There are different cities which are – e. g. because of their interesting sights or cultural offerings - worth visiting, not far from Bamberg. These cities include Nürnberg, Erlangen, Fürth, Forchheim, Kulmbach, Coburg, Bayreuth, Haßfurt, Schweinfurt, Buttenheim. All of them can easily be reached by car, but there are also good and frequent train connections between these cities and Bamberg. Some of them might also serve as destinations for bicycle tours.

Only five kilometers away from Bamberg, in Memmelsdorf, there is Schloss Seehof, the former summer residence of Bamberg‘s prince-bishops. Guided tours, which allow the inspection of about ten rooms, can be booked from April until October. The ample park with it’s water games and sandstone sculptures invites Schloss Seehof‘s guests to take a walk.

Schloss Weißenstein, a castle which was built in the Franconian baroque style and is located slightly further away from Bamberg in Pommersfelden, is also worth a visit. In the warmer months of the year, visitors may participate in a guided tour, and the palace garden can be visited during the regular castle opening hours. Further information on these and additional Bavarian castles can be found on the website of the Bayrische Schlösserverwaltung.

Additional destinations for a day trip which can be reached easily by bike as well are the baroque pilgrimage basilica Vierzehnheiligen and the former benedictine monastery Banz, both being located close to Bad Staffelstein. Nowadays, monastery Banz is a conference center, but parts of it can be visited during a guided tour. The abbey which belongs to the monastery is as well worth seeing.

Not far from Burgebrach you can find another popular attraction of the province: the former  Cistercian abbey Ebrach with it’s gothic church and the palatial monastery complex. Tours can be booked all-season.

In the summer months, different quarry ponds and natural bathing lakes welcome their visitors to take a bath and relax. Among these are for example the quarry ponds in Baunach and Kemmern as well as the bathing lake in Frensdorf. Information on these and additional lakes can be found on this website.

Bamberg is surrounded by the nature parks Fränkische Schweiz, Haßberge and Steigerwald which can all be reached easily by bicycle. These rural areas are not only characterized by their beautiful landscapes, but they are also attractive because of their sights and cultural offerings. Well-established cycle and hiking tracks allow to explore the landscapes by bike or on foot. The typical franconian beer cellars and other restaurants can be found all over the rural areas and can be headed to take a rest and to have a good meal.

If you want to discover Bamberg’s environment from a totally different perspective, you may participate in one of the water excursions by boat or canoe. Bamberg’s tourist information office supplies recommendations for bike and hiking tours of various durations and degrees of difficulty on their website. They also provide information on trips on the water.

On their website, the transport authority of the metropolitan area Nuremberg (VGN) provides a number of tips for recreational activities in Franconia and beyond, all of which can be reached by public transport from Bamberg. A sample of tours is available in English, among them both hiking trails and bike tours. All tour descriptions can be downloaded for free and contain a map, a GPS-track and tips for food and drink on the way.