The Bamberg World Heritage Visitor Center will participate in the prestigious Venice Architecture Biennale in 2025. This marks a significant international recognition for the Bamberg institution for its successful integration of architecture, World Heritage management, education, and sustainability. The exhibition will be hosted by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe at the Palazzo Zorzi and will be open to the public from May 10 to November 23, 2025.

The World Heritage Visitor Center will be featured in the exhibition “Deep Surfaces: Architecture to Enhance the Visitor Experience at UNESCO Sites,” one of eleven accompanying events selected by Biennale curator Carlo Ratti. The focus is on visitor centers that use innovative architecture to enhance the visitor experience at UNESCO sites worldwide.

The exhibition showcases over 50 facilities, ranging from new buildings and renovated historic structures to projects still in development. It illustrates how visitor centers use architectural concepts to keep cultural, natural, and social heritage alive, strengthen visitor engagement, and contribute to sustainable development and local economic value creation.

The Bamberg Center was selected because it exemplifies how architecture, education, and cultural outreach intertwine. It enables visitors to experience the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bamberg in diverse and interactive ways. This is achieved through exhibitions, digital tools, and hands-on stations.

“Participating in the Architecture Biennale is a great honor and a recognition of the creative and substantive work that has gone into the center,” emphasizes Dr. Simona von Eyb, director of the World Heritage Visitor Center. “It shows how architecture not only creates spaces but also brings history to life and promotes cultural education.” Bamberg is proud to be part of this prestigious event and looks forward to presenting its unique World Heritage Visitor Center to an international audience.

World Heritage Visitor Center with Exhibition

The World Heritage Visitor Center in Bamberg highlights the historical significance of the Regnitz River for the city’s development. It is located in the Untere Mühlen district on the foundations of mills destroyed during World War II. In 2015, the city council approved the construction, and the center opened in 2019. Parts of the old mills were integrated into the façade. A Kaplan turbine in the basement now supplies green electricity to around 300 households.

The visitor center explains the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bamberg and showcases the three districts—Bergstadt, Inselstadt, and Gärtnerstadt—in a permanent exhibition. Interactive stations, video projections, and a city model illustrate the city’s development. Visitors can, for example, design a Baroque house or plan a tour of the Old Town. Special exhibitions, events, and a shop offering products from Bamberg and other World Heritage sites round out the experience.

Photo credit: Simona von Eyb