Bamberg, Venice in Germany

The houses perched on the river in Bamberg
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We didn't quite know what to expect in Bamberg, but we were pleasantly surprised.  The town was just gorgeous.  Sitting on tworivers, the center of town was scattered with bridges and half timbered houses perched on the side of the river.

Bamberg also claims to have the highest concentration of brewers in the world.  We made it our duty to try as many as possible, but the brew that the town is renowned for, Rauchbeir, or Smoke Beer, was quite interesting.  The stuff actually smelt like smoked ham, and tasted smoky.  It was really something quite different.  The pubs in Bamberg all brewed their own version of the smoke beer, and the atmosphere in the old brewers pubs was just fantastic.

One of the clever fresco's on the houses in Bamberg
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We spent a lot of time cruising around the town, but it was pretty cold most of the time, forcing us to drink more mulled wine to warm up.