Regensburg

One of Germany's best-preserved medieval cities, whose old town with its Stone Bridge and cathedral is a World Heritage Site, with the Walhalla memorial and the Weltenburg Danube Gorge nearby.

Regensburg lies in eastern Bavaria, Germany, at the northernmost bend of the Danube, and is the capital of the Upper Palatinate administrative region. It began as a Roman legionary fortress in AD 179, became one of the wealthiest trading cities of the Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, and from 1663 to 1806 was the seat of the Empire's Perpetual Diet. Because it was barely bombed in the Second World War, the old town and Stadtamhof on the opposite bank have kept more than a thousand medieval buildings intact, and they were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2006. Sightseeing centres on the walkable old town: the Stone Bridge, the cathedral, the Historic Sausage Kitchen, the Old Town Hall, Haidplatz and many patrician tower houses, with Thurn und Taxis Palace and St Emmeram's Basilica to the south. There are two classic day trips: 10 km east to the Walhalla memorial (reachable by boat in summer), or about 30 km southwest to Kelheim to climb up to the Hall of Liberation (Befreiungshalle) and take a boat through the Danube Gorge to Weltenburg Abbey for a monastery beer. The best time is Apr–Oct, when most boats operate; in December there are several Christmas markets, including the Romantic Christmas Market at the palace. Trains take about 1 hour from Nuremberg and 1.5 hours from Munich, and the old town is best explored on foot. Allow 2 days: one for the old town and one for the gorge or Walhalla. Note that some museums can only be visited on German-language guided tours and many close on Mondays; visitor access to the cathedral is restricted during Sunday morning Mass.

Top sights

• Stone Bridge, Regensburg – A stone arch bridge over the Danube, completed in the 12th century. It is one of Germany's oldest surviving bridges, and the view back towa…
• Regensburg Cathedral – Bavaria's most important Gothic cathedral, with twin spires about 105 meters tall and a large collection of 13th- and 14th-century stained-…
• Historische Wurstkuchl – A century-old sausage kitchen beside the Stone Bridge, said to be the oldest continuously operating sausage restaurant in the world. It ser…
• Danube Gorge at Weltenburg – A Danube gorge about 5 kilometers long between Kelheim and Weltenburg, with limestone cliffs rising more than 70 meters. A boat trip throug…
• Thurn und Taxis Palace – The residence of the Thurn und Taxis family, the European postal dynasty. Converted from the former St. Emmeram Abbey, its opulent halls an…
• Basilica of St. Emmeram – The church of a thousand-year-old abbey. Its exterior is plain, but the interior was transformed into a lavish Baroque space by the Asam br…
• Old Town Hall & Reichstag Museum – The seat of the Holy Roman Empire's 'Perpetual Diet' from 1663 to 1806. The Imperial Hall and underground torture chamber can be visited on…
• Porta Praetoria – The remains of the north gate of a Roman legionary fortress dating to AD 179. Its massive stone arch is built into later buildings, making…
• Alte Kapelle – One of the oldest churches in Bavaria. Its exterior is unassuming, but the interior is a dazzling Rococo display of gold and white.
• Scots Monastery Church of St. James – A Romanesque church built by Irish monks in the 12th century. Its north portal is covered in enigmatic reliefs, and it is considered one of…
• Golden Tower – Regensburg's tallest medieval noble tower house, about 50 meters high with nine stories. It is a representative example of the city's 'Ital…
• Haidplatz – One of the most beautiful squares in the old town, lined with the Goldenes Kreuz inn, tower houses, and the Justitia Fountain. In summer, i…
• document Neupfarrplatz – An archaeological display beneath the central square of the old town, where you can see a Roman officer's house, the medieval Jewish quarte…
• Museum of Bavarian History – A new museum on the Danube, opened in 2019. Through film, artifacts, and interactive displays, it traces Bavaria's history from the Bavaria…
• Kepler Museum – The house where astronomer Johannes Kepler died in Regensburg in 1630. It is now a small memorial museum displaying his life story and repl…
• Salzstadel & World Heritage Visitor Centre – A large 17th-century salt warehouse at the head of the Stone Bridge. It houses a free World Heritage Visitor Centre, where models and inter…
• Dominican Church of St. Blasius – One of the earliest Gothic mendicant friars' churches in southern Germany. Its tall, simple nave is awe-inspiring, and Albertus Magnus once…
• Spitalgarten Beer Garden – A long-standing beer garden on the north bank of the Stone Bridge in the Stadtamhof district, where you can drink local abbey-hospital beer…
• Walhalla – A Hall of Fame modeled on the Parthenon in Athens, built of white marble on a hillside above the Danube. Its interior houses about 130 bust…
• Weltenburg Abbey – A Benedictine abbey on the edge of the Danube Gorge, whose Baroque church designed by the Asam brothers is extraordinarily ornate, and reno…
• Befreiungshalle – A circular memorial hall on Michelsberg hill above Kelheim, commemorating the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon from 1813 to 1815. Its ri…
• Prunn Castle – A medieval castle perched on the cliffs of the Altmühl Valley. The 'Nibelungenlied' manuscript was discovered here in the 16th century, and…

Where to eat

• Historische Wurstkuchl – An ancient sausage kitchen next to the Stone Bridge. Serving charcoal-grilled small sausages with homemade sauerkraut a…
• Storstad – A one-Michelin-starred restaurant on the fifth floor of the Goliathhaus, featuring a terrace overlooking the cathedral…
• Weltenburger am Dom – A beer restaurant next to the Cathedral Square, serving Weltenburger Abbey beers and Upper Palatinate-style roasted por…
• Kneitinger – An old local brewery tavern opened in 1892, affectionately known as the "Mutterhaus" (Mother House), famous for its roa…
• Orphée – A nostalgic and lively French bistro in the Old Town, open from breakfast to late-night snacks, serving classic dishes…

Itineraries

• Danube Historic Towns & Bavarian Forest – Explore the historic Danube cities of Regensburg and Passau, then venture into Germany's oldest national park.