Bamberg or Basel?

Neither town has sand, but Basel makes far more of its water. In summer, crowds float down the Rhine past the old town in waterproof swim bags, and the August river is often warm enough to enjoy. It is a real local ritual, although the current is strong and only suits confident swimmers.

Bamberg's options are quieter and smaller: the old river bathing spot in the Hain park, gravel-pit lakes on the edge of town, and public pools. They are good for cooling off, not for planning a day around.

Bamberg is the place to travel for what you eat and drink, as long as that means beer. Rauchbier poured from wooden barrels, dozens of small breweries close by, and Schäufele with dumplings in old taverns give it a strong local identity. In summer the Bierkeller under the chestnut trees are the place to eat.

Basel cooks well but borrows its character from Alsace and Baden. It has a better fine-dining tier and more variety than Bamberg, where international kitchens are few. Everyday meals can feel expensive, though, and the Markthalle is the easiest casual stop.

The two are well matched, but in different ways. In Bamberg the town itself is the attraction: a UNESCO-listed old town across seven hills, with the four-towered cathedral and the Bamberg Horseman, the Old Town Hall on its island in the Regnitz, and the fishermen's houses of Little Venice. Its museums are small.

Basel is the museum city. The Kunstmuseum's Holbeins, the Fondation Beyeler in its Renzo Piano building and the Museum Tinguely could fill several days, with the red sandstone Münster and Herzog & de Meuron buildings in between.

Neither is a big night out, but Basel has slightly more to offer. It has summer drinking on the Kleinbasel steps, bars around the Kaserne, and a few clubs playing electronic music in old harbour buildings. Its carnival, Fasnacht, is a nightlife event like nothing in Bamberg.

Evenings in Bamberg are about beer: busy brewery taverns, student bars in the Sand quarter during term, and long nights in the beer cellars. Its clubs are few, and for one you take the train to Nuremberg.

Basel has the higher and more varied ground nearby. The Jura ridges start just south of the city, the Black Forest summits rise above 1,400m within an hour, and the Vosges lie to the west, with some light skiing in winter.

Bamberg's countryside is gentler. The limestone valleys, rock towers and caves of Franconian Switzerland begin under an hour away, and the beech woods of the Steigerwald lie to the west. Flat cycle paths along the Main follow, and walking routes join village breweries together.

Both make good bases, but Basel can reach three countries. In about an hour you can be among the wine villages of Alsace, in Freiburg, in Lucerne or in Bern, with Strasbourg and the Rhine Falls a little further. You could spend a week on day trips without running out.

Bamberg's trips stay within Franconia, but the region is rich. Nuremberg's castle, Würzburg's Residence, Bayreuth's opera houses and Coburg's fortress are all about an hour by train. The baroque basilica of Vierzehnheiligen is closer still.

Basel has much more to do with children. The Zolli is a short walk from the station, the current-powered ferries delight younger children, and the Natural History Museum and toy museum cover wet days. Europa-Park is an easy hour's drive away for a big day out.

Bamberg is safe and relaxed, with playgrounds in the Hain, rowing boats on the Regnitz, and beer gardens where children run between the tables. Beyond that, the sights are mostly churches, and the cobbled climb to the cathedral is hard work with a pushchair.

Basel is easier to get around. Green trams cover the city and cross into Germany and France, hotel guests travel on them free, and the main station has direct trains in three directions.

In Bamberg almost everything is within walking distance, which works well, but the short climbs on uneven cobbles to the cathedral and Michaelsberg take some effort. The station is also a fair walk from the old town, although buses fill the gaps.

Bamberg's pedestrian streets around Grüner Markt are mostly high-street chains, so the better buys are local: bottled Rauchbier from brewery shops, produce from the market gardens and antiques near the cathedral. Shopping there fills an hour between sights.

Basel gives you more to browse, though few visitors come for it. Swiss watchmakers and chocolatiers line Freie Strasse, small design and craft shops sit around Spalenberg, and the Christmas market by the Münster is one of the prettier ones in Switzerland.

Here the gap is widest, and Bamberg wins easily. Beer and tavern meals cost little, guesthouses are moderately priced, and you can walk everywhere for free. Only weekends and the Christmas market season push rooms up.

Basel is expensive in almost everything: hotels, meals, drinks and museum entry. The free transport card helps, as do cheaper meals over the border, and many visitors simply stay in Germany or France. Rooms become scarce during big fairs such as Art Basel.

Basel has the broader stage scene. Theater Basel stages opera, ballet and drama under one roof, the Stadtcasino has excellent acoustics for its orchestras, and the city's early-music tradition and jazz school add to the calendar.

Bamberg has one serious draw: the Bamberg Symphony, an orchestra known well beyond Germany, plus drama at the ETA Hoffmann Theatre. It has no opera company of its own, though Bayreuth's festival is an hour away.

Both are calm towns with no bathing tradition of their own, and Basel has slightly more spas within reach. The saline baths at Rheinfelden are twenty minutes away, the mineral pools of Badenweiler and Bad Krozingen lie just over the border, and Baden-Baden makes a longer day out.

Bamberg relaxes you through its slow pace and quiet evenings. For warm brine pools, Bad Staffelstein is a half-hour train ride up the Main valley.