Bamberg's legendary smoked beer (Rauchbier) and centuries-old brewing heritage deserve more than a passing pint. A guided tasting trail takes you inside historic brewpubs and family cellars for an authentic Franconian beer experience unlike anywhere else on earth.
What to expect
Your local guide leads you through the medieval lanes to a carefully curated selection of Bamberg's most storied breweries, beginning with the legendary Schlenkerla — home of the world-famous Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, a smoked lager brewed to a recipe unchanged since 1678. You'll taste the beer drawn directly from oak barrels in the atmospheric 14th-century tavern, paired with Franconian bread and cold cuts. Further stops introduce you to wheat beers, dark lagers, and unfiltered kellerbiers, with a brewer or cellar master on hand at one stop to explain the craft. The tour closes with a toast and a deeper appreciation of why beer culture here is listed as intangible cultural heritage.
Good to know
Schlenkerla (Dominikanerstraße 6) can be visited walk-in, but guided brewery tours should be booked ahead through Bamberg Tourismus. Eat well beforehand — tastings are generous. Allow 2–3 hours. Flat shoes recommended on cobblestones.
Sail there
Luxury cruises that call at Bamberg — book through us, the fare is identical and your concierge stays on your side.