Regensburg, Germany
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
One of Bavaria’s excellent cities is Regensburg. It has nearly 1000 historic buildings in the old town area and did not suffer much damage during WW II.
So, let’s explore together and learn about Regensburg.
First Came the Romans
In 179 AD, the Romans established a settlement on the Regen river, a small river that runs into the Danube River. They stationed a legion (about 6000 soldiers) in the new town to help secure the northern border of their empire to protect from the hostile Germans.
They called the settlement “Castra Regina”—when translated into German, the town later became to be called Regensburg. The Romans remained for about 300 years and abandoned the settlement, leaving behind their stone fortress intact. This enormous stone walls attracted the Germans who settled here after the Romans left. You can still see parts of the old walls in parts of the old town.
Regensburg Becomes the First Capitol of Bavaria
Charlemagne added Regensburg into his Frankish Empire in 788. It was now an important town and benefited from favorable treatment in the empire. Regensburg grew, trade flourished, and the upper-class wealthy built large town houses and the first stone bridge in Germany.
The economy collapsed with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Turks, as eastern goods that came up the Danube River were no longer available. Going from wealthy to poor very quickly is one reason so many of the medieval structures remain in the present-day city.
The Imperial Diet Era
Regensburg regained a little of its luster by becoming the permanent meeting place of the Imperial Diet. This organization is a little hard to understand since they were not a legislature but acted like a central forum to advise and negotiate policies as part of the Holy Roman Empire. Regardless, they were very important figures in society and there was no authority above them except the Holy Roman Emperor. They were led by Emperor’s envoy, the Prince von Thurn und Taxis.
The Imperial Diet ended during the Napoleonic era and Regensburg became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria.
The Modern Era
As Germany expanded and became unified in 1870, the history of Regensburg is very similar to all of Germany—rail lines and major roadways were established, the town suffered from the two world wars.
The town has rebounded by the establishment of the Siemens plant and a BMW plant. It became a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 2006. It is also a favorite port stop for many river cruise ships.
The Stone Bridge
Built between 1135 and 1146, the stone bridge is an impressive site. It is about 310 meters long, has 15 arches and is the oldest medieval stone bridge in Germany.
The Brucktor (Bridge Gate) guards the southern bank of the Danube and the entrance to the old town.
The knights and soldiers of the 2nd and 3rd crusades used the stone bridge to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land.
Historische Wurstkitche (Historic Sausage Kitchen)
It is said this kitchen fed the laborers who built the stone bridge, but no one really knows for sure. Legend says it is oldest continuous restaurant in Germany. We sampled the grilled sausages, and sauerkraut (Anne’s favorite, I never liked it) several times.
Goliathhaus
One building that is not really that impressive a structure is Goliathhaus built in the 13th century. The building was the home of a wealthy merchant. It is the outside painting place on the structure somewhere around 1570-1580 that piques interest of visitors today.
Not the best picture, but you can see the painting in the background
St, Peter’s Cathedral
At 90 meters long, nearly 35 meters wide and 30 meters tall, the cathedral is the most impressive structure in Regensburg. Its spires are 105 meters high and is considered the purest example of a Gothic style in all of Bavaria. Construction began on the cathedral in 1273 and took over 250 years to almost complete, as the funds ran out to finish the structure.
It has a quite intricate façade and is quite interesting to study without going into the church. However, do go inside to see the sculpted Angel of Regensburg created in 1200s. The Dom has its own museum.
Porta Praetoria
The remains of this gate of a side tower of the once huge fort date back to 197 AD. The only comparable building in Germany is the Porta Negra in Trier.
Patrician Towers and Towers
There were once as many as 60 towers in Regensburg but today about 20 remain. These were built by the big merchants and businessmen—the idea was to show how important you were—the higher the tower, the more important you were. The towers were used as a residence, to store goods and for defense purposes.
The highest tower in Regensburg—the Golden Tower in Wablenstrasse
The Old Town Hall
This is the Gothic-era old town complex. The town hall can be toured—on the inside is the Reichssaal (the Imperial Hall) that was used for 4 centuries (started in the 1400s) to hold meetings of the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire (the Diet).
The Palace of the Princes of Thurn and Taxis
Located on the outskirts of town, this castle has a great Christmas market. The castle can also be toured during the day.
Der Hutmacher Am Dom HutKoeing
The World-Famous Hat King Store—Anne owns several hats from here.
Some Good German Food
Our Final Thoughts
Regensburg is a fun city. It is historic, has great Christmas Markets, winding alleys, and Anne’s favorite hat shop. Combined with good German food, what more does a person need to enjoy life?
We hope you enjoyed this report.
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ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 51+ years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent
