Everyone says you must visit Regensburg.

Malcolm Frost
Sep 11, 2016
4 min read

After our 4 day visit to Munich a place that was much recommended to us was Regensburg. Several people we knew or met along our journey said "if you're going to Munich, you MUST visit Regensburg.

So we did.

(Photo above - the old gateway through the city walls)

(Photo above - one of the many squares - the yellow building now houses the tourist information centre)

This Bavarian gem of a medieval city lies on both banks of the Danube river, linked by an ancient stone bridge built in the 12th century.

"You must see the bridge" - they say.

(photo above - the old stone bridge complete with scaffolding)

So we did. Unfortunately it's glory was somewhat over shadowed by the scaffolding and tarps which are in place for the renovation and cleaning of the bridge. But it was still a nice bridge. Nowhere near as ornate as the Charles Bridge in Prague, but for 12th century workmanship it was pretty impressive - 310 metres long with 16 stone arches.

(Above photo - view from the old stone bridge looking back at the old town)

The centre of the old town is like stepping back in time......again. We've now seen a few medieval towns on our trip, but they never cease to impress. And again I must remark on the quality of the workmanship of bygone days. These places were built to last for centuries, not just until the builders guarantee ran out, like today.

(Photo above - the Gothic Cathedral - Dom St Peter)

The city surrounds it's 13th century landmark Gothic cathedral. It's open squares and narrow streets are a delight to wander through and yes, it's another Unesco world heritage town - listed in July 2006. Places such as Regensburg deserve to be recognised for their history, architecture and beauty and to continue to be cared for and preserved for future generations to marvel over.

It's fortunate that so much of the town remains intact, since during WW2 it was home to a Messerschmidt Bf 109 aircraft factory and an oil refinery both of which were bombed by the allied forces. Most of the cultural centre survived, an exception being the Romanesque church of Obermunster which was destroyed in an air raid in march 1945. The belfry survived but the church was never rebuilt.

Regensburgs history goes back much further than the middle ages though. Archaeological digs have shown that there were people here in the stone age and around AD90 the Romans built a fort near to where the city now stands.

Having said all this, I still put Cesky Krumlov at the top of my list of favourite towns.

As an aside - I'd just like to say that we have now ditched our back packs for suitcases with wheels. Backpacks appear to fit in with the romantic notion of independent travel. The reality is they are awkward, uncomfortable and heavy to cart around over long distances, so we bit the bullet and bought some new suitcases with 4 wheels. So easy to move, at least on paved surfaces.....not quite so smooth over cobble stones. My one concession is that they are camouflage pattern.

(Photo above - River Cruising is big money)

I mentioned that the Danube rive runs through the town. This means tourists in ships! The major River Cruise companies all make a stop in Regensburg. I must admit the ships look pretty good. Unlike us, going by train and packing/unpacking every few days, on the river cruise boats you unpack once and the crew do all the traveling for you.

(Photo above - the historic sausage cooker)

Sausages......Germany and sausages go together like ....well Germany and Sausages. Regensburg boasts the oldest sausage kitchen in the world. Its been in operation since the 1200's and is situated down by the river, near the old stone bridge.

Regensburg also has Germany's oldest Cafe opened in 1686

(Photo above - Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - Black Forest Cherry Tart - more of a cake than a tart......lots of cream!)

In one small cobbled square we sit for a coffee and cake and listen to Jazz music from a foursome playing Jewish style jazz. It got our fingers clicking and toes a tappin' so we bought their CD. We've played it since and it's not bad at all. A clarinet, piano accordion, double bass and a violin all combine to produce a funky, jazzy, Jewish, gypsy sound.

(Photo above - Jazz in the square - with coffee and cake)

This being Bavaria and medieval Germany there are of course many statues, fountains and churches. One old church, known as the Scottish Church has some really spectacular stonework around the doors. It's even been glassed in to protect it from the worst of the weather.

(Photo above - the famed North Portal of St Jakobs)

The Schottenkirche St. Jakob (Scots Church of St. James) in Regensburg is a 12th-century Romanesque church famed for its fascinating north portal. Founded by Celtic missionaries from Ireland, the church shows northern influences in its art and architecture.

So it was founded by the Irish and is known as the Scottish Church........go figure.

But then again here we are in Germany and some of the squares here are reminiscent of Italy.

(photo above - another lovely square this time similar to Italy)

It's a lovely town with surprises around every corner and through every archway. Through one archway we found a really nice and quiet bier garten so stopped of for a cold one.....or two. It seemed to be mostly locals drinking here so we knew we'd found a good place.

(photo above - Lizzie in the Bier garten)

This being Bavaria there are quite a few people wandering the streets wearing the traditional costumes, but we were both surprised to see a lady wearing her onesie. For a moment we thought we were at Pack and Save supermarket on a Sunday morning. (NZ joke). It takes all sorts!

(Photo above - lady in her onesie)

(photo above - waitress in the Bier Garten - in traditional dress)

(Photo above - out on the street - his and her Bavarian outfits)

I'll leave you with a few more picture of the old town centre.........as we pack again ready to catch the train to Bayreuth where we will be staying with our friend Franzi and her parents.