Town of Bamberg


World Heritage Identification Number: 624

World Heritage since: 1993

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇩🇪 Germany

Continent: Europe

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

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A Journey Through Time: The Town of Bamberg - A UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Town of Bamberg, nestled in the heart of Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, offers a captivating glimpse into the rich tapestry of European history. Founded in the 9th century, Bamberg's name originated from the nearby Babenberch castle, named after the Babenberg dynasty that ruled the region during its early years. Today, the town boasts a population of approximately 79,000 inhabitants (as of 2022) and is renowned for its well-preserved medieval architecture, earning it a place on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List since 1993.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

From the 10th century onwards, this town became an important link with the Slav peoples, especially those of Poland and Pomerania. During its period of greatest prosperity, from the 12th century onwards, the architecture of Bamberg strongly influenced northern Germany and Hungary. In the late 18th century it was the centre of the Enlightenment in southern Germany, with eminent philosophers and writers such as Hegel and Hoffmann living there.

Encyclopedia Record: Bamberg

Bamberg is a town in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in 2022. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby Babenberch castle. Cited as one of Germany's most beautiful towns, with medieval streets and buildings, the old town of Bamberg with around 2,400 timber houses has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 142 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 49.89166667 , 10.88888889

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Image of Town of Bamberg

© Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Country Information: Germany

Flag of Germany

Official Name: Federal Republic of Germany

Capital: Berlin

Continent: Europe

Population (2024): 83,510,950

Population (2023): 83,901,923

Population (2022): 83,797,985

Land Area: 349,390 sq km

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Town of Bamberg are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Bamberg, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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