There can be no doubt about the status of BAMBERG as one of the most beautiful small cities in Europe. Brought to prominence by the saintly eleventh-century Emperor Heinrich II, who wanted to turn it into a German metropolis to rival Rome, it never grew to be particularly big, but nonetheless has a sense of spacious grandeur which belies its actual size. Its relative geographical isolation, some 60km north of Nürnberg and 50km south of Coburg, has been a key factor in preserving its magnificent artistic heritage from the ravages of war. Every single European style from the Romanesque onwards has left its mark on the city, each bequeathing at least one outstanding building. For art lovers, there's the added bonus of one of the most marvellously diverse arrays of sculpture to be found in the country.

Not the least of Bamberg's attractions is that, in contrast to some of Franconia's other picturesque old towns, it hasn't been mothballed into a museum-piece, being an animated city of modern industries which profits from the youthful presence of a university. It's also one of the country's great beer centres, holding the national record for consumption per inhabitant. Out of the 64 breweries the city had a century ago, nine still survive; all are traditional Hausbrauereien, and some have an in-house hotel as well as the obligatory restaurant. Together they make more than thirty different products, the most notable being the appropriately named Rauchbier (smoky beer): made from smoked malt according to a formula developed in the sixteenth century, it's as distinctive a local brew as you'll find in Germany, leaving its own very special lingering aftertaste.