Regensburg is on the northwest point of the river Danube, and it should have been the first stop on our river cruise through the countries of Germany, Australia, Slovakia, and Budapest. However, water levels on the river had dropped significantly in the run-up to our cruise and our ship couldn’t reach the town. The only option was a four-hour coach journey from Passau and so we and our guides sat back and enjoyed a leisurely drive punctuated by the odd nap and some commentary on places of interest along the way. Not an ideal start to a river cruise but such is life!
How to get to Regensburg
If you do not have the luxury of cruising into the town then Munich is the nearest international airport, about seventy miles away. As I can testify there is an extremely good road system connecting the town with the rest of Germany.
Is Regensburg worth visiting?
Regensburg is in Bavaria and is one of Germany’s oldest and most beautiful towns. The historic town center with its cobbled alleyways is a UNESCO world heritage site and it’s a popular river cruise destination. Aside from the cathedrals and architecture, there are many interesting shops and of course restaurants and bars. I was looking forward to exploring the medieval town and doing some photography. For the first part of the morning, our guide showed us around the town and then we had a couple of hours to get some lunch and explore on our own.
What To Do In a day in Regensburg
Our guide explained that Regensburg has one of the largest and best-preserved medieval cities in Germany being untouched by the bombing in World War two. As you would expect there are several churches and a cathedral to explore. We entered the city by crossing the famous stone bridge over the river Danube. We were lucky to visit on a fine sunny day and were greeted by tourists enjoying the town and the many cafes and restaurants.
St Peters Cathedral
St Peters cathedral is in the heart of Regensburg and can be seen from afar. During our visit, a substantial part of the building was undergoing renovation and was clad in scaffolding, which is often the case with old churches. Nonetheless, it’s an imposing building and an outstanding example of gothic architecture.
Church of St John
Close to the cathedral is the Collegiate Church of St. John. The church is small and quite plain, but its beauty is its simplicity.
Altes Rathaus – Old Town Hall
This was the first building we came across as we approached the old town from the stone bridge. The tourist information centre is located here, and tours are available (in English) if you are there at the right time. I wasn’t and had to content myself with views of the 55m high tower and surrounding buildings.
Haidplatz Square
Haidplatz is a beautiful old square in the centre of town and the location for the Christmas market. The square is surrounded by many old buildings and tables and chairs from several restaurants spill out onto the cobbled streets
Porta Praetoria
The Porta Praetoria are what remains of an old Roman gateway and military camp dating back to 179AD.
Goliathhaus
The mural depicts David slaying Goliath. The house was built in1260 and the mural was painted in 1573 and is certainly large and impressive.
The Sausage Kitchen
I did not sample the food at this place, but it was extremely popular with tourists. It’s located next to the Danube and the old stone bridge and has been dishing out sausages for several hundred years.
A walk along the Danube
A day in Regensburg would not be complete without a walk along the Danube heading back towards the Old Stone Bridge. We passed numerous people sitting along the banks enjoying the afternoon sun and several canoeists were enjoying doing battle with the swirling currents of the river. There was just time to grab a quick coffee and sandwich before meeting up with our guide to head back to the coach for our journey back to the Emerald Sun cruise ship.
Next stop Passau!
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