Hotel Konditorei Graupner, Bamberg, Germany

...central location ensured that the hotel was very easy to find, but parking our car was another matter altogether. A combination of heavy traffic, daredevil pedestrians and a confounding one-way system meant that we passed the hotel two or three times before we were able to stop, parking the car in a temporary spot beside the river.

We walked back towards the hotel. The Graupner really did look beautiful, with rows of blood-red geraniums ...
...left, the entrance to the hotel was via a long, high-ceilinged corridor at the centre of the building, concluding in a small lobby area with a wall of gilt mirrored tiles. These faced the long corridor and lent to a certain 'through the looking glass' effect.

We found the owner, Herr Graupner himself, standing at his post in a rather cavalier pose, languidly smoking a cigarette. He directed us towards the car park. This, it transpired, ... more

The Graupner hadn't been our first choice in Bamberg. We'd really wanted to stay at a place we'd been told about, an ancient Gasthof beside the river with views across the turrets of the old Medieval Bridge, and a renowned restaurant underneath… Alas, disappointment seems almost inevitable when you visit a town on the weekend of a popular local festival and leave all your arrangements to the last minute. So, with previously vacant hotels filling up quickly, and our options evaporating, I went ahead and made the booking at the Graupner. Rather belatedly, with the booking irreversibly secured anyway, I decided to investigate, and to my dismay I encountered (amidst very little real information about the hotel) a couple of decidedly unfavourable reviews on an American review site. Thus it was with some trepidation that we arrived at the hotel, one hot afternoon late last summer. Our fears proved to be entirely unfounded, however, and the Graupner actually turned out to be quite a lovely hotel. So much so, I feel rather compelled to defend its honour!

THE TOWN: Bamberg, for those of you unfamiliar with it, is a Medieval town located on the river Regnitz in Northern Bavaria. It is situated in an area of great natural beauty, commonly known as 'Fränkische Schweiz', or 'Frankish Switzerland', presumably by virtue of its forests and mountainous aspect. The town, which dates back to the 9th Century AD, has an array of cultural and architectural treasures, and has recently been added to UNESCO's World Heritage list. Bamberg's superb Cathedral, largely built in the Romanesque style between the 10th and 13th Centuries, is the final resting place for several Kings of Bavaria, and is well worth a visit. Being a University town, Bamberg has a fairly large student population with all the attendant bars, clubs, galleries and cheap boutiques that generally implies. The old town is straddled by two broad stretches of the Regnitz, which separates into two parts before reforming further along the valley. An area with a collection of delightful, narrow canals (known, somewhat predictably, as 'Little Venice') is located in the centre. Bamberg has no shortage of first-rate restaurants, museums, and other attractions and is undoubtedly the most interesting city in this part of Germany.

THE HOTEL: The Graupner isn't particularly well known in the region as a hotel, but rather, as a Café and Konditorei (a sort of German Patisserrie). Indeed, the Graupner's Konditorei, founded over a century ago, has a long-standing reputation for excellence, and its legendary cakes are dispatched far and wide to the four corners of the world. Or so the owner assured us, anyway. The Graupner is located on the Lange Strasse, a wide street at the very heart of the old town. This central location ensured that the hotel was very easy to find, but parking our car was another matter altogether. A combination of heavy traffic, daredevil pedestrians and a confounding one-way system meant that we passed the hotel two or three times before we were able to stop, parking the car in a temporary spot beside the river.

We walked back towards the hotel. The Graupner really did look beautiful, with rows of blood-red geraniums extending across its upper floors in broad window boxes, and its warm, sandstone-yellow facade glowing in the afternoon sunshine. The cafeteria had spread out onto the footpath, and a number of people sat enjoying cakes and drinks at an array of little chairs and tables in front of the hotel. With the formal cafeteria to the right, and the cake shop to the left, the entrance to the hotel was via a long, high-ceilinged corridor at the centre of the building, concluding in a small lobby area with a wall of gilt mirrored tiles. These faced the long corridor and lent to a certain 'through the looking glass' effect.

We found the owner, Herr Graupner himself, standing at his post in a rather cavalier pose, languidly smoking a cigarette. He directed us towards the car park. This, it transpired, was in fact a parking garage, located at the opposite end of the old town. I asked, in German, how far away this was, and how long it would take us to walk back, and he assured me it wasn't far at all, unless, that is, I was likely to be distracted by all the 'pretty shoe-shops' along the way. This remark was punctuated by a conspiratorial little wink. Not speaking German, my husband was nonplussed by this exchange, and seemed inexplicably unimpressed by our host. Odd, really, as he seemed perfectly charming to me…

THE ROOM: Having safely deposited our car at the other side of town, we returned to the Graupner and were given the keys to our room. There was no lift, so we carried our bags up to the second floor. Our room, which was towards the rear of the building, was very white and light-filled, with three or four windows overlooking an interior courtyard. It was really very attractive, with a cosy, stylish air, and a comfortable seating area. The bathroom (or rather, shower room) was brand new and well fitted, but definitely on the small side.

At this point, my husband decided that he wanted to smoke a cigarette. We scoured the room in vain for an ashtray, and consulted the hotel information in a folder on the coffee table before establishing that it was definitely a no smoking room. I spent a couple of minutes elaborating upon the potential delights of smoking in an interior courtyard, but my husband was having none of it. He coaxed and cajoled until I finally relented and went back downstairs to ask whether we could change.
The accommodating Herr Graupner was all smiles, and handed me the keys to a second room, this time on the first floor. I returned my toiletries to their bag and we moved. The second room was larger than the first, though arguably less charming. It overlooked the Lange Strasse, with two large windows facing down on to the street below, and a small seating area to the side. Once again, the shower room was immaculate and very new, but quite small, especially in relation to the size of the room.

The Graupner has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment, and it shows. All of its rooms and corridors were bright, immaculate and tastefully presented. Attractive antique prints hung on the walls. Our bed was extremely comfortable, and made up with good quality linen. All of the Graupner's rooms are complete with mini-bar, tea and coffee making facilities, Satellite Television, Internet access, and a hairdryer, but no safe.

LOCATION: As mentioned previously, the Graupner is set in a very central location and all of Bamberg's main attractions are within walking distance from the hotel. We stayed in the town over a weekend, and went out until quite late both evenings, meeting our friends for dinner & then clubbing until the early hours. The hotel's reception closes at midnight, but the main entrance can be opened with the room keys, so this wasn't an issue. The surrounding streets were still very busy at 2 or 3am, as there are a number of bars and cafes nearby. Being summer, it was fairly hot, so we opened the windows, and there was quite a lot of noise from the street during the night.

BREAKFAST: No Gripes about the Graupner? Well, actually that isn't strictly true. Unfortunately, Breakfast at the Graupner was the hotel's only real disappointment. Given the delectable selection of cakes and pastries on display in the Graupner's superb Konditorei however, it has to be said that this was a disappointment on a pretty grand scale. Breakfast was served in a rather dull and unprepossessing little room at the back of the building, set behind the café proper, and in stark contrast to it. Whilst the Cafe patrons sat in the relative splendour of the front parlour, enjoying cakes and fresh coffee, the hotel guests breakfasted in this little back room like poor cousins, eating what appeared to be the leftovers. The coffee was a little insipid and the bread and pastries on offer were of an indifferent quality. There was a small selection of cold meats and cheeses and most of the other continental staples, but nothing of any real interest or note.

FINALLY: We checked out early on Sunday morning, having bought a couple of beautiful little cakes and home-made chocolates, which we managed to transport back to the UK unscathed. Our disappointment with the breakfast notwithstanding, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Graupner, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to other visitors to Bamberg. The Graupner's staff were friendly and attentive, and the hotel is clean and attractive throughout. Finally, at around 90 Euros for a Double room, the hotel represents very good value for money in a truly excellent location.

The Graupner family also run a Guesthouse, which is situated at the other end of the Old Town. This second property also includes some budget/hostel-style accommodation, which is significantly cheaper than the hotel itself. Guests staying at there can also avail themselves of breakfast at the main property. I haven't seen the Guesthouse, so can't comment on it further, but information is provided on the website.

http://www.hotel-graupner.de/index.htm

96047 Bamberg - Lange Straße 5
Tel.: 0951-980 40-0 Fax: 0951-980 40-40
E-Mail: info@hotel-graupner.de

 

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