The Island City is the old "bourgeois" merchant city and is now Bamberg's centre. In the pedestrian zone and beyond, we find what has become a rare retail landscape which is characterised by small, privately run stores in historical buildings, beautiful shops for browsing and, of course, an extensive selection of large chain stores and trend labels. The restaurants cover everything from student-style eateries to traditional, wood panelled inns, from traditional Franconian cooking to haute cuisine. The daily market offers regional products from the local market gardens in and around Bamberg. As a university town the Island City is home to several important educational institutions such as the Faculties of Humanities belonging to the Otto-Friedrich University and several schools. Student life is also a major part of the Island City, and is concentrated, above all, in Austraße, which is lined with cafés and shops with a diversity of products. The Island city is still full of residents who love life in the city centre.
