Which would you choose for a day trip?

I like Wuertzburg because there are a lot of sites there.

Lee,

I'm sure the Bishop was both poor and celibate (compared to Solomon).

Regensburg and Würzburg are my favorite towns in Germany. Bamberg is more popular with many. You can not lose with any of them.

Würzburg has a fortress across the river from which the archbishop once cannoned the town. It has two good museums on the history of the city and the area. In town is the archbishops later residence. It is very opulent.

Regensburg still has many of its medieval buildings and even the remains of a Roman fortress gate. I best liked the gothic cathedral and the waterfront. Plus, the maze of old plazas connected by alleyways set a great mood.

Bamberg likewise has a gothic cathedral in its very scenic old town. Many of its buildings were given an interior face lift in the baroque period if that is something that interests you.

I like Würzburg best and Regensburg second but that is only personal taste. A good case could be made of any of these towns. Again, I think that you can not lose with any of these choices.

Regards, Gary

Wendy, all the above mentioned locations make for a great day trip. Since you didn't say from where, I'll assume it must be from Munich or Nuremberg. Anyways, my choice would have to be Bamberg, simply due to its original, fantastic architecture. Bamberg is unique in that it is one of the very few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by allied bombing in WWII. For this, it is a UNESCO world heritage site. Everything you see is original, not rebuilt, and you can see it in the detail and the feel of the old town center. Now, if you are a fan of true German beer, this is a brew master's utopia. No less than nine breweries in a town of about 70,000 people. Fantastic regional cuisine in it's many restaurants (you must try a "Bamberg Onion" as one of your meals).

A couple years ago we thought we'd just drive by and spend a few hours in Bamberg on our way to Munich. We ended up spending two days. If you're traveling by train, the InterCity line #28 is cheap, quick and a beautiful ride. We left the craziness of Munich during Oktoberfest last year for a more laid-back atmosphere and found the festivities in Bamberg to be much more inviting than in Munich (sit on the right side for best views in your way in). Have a great time, you're going to love it. Go Packers!

I've never been in Regensburg (almost went last year) but I have spent a day and a half in Würzburg and a morning in Bamberg.

Bamberg was fun. I stumbled on a street fair and had some great food.

I really liked Würzburg (unusual for me as I generally don't like big cities). My favorite was the Marienberg fortress across the river from town. I thought the Residenz was overly gaudy. (If that was how the Bishop handled poverty, how was he at celibacy?)

Wow thanks for all the replies. We are staying in Nurnberg. Is it possible to do Wurzburg and Bamberg together?