Bamberg Cathedral, Bavaria, Germany

Bamberg Cathedral (Bamberger Dom) crowns the Cathedral Hill at the heart of Bamberg’s UNESCO-listed old town in Upper Franconia, its four tall towers a landmark visible across the city. Founded in 1004 by Emperor Henry II and first consecrated in 1012, the cathedral was rebuilt after fires and took its present late-Romanesque form, with early-Gothic western towers, in the 13th century. Some 94 metres long and richly adorned with medieval sculpture, it was conceived as an imperial and episcopal church at the centre of the diocese Henry had created, and it remains one of the most important Romanesque cathedrals in Germany — uniting the tombs of an emperor, an empress and a pope beneath a single roof.

What to See

The cathedral’s most famous treasure is the Bamberg Horseman (Bamberger Reiter), a serene equestrian statue carved around 1225–1237 and the first free-standing monumental rider sculpture since antiquity; the identity of the crowned knight has never been settled and continues to fascinate visitors. In the centre of the nave lies the imperial tomb of Emperor Henry II and his wife Cunigunde, a masterpiece worked in marble by Tilman Riemenschneider between 1499 and 1513, its sides carved with scenes from their lives. The choir shelters the tomb of Pope Clement II, a former bishop of Bamberg and the only papal grave in Germany — indeed north of the Alps. Look, too, for the richly sculpted Prince’s Portal (Fürstenportal) with its Last Judgment, and the carved Christmas altar by Veit Stoss. The neighbouring Diocesan Museum displays the cathedral’s medieval treasury, including imperial vestments associated with Henry and Cunigunde.

How to Get There and Practical Information

Bamberg lies in Upper Franconia in northern Bavaria, on the main railway line between Nuremberg and Würzburg, which makes it an easy day trip (Nuremberg is about 40 minutes away by train). From the station it is a walk of around twenty minutes, or a short bus ride, through the old town and up to the Domberg; the historic centre is compact and best explored on foot. Entry to the cathedral is free, though visitors are asked to be quiet during services and sightseeing may be restricted at those times, while the Diocesan Museum and guided tours are ticketed. On Cathedral Square it is worth also seeing the Old Court (Alte Hofhaltung) and the Baroque New Residence opposite, before wandering down to Bamberg’s celebrated Old Town Hall, perched on its own island in the River Regnitz.