The Rose Garden, built in 1602, is located directly on the back of the New Residence, but was not yet used for this purpose at the time. This did not happen until 1705, when the garden was designed in the style of a Renaissance garden. The Bamberg prince-bishop Friedrich Karl von Schönborn considered this type of garden art to be outdated, so that in 1733 he had the garden redesigned by Balthasar Neumann in baroque style. Neumann had the strict obligation to lay out the garden according to symmetrical criteria.
The Bamberg Rose Garden today
Today you find 3,500 square meters of garden area, which can be crossed over four large paths. All four paths lead to a circular fountain in the middle of the garden and offer visitors the opportunity to admire the geometrically arranged flower beds.
Johann Jakob Michael Küchel enriched the rose garden with a garden pavilion. It was built in the rococo style and can now be used for a break for coffee and cake.
In the rose garden you can also see some statues originally made by the Bamberg sculptor Ferdinand Tietz. Unfortunately, some of these precious figures have been stolen or lost over the years, so that the remaining ones have been replaced by faithful copies.
The scent of 4500 roses
The rose garden in Bamberg is often referred to as Rosarium Franconia. The Bambergers owe the beauty of the garden to the former Duchess Anna Maria, the sister of King Maximilian I., the Queen of the Holy Roman Empire. Duchess Anna Maria financed 500 rose bushes from private funds and transformed the garden of the Bamberg bishops into today’s Rose Garden.
Even today, visitors can marvel at 48 varieties and around 4,500 roses. The best time to visit is during the summer months, when the roses are in bloom and spread an enchanting scent.
The rose garden not only offers a wonderful place for rest and relaxation, but also offers visitors a great view on the old town of Bamberg.
