Don’t miss a stop at Bamberg (pop 70,000), the most perfect of all Germany’s small cities, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with architecture of all periods miraculously unscathed after the WWII bombings. Visit the cathedral and check out the mysterious statue of the Bamberger Reiter, the Neue Residenz with its fabulous city views from the Rose Garden, and the St Michael Monastery (Kloster St Michael) with its painted ceiling. Little Venice (Klein Venedig) has half-timbered houses, canals and river docks. Quench your thirst here - There are over 90 breweries in and around the city and it holds the national record for beer consumption per inhabitant. Sample a stein of Rauchbier, a dark red beer with a bacon aftertaste.