Bamberg info, etc
 

I know RufusTF is a big fan of Bamberg. I am traveling to Hof, Germany the first part of May and was thinking of staying the weekend in Bamberg. Any advice on lodging and dining would be appreciated. And why is there such little information on the web about Hof?

We were in Bamberg two years back and really enjoyed the place - just right for a weekend. We stayed in an apartment for three nights:

http://www.die-fewo.de/renate.html

The owner speaks good English, although the website is only in German. It's a comfortable, clean, well-located (an easy walk across the river and into the old town area, also a short distance to the train station) and well-equipped little place.

Some friends took us out to two different "Brauereigaststaetten" - brewery/restaurants - with traditional regional food. Both were in the old town area and were terrific, but don't recall their names. There are 4 or 5 such places there that are well known.

Hof was of course a border crossing town in the days of the DDR and hence the end of the line for West Germans.

Put "Hof" into Google and a site comes up with lots of info about sights and accommodation:

www.hof-stadt.de

It is in German but if you click first on "Infos", then "Sehenswürdigkeiten" and "Hotels" respectively you will get to see a panel of photos of all the sights (Teddy-bear museum is one!), and a list of all the hotels with details of facilities and price.

I second the recommendation of Bamberg for a couple of days. In 2000 I stayed in the Brauereihotel "Fässla" in the main street for several nights, and ate in their restaurant - most satisfactory all round. My single room cost around DM65 with breakfast, I recall.

We did enjoy Bamberg a lot. Don't forget the Rauchbier (smoke beer). Don't know how much you want to spend, but the Hotel Brudermuehle was a bit over 100 euros a night in a great location. We had tried to get Faessla and another brewery hotel, but they were sold out. The Bruedermuhle is right on the river with a direct view of the old Rathaus across the river a couple of blocks away. The hotel has a very good restaurant with regional dishes. We found a very pleasant little bar/restaurant just past the Rathaus on the left side of the street. Reasonably priced (excellent Goulaschsuppe with good bread was about 3.50 euros--a meal in itself). I posted info on Bamberg and that restaurant a while back--if you haven't found it yet, I'll recheck the restaurant's name for you. We spent 3 days, but a weekend would be just great.

Another hotel that looked interesting was the St. Nepomuk just up the river a bit from the Brudermuehle.

My memory has been grinding away. I think that pleasant bar/restaurant is called Rathaus Shaenke.

AHA! Rathausschänke , Obere Brücke 3 , 96047 Bamberg
Tel: (0951) 2080890

A weekend should be perfect. WE only had one night and wished we'd had another night. We didn't make any reservations ahead of timem ( and this was peak season), just got into town around 1:00 and went to the tourist office and found a fine small gasthaus. They didn't speak any English but we managed just fine.

Dutch,

By all means make a visit to Bamberg. It's a splendid destination. The city's alstadt is quite attractive, atmospheric, perfect for a leisurely stroll.

Last summer my wife and I had the pleasure of staying atrthe Brudermuhle, a comfortable accommodation that is a former mill dating from the 14th century. Our room was very pretty and overlooked a footbridge lined with flower boxes. It's central location was hard to beat.

While in Bamberg, make a point of visiting the cathedral, featuring exquisite wooden carvings, frescoes, and a remarkable pipe organ.

Should you enjoy Bamberg's Dom, don't leave the region without making the 25 kilometer drive north to the pilgrimage church of Vierzenheiligen. While impressive on the outside, this 18th century creation by the great Balthasar Neumann, has an interior that is stunning - a kind of "heaven on earth" creation of whites, blues, and gold wherever you turn. As your eyes gaze upward, taking in the baroque splendor, you'll no doubt feel good about making your own personal pilgrimage.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful replies.