<p>Symphony of spires and pitched roofs, historic Bamberg reflects Germany's keen conservatorship of its cultural assets. In the foreground sits the medieval Town Hall, with its distinctive ochre-hued half-timbering; in the background rise the four towers of Bamberg's cathedral, which dates to the 1200s and houses the famous statue of the Bamberg Horseman—thought to be the first monumental equestrian sculpture crafted since classical antiquity.<br><br>Read more in "Germany's Treasure House" in the May/June 2009 issue of <em>National Geographic Traveler</em>.</p>

MT 5446 Germany

Symphony of spires and pitched roofs, historic Bamberg reflects Germany's keen conservatorship of its cultural assets. In the foreground sits the medieval Town Hall, with its distinctive ochre-hued half-timbering; in the background rise the four towers of Bamberg's cathedral, which dates to the 1200s and houses the famous statue of the Bamberg Horseman—thought to be the first monumental equestrian sculpture crafted since classical antiquity.

Read more in "Germany's Treasure House" in the May/June 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler.

Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, Keenpress

Franconia, Germany

See photos of Germany's Franconia region in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

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