No if you want to get a sense of the towns history visiting the Cathedral and exploring the connected / nearby buildings is a great place to start. We visited on a busy weekend but found it easy to move through the Cathedral at our own pace on a self guided tour. There were people available to answer questions and were were free to roam respectfully. Walking down to the catacomb was also a unique way to get a sense of history through the life of the space, which has had multiple fires. The stonework and scale is massive. I’m told they have music with the pipe organ on Saturdays but don’t know the details. I can only imagine what the massive organ sounds like during services.

Beautiful cathedral. Make sure you go inside and see the only pope remains in Germany. Very cool!

Pope is buried in the back and on the square side door is relief of Jesus return. Worth the visit and cool on top of the hill.

Beautiful cathedral. Fine location to sit and reflect and lots of history! No crowds at all during the week.

We were not able to go inside the cathedral during our visit. Only took some pictures from outside. There was alot of constuction going on. The architecture is exquisite yet somehow feels depressing. Just my opinion. Much more beautiful things to see in Bamberg.

Bamburg Catheredal of St Peter and St George. Construction of the church was completed in the 13th century. Great to visit.

It was much bigger than I realized. Perhaps not as beautiful as other cathedrals but seeing Der goldener Reiter inside was a Highlight.

Fascinating historical landmark, famous for its unique location. According to legend, the city's citizens built it on an artificial island in the middle of the Regnitz River after the bishop refused to grant them land. It now houses the Ludwig Collection, a museum of porcelain and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

One of the iconic images of Bamburg. Really pretty building and a really scenic view. Detailed decorative architecture and fresco-ish external painting. The best view is from the bridge that shows the front of the building. Which is by the Tower Lots of cool stuff in that area to see as well.

Nice town like little Venice. 🏘️🛶😊 And nice to see the very old Rathaus in between a bridge that cross the river. 🌉🏰😍 Very nice views in town 👍😎✨

Beautiful landmark in the heart of Bamberg. The unique location on the river and the colorful façade make it an absolute must-see.

Very nice! You need to see it at day and night. Just gorgeous.

A well preserved medieval town. We enjoyed our visit to Bamberg.

Probably most impressive looking Rathaus in Germany is also one of the most picturesque buildings. Originally built in 14th century, it was remodeled in 18th century in Baroque style. According to legend, it was built on the river on artificial island because the bishop refused to allocate the land, hence the bridge just straddles Regnitz River. Frescoes are very charming blending medieval and Baroque origins of city hall. Couldn’t resist going in circles around it…

The smoked beer was great, very unique. Taste like smoked sausage. Definitely a must try when in Bamberg. There were many people just chilling outside the restaurant chatting, while drinking. If you want to do the same, how it works is that you will need to pay a deposit “pfand” when ordering your beer, if not mistaken its €2, then they hand you the mug of beer. When you’re done, just head back to the counter, return the mug and get back your deposit. Enjoy!

Famous for their Rauchbier I now got to try their food. They got the typical local dishes. We had the Krustenbraten and Tafelspitz. Both dishes were well prepared. They are quite busy in summer, but they made space for our large group. Great hospitality. But for some reasons they do not entertain bachelor parties.

An authentic Bamberg brewery and restaurant. Because it’s ranked at the top of almost every tourist guide, it does get very crowded with visitors – many of whom just wander through or have a quick beer while standing. But if you take the time to sit down, order and enjoy the excellent beer, it’s well worth it. The food is hearty and tasty, service is fast, and while the staff aren’t overly friendly (a bit of an assembly-line feel), they are attentive. The only real downside to dining outdoors is the sheer number of flies – you’ll be busy fighting them off for your meal.

Great beer garden. Ate here both nights I spent in Bamberg. Managed to get through the entire list of smoked beers. The red lager was my favourite

It is the Bock season. We travel from far and wide, Scotland in my case, to sample the glorious Urbock? What happens? Finished by 19.30. No new Faß, bottles only. I can drink them in my own country. If a fridge can retain the chill of the Märzen overnight, why not the Urbock? You are letting so many people down.

We visited this place for lunch and sample Franconian kitchen and the legendary smoked beer. We were greeted by a very pleasant man in glasses who told us many interesting things. Overall, the staff was very welcoming and friendly. We didn't have to wait for a table; we were seated right away. The atmosphere is very authentic, in the old German style. We ordered sausages with cabbage and beef brisket with potato ball in a creamy cranberry-horseradish sauce. Everything was delicious, I highly recommend it!

Great food! We tried the stuffed onions with minced meat and potato purée — delicious. The waitress was very kind, and the food arrived just two minutes after we ordered. The menu doesn’t offer a huge variety, but we were happy with our choices. They also have a good selection of beers, from classic options to some special limited-edition ones.

Extremely beautiful town. Driving is complicated so sort out where you’re going to park before you come. Parking is 2-2.50€/hour. Plenty of hotels, cafes, restaurants, bars, markets and services as it is also has a University campus with plenty of facilities, libraries, etc.

We had an absolutely wonderful time in this beautiful city. From the moment we arrived, the charm of the streets, the stunning architecture, and the vibrant atmosphere made the experience unforgettable. The food was incredible—every meal felt like a highlight, full of authentic flavors and local specialties that left us wanting more. What really stood out was the overall vibe of the city: lively yet welcoming, with a perfect balance of culture, history, and modern energy. It was the kind of trip where every moment felt special, and we left already planning our return.

Bamberg is a really nice city with a lot of old and beautiful things to see. It feels like you're walking through history with its old streets and buildings. There's a big church and a cool old town hall on an island. People are friendly, and Overall, Bamberg is a fun and interesting place to visit.

We were advised to visit Bamberg before visiting Bavaria, and were not disappointed. We found the area busy and touristy, but with good reason. Our trip included a drive to Altenburg the next morning for lunch.

Great place with very nice old houses, small roads, and great shops. The river crosses the center of the old town, there are several beautiful bridges from which you can see the sunset. Very beautiful.

It's a very historic and charming city. Exploring its streets was a delight. It's a city with its own unique character and a must-see. Parking is readily available throughout the city center. You can easily explore on foot.

Bamberg has been a city of my heart for years. The smoked beer, the charm of the ancient city, the typical Bavarian welcome...the city during this season is absolutely a dream!🍂🍁

the new seat of the prince Bishop from 17th century with halls and rooms furnished also in the 18th century like the magnificent Imperial Hall. the visit is only possible with a guide but photos are allowed. amazing Tour

Neue Residenz is the elegant palace building at Domplatz. It is a 40 room Baroque complex which houses the State Rooms and State Gallery along with a charming Rose Garden. Opening hours are 10am to 4pm daily and entry is €6 per adult. The Rose Garden can be accessed freely and affords lovely views of the lower section of the historic centre of Bamberg. Neue Residenz was constructed mostly in the 17th-century and is a fine representation of Austrian-Bohemian Baroque architecture. The State Rooms are highly decorative with outstanding ceiling frescos. The Imperial Hall fresco works by Melchior Steidl (1709) is a masterpiece, probably one of the finest of its kind in Franconia. The State Gallery is where you find European masterpieces mostly from the Baroque period. This makes for a nice art viewing experience as well. Easy to spend 45-60 minutes between the two, make sure to allow another 10-15 for the Rose Garden as part of your visit as well.

Touring the Neue Residenz and its art galleries in Bamberg is insightful and short enough to be digestable as well. The art galleries were thought-provoking. In the Residenz, I appreciated that historical context was given. The furniture and art in the rooms were arranged to convey their original feeling. I enjoyed that it gave me a glimpse into a different time-period. The entrance was inexpensive and the staff friendly. Outside the building, there is a beautiful rose garden with a stunning view over Bamberg. After the tour, I highly recommend a short rest in this garden (no entry fee and accessible without having to tour the building).

The art part of the museum was not that impressive to me, but the 3rd floor intro he residence and rooms was amazing and worth the visit.

A beautiful and historic building again close to the old town. Is right next to the historic old court and Bamberg Cathedral. Although it looks really promising from outside we couldn’t manage time to visit inside. It has a beautiful garden with mostly roses in the inner yard. Next time we would be visiting inside too.

Didn’t go inside, though the interior looks stunning. Just as pretty on the outside with its baroque architecture. Interesting shape too to admire in an L shape enclosing the Domplatz. Right by other sites such as the old court and the Dom. Absolute must visit when in town!

What a wonderful place to visit in Bamberg. The staff throughout the residence are exceptional! They all have a found knowledge of the history, architecture and paintings. Throughly enjoyed my visit here it’s definitely a must in Bamberg. €6 entry a private tour of the private rooms included, make sure you ask what time they are. The tours are only spoken in German, however if you go early enough they might translate to English as well (depending on numbers).

a pleasure - nicely situated gentle service and super yummy food. The duck dish was formidable to mention on top. Solid beer and wine selection as well.

Good food but even nicer scenery. Go here if you want to eat traditional food from Bamberg!

All restaurants in Bamberg are great, but Eckerts was exceptional. Great location, lovely food, the staff were fantastic, very comfortable restaurant and to cap it all Eckerts brew their own beer, a beautiful ipa. This was the perfect end to our holiday.

Great spot along the river. What a nice view! Impeccable service and food. Traditional German cuisine. Abundant but stylish and of a refined taste. A small but perfect selection of wines and beers. Thank you! [sorry but we didn’t get to see the extended wine list, hopefully next time!]

Great atmosphere and service. We particularly enjoyed the fact, that everything was done with passion and professionaly. Starting with the water served to our Espresso, followed byba great chocolate and raspberry cake. Afterwards, we tried the devil's ice coupe with chilli chocolate and enjoyed a visit to the dinning rooms. Will report further after having had a dinner and room here.

Good foods , good service:) After a long walk in old Town, just stop by for light lunch. Staff is very nice and friendly.

Both beer and the food were great. Actually Eckerts Kellerbier is one of the best beers I tried in Germany so far. As for the food I took beef cheeks which was very tender and melting in the mouth. Atmosphere is friendly and service is high quality, so i will definitely recommend this restaurant!

The smoked beer was great, very unique. Taste like smoked sausage. Definitely a must try when in Bamberg. There were many people just chilling outside the restaurant chatting, while drinking. If you want to do the same, how it works is that you will need to pay a deposit “pfand” when ordering your beer, if not mistaken its €2, then they hand you the mug of beer. When you’re done, just head back to the counter, return the mug and get back your deposit. Enjoy!

Famous for their Rauchbier I now got to try their food. They got the typical local dishes. We had the Krustenbraten and Tafelspitz. Both dishes were well prepared. They are quite busy in summer, but they made space for our large group. Great hospitality. But for some reasons they do not entertain bachelor parties.

An authentic Bamberg brewery and restaurant. Because it’s ranked at the top of almost every tourist guide, it does get very crowded with visitors – many of whom just wander through or have a quick beer while standing. But if you take the time to sit down, order and enjoy the excellent beer, it’s well worth it. The food is hearty and tasty, service is fast, and while the staff aren’t overly friendly (a bit of an assembly-line feel), they are attentive. The only real downside to dining outdoors is the sheer number of flies – you’ll be busy fighting them off for your meal.

Great beer garden. Ate here both nights I spent in Bamberg. Managed to get through the entire list of smoked beers. The red lager was my favourite

It is the Bock season. We travel from far and wide, Scotland in my case, to sample the glorious Urbock? What happens? Finished by 19.30. No new Faß, bottles only. I can drink them in my own country. If a fridge can retain the chill of the Märzen overnight, why not the Urbock? You are letting so many people down.

We visited this place for lunch and sample Franconian kitchen and the legendary smoked beer. We were greeted by a very pleasant man in glasses who told us many interesting things. Overall, the staff was very welcoming and friendly. We didn't have to wait for a table; we were seated right away. The atmosphere is very authentic, in the old German style. We ordered sausages with cabbage and beef brisket with potato ball in a creamy cranberry-horseradish sauce. Everything was delicious, I highly recommend it!

Great food! We tried the stuffed onions with minced meat and potato purée — delicious. The waitress was very kind, and the food arrived just two minutes after we ordered. The menu doesn’t offer a huge variety, but we were happy with our choices. They also have a good selection of beers, from classic options to some special limited-edition ones.

A very delicious well made Gluten-free Pizza! We were here at lunch, in two without reservation. The waiter was nice, prepared and the order arrived fast (table outside, even if a little tight as place). The pay was obviously way above the usual pizza price(56 for 2 gluten-free pizzas, 2 lemonade and 2 caffe) It's the first time I found a gluten-free pizza in Germany, and I must say that I am impressed! (the only thing to be added is that ...garlic on the Volcano pizza is delicious...but considered Italian only on some parts of Italy, let's admit it for those who don't digest it ☺️) Anyway, Thank you guys! Especially that thanks to you, we can eat a safe gluten-free pizza 🍕 😋!!!

Flawless service and delicious food! All the pasta we ordered was amazing, rucola salad is a must! Good house wine, local beer, so pretty much everything :) we were lucky to get table without reservation but on weekends or during dinner time reservation can be a good idea.

Really nice place, pizza tastes good and service super friendly. I do recommend visiting, but make sure you have a reservation. I noticed that the prices went up massively over the past 5 years and it's by far more expensive than visiting an italian restaurant in London, which was very surprising. (My friend paid almost 10 euros for a little side salad and over 20 euros for a pizza. Drink prices are OK.)

Place is nice service is also really nice. Bit overpriced for the food they serve

Prosciutto pizza is delicious and so are the pastas in general. The link lemonade is a great drink (non alcoholic) option.

An okay place for pizza. The service was really good and the bread we got with the salad was great. The pizza was not my taste - overall it was a nice evening here

Very good pizza, pinsa, pasta. Whenever we are in the area and have foreign guests, we take them to this place. An atmospheric place where everyone will find something for themselves. The selection of drinks is also impressive, and the staff are always happy to advise on what to order.

I assure you can feel the local atmosphere than any other Brauhaus in the Altstadt of Bamberg. Furthermore, this place is the oldest Brauhaus in Bamberg. The pork shoulder is very tender and its skin is crispy enough.

The newest brewery in Bamberg, to a city that has been making beer for over 900 yrs was amazing. This local restaurant is in the downtown area had opening seating that we shared, a European tradition. We enjoyed local cuisine that was authentically delicious. 1 Bratwurst with saurkraut and cooked potatoes was delicious. The beer was enjoyable. A fun filled atmosphere with friendly hosts made our evening out perfect on our Gernsn vacation.

relaxed beer garden and some nice looking space inside. They offer quite some special beer according to the seasons and the current Sommerbier was super fresh n nice - we had some cheese with "Musik" which was altho extreme yummy. Service as usual around there super nice.

If you love real beer, Brauhaus Zum Sternla is a gem in Bamberg 🍺. Their brews are clean, well-balanced and full of character – you can clearly taste the quality malt backbone, the gentle noble hops and the freshness of unfiltered lager. Each variety has its own personality, from the smooth Helles to the richer Märzen and the cloudy Zwickel. The atmosphere is lively and very typical Franconian, exactly the kind of place where beer tastes even better. Staff are super attentive and welcoming, which makes the whole experience unforgettable. A true must-visit if you want to discover authentic Bamberg brewing culture. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We decided to visit Zum Sternla based on the good reviews and traditional German menu. The place was very busy (13:30). As we entered the place, we asked if there's a free table for 2. One of the waitresses answered, that there's one in the room at the end of the corridor. We followed the direction, found the room, and the free table (the only one without guests and no "reserved" sign). We were waiting for the waitress to give us the menu, but none approached, as they were busy bringing the orders. After several minutes of waiting I waved to one of the waitresses when our eyes met. :) And she told us that the table is reserved... When I pointed out that there is no sign, unlike on 2 other tables, she said, that the table next to our table has a sign, and there are 2 tables reserved with that sign. Fortunately, there were people leaving, so we were offered to sit at the shared table (our tablemates were great!). We finally got the menu (unfortunately, I didn't find the famous Bamberg Rauchbier we wanted to try, and there was no apple cider either), and ordered 3 sausages with sauerkraut and roasted potatoes for my father (14.5€), and 2 sausages with sauerkraut and bread for me (9.5€). Our order was ready in 20 minutes, which is ok, taking into account the number of guests at Zum Sternla. Also, I was able to go and wash my hands before the meal was served. We were extremely hungry and I remembered about taking photos halfway through our meal. :D The sauerkraut was magnificent. 🔥 The best sauerkraut I ate during the current 16-day trip in Germany. The bread was great, as always in Germany. ❤️ The amount of bread was also good, I was able to share it with my father who absolutely loves German bread. The sausages were not for my taste (I didn't like some of the spices added to the meat), but my father liked them very much! The roasted potatoes were great, I need to thank the people who mentioned them in their reviews. 😘 We asked for the bill, and mentioned that we want to pay in cash. The waitress typed the amount - 24€, and I asked to add the tip to it. But then we were looking at each other rather confused - turns out she was waiting for my card. I clarified, that I was going to pay in cash, and the misunderstanding was settled. I paid the bill, but didn't get any check (which is a bit unfortunate, as it helps to calculate the travel expenses). Overall, we liked the food in Brauhaus Zum Sternla, but it was too crowded and loud per our taste, plus the inattentive service. UPDATED: Check the replies to the 4 and lower star reviews before visiting.

After 2 weeks traveling through the Rhine Valley and Bavaria (and eating at 1-2 new German restaurant everyday) I now understand why this place is constantly packed. They serve the best versions of all the things you see on every menu. The liverwurst, bratwurst, dumplings, etc. all amazing. I still dream about their fried potatoes. Never had such creamy potatoes… how do they do it? Sigh. It’s too busy for staff to go above and beyond service wise but every one was friendly in this well oiled machine. Prices fair and can’t beat the history too!

Great brewery and traditional German food! Excellent! Big portions and everything you would expect from a Bavarian establishment ❤️

Ice cream is a great way to cool off. Loved the STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER, and the ISLAND IN THE SUN. Flavors were excellent and it hit the spot.. The JOE EXOTIC was low on the flavor and more milky than expected. The popcorn was more Styrofoam than kernel. Served ice in the water which while not usual for Europe, was very welcome.

Beautiful grilled chicken and salmon, potatoes and vegetables, Italian Rose and sparkling apple juice😘. The guy who served us spoke English, friendly (the best trait for customer service) and very efficient. Colin & Josie-Australia

The pizza is really good. Some of the specialty pizzas are a bit heavy with some ingredients overpowering the pizza. Would recommend sticking to simple pizzas with three or less toppings. Pasta dishes are OK however not as good as the pizza. Salads are good.

Children's play corner only gets service when you walk down and ask for something. Entrées came last and were cold, we had to order everything ourselves so they decided to make everything at the same time even though we asked them to bring it after one another. For the food its nice otherwise maybe pick something else

Definitely worse places to go if you want some decent Italian food. The pizza and pasta were good. The big benefit of this place is the great location, familiar food options for travelers, and the fact it opens on Sundays. Really no complaints. We could see ourselves visiting again if we find ourselves in Bamberg. It’s worth a quick stop.

The Breakfast Club didn’t work out for us. There’s obvious staff shortages with one person waiting the tables, one person in the kitchen and one at the bar who cannot take orders. With the long waiting time and missing ingredients from the menu we had to leave.

Can highly recommend. Great food. Nice staff. Atmosphere is great. Dim lighting and music that is just right in volume. Great place to chill and relax with friends. I will be back for sure when I am in Bamberg visiting again. Not sure how I missed this place but now I know. Been a while but nothing has changed. Still very good.