Start of a city walk

Amberg’s market square is an excellent starting point for a stroll through Amberg’s historic city centre. Already here the interested tourist admires impressive architectural contemporary witnesses. These include the Ratstrinkstube, the imposing St. Martin Basilica and the Amberg Town Hall. A potpourri of shops, culinary venues and bars round off the overall experience.

The wedding fountain at the market place in Amberg

Directly in front of the Amberg town hall the Amberg wedding fountain splashes from spring to autumn. In 2000 Engelbert Süß designed this fountain as a reminiscence of a very special event. The marriage of Margaret of Bavaria-Landshut and Philip of the Palatinate went down in history as the “Amberg Wedding 1474”. The bronze water feature shows the noble bride and groom, both flanked by two jesters. To commemorate this event, which is now more than 900 years old, the Amberg Fountain Festival takes place every two years.

Further information (external link to historisches Lexikon Bayern)

The Amberg City Hall

An Amberg town hall was first mentioned in writing as early as 1348. However, it was not until after a devastating fire in 1356 that construction of the present building began. The western façade facing the Amberg market square was built at this time. In the course of history, the town lords constantly extended the town hall, most recently in the last third of the 19th century. Particularly worth seeing are the “Gothic Room”, the former council chapel, as well as the “Great Hall” and the “Archive Vault”.

The Ratstrinkstube in Amberg

The building, which is now known as the “Ratstrinkstube”, was first erected in the 18th century as a three-storey structure. Already in the middle of the 15th century there seems to have been a similar building on the “Geintzen” estate, which was located on this site. This can be evidenced by written financial transactions. This house housed, in addition to the Ratstrinkstube, a grocery store and the “Obere Apotheke” (upper pharmacy). The sandstone figures on the façade, which embody the four elements, are striking. The building, in the meantime also called “Wittelsbacher Hof”, was finally transformed into a commercial building in 1920 after it was sold to the merchant Paul Baumgart.

The St. Martin Basilica on the market square in Amberg

The Basilica of St. Martin is the largest hall church in northern Bavaria, as it impresses with its impressive dimensions: 72 metres long, 28 metres wide and a ridge height of around 40 metres. The present Gothic church was preceded by a Romanesque chapel, which was demolished in the middle of the 15th century.

Shopping spree on the Amberg market place

Lovingly restored facades of houses frame the Amberg market square. The shops, restaurants and bars invite you to linger. Especially on warm summer nights, this place is an unforgettable meeting place to linger and chat.

Experience Amberg

The market place in Amberg is also the heart of many events in Amberg. The Old Town Festival, the Witches’ Night and the Air Night have their highlights here. It is also a wonderful starting point for exciting excursions through Amberg’s history. From here you can easily get to hidden highlights like the Eh’Häusl, the Frauenkirche and much more.