Regensburg

Travel times from Würzburg:
Train – 2 hours
Car – 1hour, 50 mins.

When you arrive in Regensburg, you will be welcomed with legendary Bavarian hospitality into the best-preserved medieval city in Germany, where 2,000 years of history remain alive today. More than 1,300 medieval buildings consume the compact Old City, barely a half-mile square, making exploration an easy stroll.

The town began as a Roman camp, Castra Regina, named for the Regen River on which it lies. Emperor Marcus Aurelius had the northern gate of the camp, the Porta Praetoria, built in the second century A.D. You can still visit this awe-inspiring structure during your stay.

The city flourished in medieval times, and her buildings from this period are remarkably well-preserved. Many grandiose patrician houses remain with Italian-style towers reaching to the heavens and embellishing the impressive city skyline. The buildings, towers and churches offer an unspoiled peek into the past. You need not be a student of history to get a strong sense of what life was like in the days of old in Regensburg.

Castles, churches, monasteries and St. Peter's Cathedral bear testimony to the grandeur of the era, which is also brought to life in the many museums with their valuable and fascinating collections. The Stone Bridge and the Old Town Hall, set in the heart of the medieval city, are among the most important historic buildings in Germany. Take a boat trip on the Danube to best experience the river that has sustained the city since ancient times.

Visit the Neupfarrplatz for a glimpse into the ancient and medieval city. This square was once the site of Roman officers’ homes. In the early Middle Ages, it became Regensburg’s Jewish quarter, later razed during economic hardships in 1519. Recent construction work uncovered the foundations of the former Jewish quarter built over Roman ruins. Descend into the excavations via stairs adjacent to the Neupfarrkirche to see cellars, walls, wells, steps and roads and gain a better insight into the lives of the ancient Romans and the medieval Jews of Regensburg.

The Schottenportal (Scots portal) belongs to the Scots’ church founded by Irish monks in 1090 and is a masterpiece of medieval architecture. Rich in sculptures and statues, many consider it one of the greatest works of art in the western world. Reliefs and statues colored, gilded or decorated with precious stones make this a fascinating monument for anyone with a particular appreciation for medieval history or architecture.

Around lunchtime, be sure to stroll toward the Steinerne Brücke (Stone Bridge), an architectural achievement as impressive today as when it was built in the early 12th century. Nine centuries ago, workers constructing the bridge received their meals at a riverside kitchen. That same kitchen – the Historische Wurstküche (Historic Sausage Kitchen) – serves several thousand Regensburger Bratwurst each day to locals and visitors. On a sunny day, guests sit elbow-to-elbow on slat benches and devour platefuls of the little Bavarian sausages, sauerkraut and sweet mustard. So fill up as the bridge workers did some 900 years ago to sustain you during the next leg of your journey.