Two weeks ago Times & Citizen photographer Tracey Goodacre travelled to Germany for Sportfest, the four-yearly competition between sportsmen and women from Bedford and our teutonic twin town of Bamberg.

Last week we showed you Tracey's pictures from the tournament - click here to see those pictures again.

This week we have Tracey's pictures from the town itself, and her reflections on Bamberg.



When my editor told me that my next assignment would be in Bedford's twin town of Bamberg, I jumped at the chance.

Compared to Bedford and the surrounding villages, which is where I can usually be spotted with my camera around my neck, Bavaria seemed positively exotic.

Having never been to Germany, my head immediately began to fill with all the usual cultural stereotypes of beer-guzzling men in leather shorts eating bratwurst and sauerkraut by the plateload.

After an early start and a smooth flight we arrived in Bamberg around noon and I was eager to find out if my preconceptions were right and just what this town had to offer.

After a warm welcome by the mayor and civic party, and a hearty lunch of – you guessed it – German sausage, I took to the streets with my camera to try to capture the real essence of our twin town.

I soon discovered that Bamberg has a lot more to offer than just beer and sausage.

Wandering around the quaint cobbled streets I began to realise that this was in fact the best way to explore this compact town.

I came across a myriad of pastel-coloured buildings, decorative frescos and architectural styles dating back to the Middle Ages.

At almost every street corner I found myself wanting to stop, purely to admire the view or to take yet another photo of this charming, picturesque town.

By now I had realised Bamberg was steeped in history, its mediaeval core still intact and miraculously untouched by the effects of two world wars.

The town boasts over 2,400 listed buildings which some say come together to create a life-size piece of art.

Having explored the town for a good few hours, I had worked up a thirst and was spoilt for choice when it came to street cafes.

Everywhere I looked locals and tourists alike were soaking up the sun and enjoying a drink or dining al fresco.

It gave the town a relaxed but cosmopolitan feel not dissimilar to that of a Parisian street scene.

Locals describe Bamberg as the 'Franconian Rome' because it is built on seven hills.

As I wound my way up one of the hills to the imposing Imperial Cathedral and home of the baroque New Residence and The Old Court, I again looked over my shoulder and marvelled at the skyline, a sea of terracotta rooftops and spires encircled by the River Regnitz which straddles the old town to create an almost island city.

The next couple of days were largely spent visiting the various sporting events, which after all was the main reason for my trip.

However, I did manage a quick visit to one of the town's oldest breweries the Klosterbrau.

It seemed no trip to Bamberg would be complete without a visit to one of the eight traditional breweries or at least a taste of one of the many beers on offer.

With a population of only 70,000, even my maths says that this is a disproportionate amount of beer per head.

Bamberg is known for its 'Rauchbier' or smoked beer, but there are plenty of others on offer.
Not being a big beer drinker myself I opted to try a lighter wheat beer.

Everywhere we went was spotlessly clean and the generosity of the German people was amazing – nothing was too much trouble.

I only hope Bedford extends the same welcome when our German counterparts visit Bedford.