Bamberg, Rathaus

The Bamberg Rathaus (City Hall) is on an island in the middle of the Regnitz river, with bridges on both sides, permitting a street to go right through the building, from one side to the other. Legend says that the Bishop who controlled all of the land, would not donate land for the City Hall, so the Bambergers just built an island in the middle of the river, and built the City Hall on the island. The out-side walls are covered with frescoes painted in Trompe-l’œil (made to fool the eye).

On one end of the city hall building, they have added a pretty little half-timbered building, called Häuslein. If someone told us they were going to do that, we would think they were crazy, but in Bamberg, it looks both lovely and quaint.