Grand Circle River Tour 10: Bamberg [Sky Watch Friday]

Dubbed by some as the ‘Venice of Germany’, Bamberg is one of my favorite towns. Its old city center contains the largest existing group of historic structures and has earned UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Bamberg is laid out over 7 hills, near where the Regnitz River meets up with the Main River. Since our ship was docked on the latter, we needed another bus ride and walk to the town. As we walked along the Regnitz, I was moved by the richness of color and flowers in the morning light.

One of the highlights is the old city hall [Altes Rathaus]; Rat in German means Advice, not the rodent (although in some cases the latter might have been applicable). It dates back to the 15th century; however, remodeling and painting of the facade was done in the late 18th century. Below are several shots of this fascinating building. Notice the leg sticking out of the painted wall in the bottom two images.

I could have spent hours walking around and enjoying all its details. However, with some free time afforded us, I was on a mission to revisit the Bamberg Dom, completed in the 13th century. Having been under construction for many decades, architectural styles underwent change from the Romanesque [see the vaulting in the top image below] to Gothic [two of its four Gothic towers  are shown in the bottom image below]. 

 My top mission was to shoot some good images of the Bamberger Reiter [Horseman], a stone statue by an unknown medieval sculptor. I can’t tell you how exciting it was to be back here after more than five decades. I believe that I accomplished my goal and here are several of my favorite shots. I should note that the lighting was dim and flat, and a high ISO was required; so in post-editing, I boosted up the exposure and contrast. However, the sculpture's grandeur speaks for itself.

As we headed back through town to meet our buses, this sign caught my eye. I thought that the Star of David indicated that the owner had been Jewish. However, it turns out that the two triangles, one pointing up and one down, is the symbol for beer brewers.

I am going to be away from my blog site for several weeks [until mid-January]. Upon my return we will be visiting Nürnberg. In the meantime, Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year.