Bamberg - tips for visitors

I'm going to Bamberg in April and need to book an inexpensive hotel for this seminar. Ok, the seminar is at the Konzert and Kongresshalle and the less expensive hotels are "central" - does anyone know how far "central" would be from the Kongresshall (I certainly don't want to pay the hotel rates at the kongresshalle since this year I am paying on my own ) Or does anyone have any hotel recomendatations? WLAN in the room would be nice, easy to get to but not over the top expensive? Thanks

Googlemaps Bamberg
As for things to do & see, the Scheckerla is the home of Bamberger Rauchbier, which to me tastes like someone has put their cigarette out in some Helles, but it has many fans. People call Bamberg the Fränkisch Rome due to the amount of churches and museums, there's a lot to see, especially if you like Wagner. Can't really help with hotels as when I went, I lived in Erlangen, sorry.

I always stay in the brewery taps when I go there; they have nice rooms at good prices and Germany's best beer is just downstairs! Fässla, Spezial and Maisel are all on Obere/Untere Königstrasse, halfway between the station and the Old Town. I've never been disturbed by noise; in Bamberg they start drinking early and go home early.

The Bamberg Tourist website has a good map and lots of info regarding the town. It's a gorgeous place - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - so it's a nice place just to wander around.

I made the mistake of booking a room that was well away from the centre. Bamberg was great though. I was mainly there for the beer, but it´s certainly worth walking around. The Dom, Rathaus on a bridge,etc., There´s a great view from the Michaeliskloster. It´s a bit hilly though.

Lovely, lovely town.

The Bamberger Reiter was why I went the first time, but I was reading the Nibelungenlied at the time and it's not on everyone's must-see list. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamberger_Reiter
http://schlenkerla.de/ -- I've always thought more bacon than cigarette and you know how I feel about cigarettes.
http://www.mahrs-braeu.de/ -- Ungespundetes Bier. Locals took me there to impress me, and they did.
http://www.gondel.info/ -- Care for a touch of Italy? Ride in a gondola in Bamberg. As in Venice, as in Vogalonga. A friend of mine is Gondoliero (sp?) in this group. I haven't been yet though. To get back to your original question -- they apparently have a Ferienwohnung too, but the link just goes to the main Gondola site.

Mahr's Bräu is definitely my favourite of the Bamberg breweries, followed by Fässla. A great place to go when the weather's nice is the Stephansberg, a hill just to the SE of the old town. Up there are beer gardens (Bierkeller) from at least three of the Bamberg breweries, including Mahr's.

Incidentally, if the Schlenkerla is a bit too smoky, try the Spezial; it's also smoked but not as strongly.