Here’s an Official Postcrossing card from Germany! This one features Bamberg, a town located in the state of Bavaria, almost on the complete opposite end of Neuschwanstein. The town boundaries sit around seven hills and by the convergence point of the rivers Main (from the northeast) and Regnitz (from the southeast), and much of the town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Bamberg is largely known for being a medieval town (its existence dates back as far as the 10th century) and for its beer gardens. Many tourists come here to admire the architecture, exhibited by landmarks such as Bamberg Cathedral, Neue Residenz, and the one shown here: the old town hall, or Altes Rathaus (no, it’s not a house for rats). The town hall was built on the Obere Brücke, a bridge built in the 1400s that crosses over the Regnitz. It’s kinda tough to see since this is a night view, but the town hall actually sits on a manmade island! The rumor of this building’s origins is that when the bishop of the 14th century refused to give the townspeople land for it, they went ahead and built it themselves right where it’s at. I mean hey, they’re not using the land, right? Whether that’s true or not is up in the air, but what can be said with certainty is how cool this building looks, especially with its immaculate fresco paintings shown on the exterior (it’s hard to see due to the angle, but you can catch a glimpse of them on the leftmost portion). Imagine the bishop waking up to see this sight – #outwitted. Thank you so much for this lovely postcard!
