Bamberg. A town often referred to as "Franconian Rome". The alias has its origins in the seven hills that rise up above the river. And it is across these slopes that runners taking part in the Bamberg World Heritage Race jog and sprint. Beneath the soles of the latest 12,000 runners to sign up for the race lies ground steeped in history. At the top of the "Michaelsberg" hill, which was inhabited long before the foundation of the diocese, stands a Benedictine abbey, erected by Emperor Henry II. The doors of the abbey are guarded by a statue of St. Otto rising up towards the sky, who was one of the most important bishops from Bamberg. Coincidentally, St. Otto was also a runner. As a sign of humility at his appointment as bishop, he set off barefooted in snow, in freezing conditions, down towards the town, even though his feet became chapped and bloodied. Luckily for us, the World Heritage Race takes place in the spring.
