore.
So Bamberg has nothing to do with the invention of smoked beer. Then why is it called “Bamberg smoked beer”?
By the 1830s, smokeless kilns were all the rage in England, and they slowly crept into Bavaria, thanks to a little industrial espionage. Yes, that’s right, Bavaria had its own James Bond moment! Son of the famous beer maker had played that role quite successfully, bringing back home the secret drawings.
Yet, a few Bamberg brewers refused to budge and kept making beer the old-fashioned, smoky way. And today, only two breweries in the world still use that original method, and they both just happen to be in Bamberg.
When we tried this beer (solely for scientific purposes, of course) we found it very rich in taste and aroma. If you like smoked foods, most probably you will find it appealing as well. So do yourself a favor and stop by Schlenkerla brewery, which was founded in 1405!
What to do in Bamberg after completing this task? I personally find this town very interesting on its own. I enjoyed simply strolling through the streets lined with classical, picturesque Bavarian houses. By the way, local people prefer to be referred to as Franconians because Bamberg is actually a part of Franconia: the region existed as a whole at some point but, after numerous wars and changing hands, most of former Franconia now forms northern Bavaria.
Bamberg is laid out over seven hills, so exploring the whole town might be somewhat challenging. We limited ourselves to walking up the tallest hill to see Altenburg Castle first mentioned in chronicles in the 12th century, and then stopped by the Bamberg Cathedral,
which was built in the 11th century and then, after a major fire, was rebuilt in the 13th. The views from up there? Absolutely worth the climb (even if my legs might disagree).
As we descended to the river banks, we noticed a few signs on the walls of surrounding buildings. They mark historic water levels from the occasional big floods that have occurred there over the centuries. Some of them are so high that, most probably, during those floods Bamberg was divided into seven islands, not seven hills!
Speaking of the river, do not miss the perfect photo opportunities: the views from the downtown bridges are spectacular! Also, we spotted something we did not expect to find in Bavaria. I was photographing classic half-timbered houses along the riverbank when, all of a sudden, a real Venetian gondola came into the picture! In fact, it turns out you can easily enjoy a gondola ride in Bamberg.
There is also the Levi Strauss museum a 15 minutes’ drive away from the center of Bamberg that we skipped, but someone might be interested in visiting the birth home of the famous denim king.
And let’s not forget Bamberg’s artistic side! As you wander through town, keep an eye out for some quirky, contemporary sculptures dotted here and there. It’s the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern flair.
