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European Holiday and River Cruising Memoirs

Category Archives: Bamberg

Day 7: An Afternoon in Bamberg, Upper Franconia.

18 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by KidazzleInk.com in Amsterdam to Budapest, Bamberg, Germany, Time flies when you're globe trotting and river cruising, Uncategorized, Viking River Cruise

≈ 11 Comments

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Alte Rathaus, Bamberg, Haßfurt, Little Franconian Rome, Locks, Regnitz, Smoked beer

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Sailing in and out of Locks as we travelled though the Main-Danube Canal, we arrived in a little village called Hassfurt (Population about 13,000) around lunchtime.

After another very orderly disembarkation from our Longship Tor, we were grouped onto about 4 buses; then transported some 30 or so kilometers into the city centre of Bamberg (Population about 70,000) for another educational info-walk and a relaxing afternoon of sightseeing in the Old Town Centre.

Bamberg sits on the Regnitz River about 3 kilometres from the confluence of the Main and the Regnitz Rivers. It’s sometimes referred to as “Little Franconian Rome,” because it too is sprawled over 7 surrounding hills. Each is noted for its own grand church. If you have time check out the short YouTube Video below which is all about Bamberg.

There are some 9 breweries throughout the city of Bamberg. They produce about 50 different varieties of beer altogether. Within a further hundred kilometre radius there are said to be some 300 more breweries. Most famous, of course, is the Bamburg smoked beer called “Rauchbier”. Dark and smokey it is evidently made by drying the malt over open flames. This is said to deliver its characteristic smokey flavour.

Regnitz River, Bamberg.

Regnitz River, Bamberg.

Today Bamberg is a bustling small city, well known for its student population, a U.S. Army presence and wonderful markets selling all manner of craft and fresh produce. It is also highly regarded as a very authentic, historical, German city as it mostly avoided the damage caused in other areas during the war years.

Historian in traditional dress, Bamberg.

Historian in traditional dress, Bamberg.

Old Palace, Bamberg.

Old Palace, Bamberg.

Bamberg presents a very eclectic mix of architecture ranging from early Romanesque influences, though to medieval styles, the baroque and the modern-day. Frachwerk is also found in many of its old town areas.

Modern Statue, Bamberg

Modern Statue, Bamberg

One of Bamberg’s most famous buildings is the 14th century Altes Rathaus (or Old Town Hall). Being built right over the Regnitz River, it offers beautiful watery views all the way up and down the waterway.

Painting on the Walls of the Alte Rathaus, Bamberg.

Painting on the Walls of the Alte Rathaus, Bamberg.

Bamberg also lay’s claim to a somewhat chequered past having witnessed the torture and execution of some 300 to 600 people during the German Witch Trials of the in the 16th century.

Later, in  February of 1926, it provided the venue for Hitler’s famous Bamberg Conference.

The Residence, and Formal Garden, Bamberg.

The Residence, and Formal Garden, Bamberg.

Very old book in a pharmacy window, Bamberg.

Very old book in a pharmacy window, Bamberg.

Presently, it is a modern-day city endeavouring to encourage education and the arts through it’s own university, symphony orchestra, and artist house villa known as Concordia.

Cafe, Bamberg.

Cafe, Bamberg.

The young were all out on that lovely  sunny Spring afternoon. They were obviously enjoying this age-old city as they congregated in partying groups at the bars and in the cafes and restaurants. They all appeared most cheerful as we made our way through the old cobbled streets.

Buck's Party, Bamberg Style

Buck’s Party, Bamberg Style

Late in the day, we even came across a most intriguing, and might I say rather lively buck’s party. I’m still wondering if this young fellow’s fiancée (probably his wife by now) has seen any of the charming photos of that afternoon’s bubbly proceedings.  Ahhhh well…..it was just good to see the young people enjoying themselves. After all they weren’t hurting anyone but they did certainly appear to be having a jolly good time.

Mate's at the Buck's Party in Bamberg.

Mate’s at the Buck’s Party in Bamberg.

St Michael's Church, Bamberg.

St Michael’s Church, Bamberg.

Ornate Work on Building in Bamberg.

Ornate Work on Building in Bamberg.

Lovely lady in traditional dress in Bamberg.

Lovely lady in traditional dress in Bamberg.

Tulips in Bamberg.

Related articles
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Day 7. Sailing the Main-Danube Canal and Bamberg in Upper Franconia, Germany.

16 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by KidazzleInk.com in Amsterdam to Budapest, Bamberg, Locks, Uncategorized, Viking River Cruise

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Atlantic Ocean, Black Sea, Charlemagne, Cockroach in a bathtub, Rhine–Main–Danube Canal

A Lock

Amazing! Now I think I now know how a cockroach must feel when it gets stuck right at the bottom of the bathtub! Well I think this would have to be a close experience anyway.

If you have the time, just watch this video by Feisty Tortilla on Youtube. I think it gives everyone a better feel for just what it’s like.

 

We sailed through many of these enormous locks as we travelled all the way from Amsterdam to Budapest on our recent European river cruise. And yes. it was very easy to feel just like that cockroach at the bottom of your bathtub many times over! Afterall, there are some 16 locks just within the Main-Danube section of the journey alone.

Going into a Lock on Viking Tor.

Going into a Lock on Viking Tor.

As we sailed into each new lock, the water would be let out. Our Longship would then gradually sink down, down, down  following the changing water level. The light would slowly seem to fade inside our elegant stateroom.

Following the water level down onboard  Viking Tor

Following the water level down aboard Viking Tor

Soon the only thing we would be able to see from the longship, would be the amazingly steep sides of the soaring lock walls just outside.

Ascending high above us, they began to appear as sheer towering cliffs (only much smoother and usually a greenish-brown shade that indicated they were rich with algae of course).

Initially these experiences worried me a  little.

Once in a lock, it appeared that the only way out (had we needed to get moving in a hurry) was via some very steep ladders built into its sheer sides. So as we sank lower I would initially find myself muttering a few of my own little Hail Mary’s…hoping to goodness that the enormous gates at the other end would actually open as they should.

Well of course,  they always did. We would then simply sail off once again into the rich splendour of the Upper Franconian Landscape.

Breathing a sigh of relief  as the gates open after the water had been sucked out of the lock.

Breathing a sigh of relief as the gates opened as always after the water had been sucked out of the lock.

Sailing out of a Lock and into the splendour of the Upper Franconian Landscape

Sailing out of a Lock and off into the splendour of the Upper Franconian Landscape

After a while, I found I became quite accustomed to these locks. I guess because there are just so many of them.

Viking tells us there are about 68  or so altogether between Amsterdam and Budapest. Their workings and the technological genius of their mechanics are really quite intriguing to watch. Dearly Beloved (D.B.) certainly seemed to think so. He loved to photograph them using MY camera!

Once I realised  that the gates would always work without a hitch, I actually even started to look forward to passing through them myself.

Sheer cliff like walls of a lock.

Sheer cliff like walls of the lock taken by D.B.

D.B. loved taking photos of the inner workings of the locks.

D.B. just   loved taking photos of the inner workings of the locks.

More inner workings by D.B.

More inner workings by D.B.

Eventually. D.B. and I would even get up in the middle of the night so we could watch the spectacle of our Longship passing through another  new lock in the darkness. It became a little mini-adventure of sorts. We even began to look forward to it.

The locks also seemed to become somehow more exciting in the dark of the night.

And more inner workings by D.B. The engineer likes to know how things work.

More inner workings by D.B. The engineer likes to know how things work.

According to the Danube River Cruise website, the Rhine – Main – Danube Canal was a dream first discussed by Charles the Great (better known as Charlemagne) way back in the 8th century. Even then Charlemagne could envisage the positive outcomes a connection would have for trade and transport between the countries.

But it wasn’t until many centuries later that Germany’s King Ludwig built the first smaller, much shorter section of this original canal. The inaugural section connected Bamberg to Nuremberg in 1836. It saw many productive outcomes. For nearly a century or so it was instrumental in promoting European business and trade.

But with the introduction of  train transport at the commencement of the 19th century,  river transport soon started to decline.  The final damage of course was afflicted during World War 2.  This saw the first canal structure close altogether.

But new plans for a much longer….. a much grander canal were soon on the drawing board.

The Rhine Main-Danube-Canal (as we know it today) was only just completed about twenty or so years ago in 1992.

Today the canal runs from about Bamberg on the Main River to Kelheim on the Danube. It now allows longships and  boats to travel all the way from the Atlantic Ocean in the West to the Black Sea in the East.

This amazing 20th century engineering achievement  has of course once again opened up the river trade and transportation routes right across Europe.

Today more and more people are cruising these waterways every year. Dearly Beloved (D.B.) and I certainly found it a most delightful way to journey through Europe.

Sailing on Viking Tor.

Sailing on Viking Tor.

By around midday on Day 7  we would be arriving in the beautiful medieval city of Bamberg. Built across 7 hills and close by the confluence of 2 rivers…..the Main and the Regnitz Rivers…. we were  most certainly looking forward to exploring these new German treasures.

Germany seems to have so many UNESCO World Heritage protected cities and historical buildings.  They are all  so architecturally  and historically rich and so extremely difficult to replace. We must surely continue to look after what we have; to preserve it,  so we can enjoy its magnificence for generations to come.

Watery vista along the Danube.

Another lovely watery vista along the Danube.

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