Amberg: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
English|
EUR 52 - 999 mD Hotel Brunner
 Just 100 metres away from the main railway station, this 3-star hotel in Amberg´s historic Old Town district offers comfortable rooms, a peacefu… MoreEUR 36 - 85 Landgasthaus Schäflohe
 This small bed and breakfast hotel is located in the quiet Schäflohe district of Amberg. It offers comfortable rooms, a free breakfast buffet and fre… MoreEUR 59 - 126 ARCADIA Hotel Amberg
 This modern hotel in Amberg is just a 5-minute walk from the old quarter while providing easy access to the Congress Centre, Kurfürstenbad adventure … More | ||||||||||||||||||
Amberg: Guide
Amberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Oberpfalz ("Upper Palatinate"), roughly half way between Regensburg and Bayreuth. Population: 44,200 (2001).
History
The town was first mentioned in 1034, at that time under the name Ammenberg. It became an important trading centre in the Middle Ages, exporting mainly iron ore and iron products. In 1269 the town became together with Bamberg subordinate to the Wittelsbach dynasty, that ruled Bavaria.
In 1329 the town and the entire Oberpfalz fell to a collateral line of the Wittelsbach family and was no longer part of the duchy of Bavaria. Although in a geogaphic sense it was regarded as Bavarian and the region was part of the Bavarian circle in the organisation of the Imperial Circles. The rulers of the Palatinate were open-minded towards Protestantism. In the 16th century the town turned to Lutheran church|Lutheranism, but attempts of the ruling family to introduce the more radical Calvinism failed due to the reluctance of its citizens.
In 1628 Amberg and the Oberfalz became part of the electorate of Bavaria. The inhabitants had to make a decision: returning to Catholicism or leaving the town forever. Many families left the town and fled to the Free Imperial Cities of Regensburg and Nuremberg.
Amberg was home to Pond Barracks, a United States Army base. It was closed in 1992 due to the military drawdown.
Sights
The main landmark of the town is the Stadtbrille - a bridge, originally a part of the city fortifications, whose arches reflected on the river waters resemble a pair of eyeglasses.
Other tourist attractions in Amberg include:
The Marktplatz (Market Square), which contains the Gothic Town Hall (built in 1358) and the late-Gothic Pfarrkirche St Martin
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Amberg". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
The Neues Schloß (New Palace), the former residence of the counts of the Rhennish Palatinate, built at the beginning of the 15th century and renovated in 1603 ()
A well-preserved section of the medieval city walls and gates
The baroque Franciscan monastery on the Mariahilfberg hill above the city
St. Martin's Basilica ()Sister cities
Bad Bergzabern, Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate
Bystrzyca Klodzka (Habelschwerdt), Poland
Desenzano, Italy
Périgueux, France
Trikala, Greece
Ústi nad Orlici (Wildenschwert), Czech RepublicExternal links