BAMBERG, Germany -- Soldiers and family members stationed in the Bamberg area are lucky: They work and live in a city that hundreds of thousands of tourists choose to visit each year. When it comes to sightseeing, the city now offers something new: Sight running, an opportunity to discover Bamberg on the run.
"The jog starts centrally at the tourist information," said Manfred Mayer, the creative mind behind the sight running series. It gives participants a different view of Bamberg, the 66-year old active runner promised. It's designed for a more lively and young customer group which is not so keen on exact timelines and dates like a usual city tourist.
"My goal is to arouse someone's curiosity in this lovely city, which offers more than baroque and medieval sights" Mayer said, "and I like to tell anecdotes to illustrate the history of the city."
Mayer is a fan of Americans, and said he's thankful for their efforts, bringing democracy to Germany, and money.
"I remember very well when G.I.s introduced me to jazz and basketball as a kid," he said.
Mayer said he picked up the idea for the sight running tour from a visit to New York. He found out that other German cities offer sight running tours and adopted the concept for Bamberg. The running tour guide shows participants the most beautiful places of the World Heritage city of Bamberg, and takes them along the nicest routes up and down the hills of Bamberg.
The sight running tours are suitable for all levels of runners. If participants can jog for 45 minutes, they will be fine. The distance of the tour is approximately 4 miles, but Mayer is flexible, and also offers longer tours or turns the run into a slower-paced hike if requested.
The sightseeing jogs are available every Wednesday and Friday from April to September beginning at 6 p.m. Advance registration is needed and tickets are available at the tourist information office, GeyerswoerthstraYe 5, 96049 Bamberg. Participants -- usually up to eight runners per group -- should buy their tickets at least an hour in advance. Tickets are 8 euros per person.
Hours of operation of the tourist office are Mondays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays and federal holidays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For terms and conditions of sight running Bamberg, visit www.bamberg.info/en/veranstaltungen/sightrunning_in_bamberg-73443-4916028/.
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