I forgot Regensburg

Last year I went to visit my friend in Marloffstein in southern Germany. I saw beautiful Erlangen and wonderful Wurzburg and had a day in Regensburg. Somehow the post got lost and I forgot about it. Better late than never.

Regensburg is a beautiful medieval town on the Danube River in southern Germany.  It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is easy to see why.  It largely escaped the bombs of WWII and is wonderfully preserved.  Wandering through the Alstadt with its 13th – 15th century buildings is delightful.  There is a surprise at every turn.

beautiful buildings in Regensburg

horse riders on a metal grate

David and Goliath on a building – I wonder why

It was a former Roman settlement and became the capital of Bavaria’s first duchy in the 11th century.  It was a prosperous trading centre in the middle ages, which accounts for the grand old buildings.

Dom St Peter is considered one of Bavaria’s most important Gothic cathedrals.  It was built between 1275 and 1520.  It was cleaned in 1997, revealing a green sandstone and limestone facade.  The stained glass windows are incedibly detailed, amazing considering they were made in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Dom St Peter

the side of the church

the front door

detail on the front of the church

a heavy load

stained glass window

We had lunch in Restaurant Beos, Untere Bachgasse 9, and ate Flammkuchen.  It has a very thin, pizza like base with delicous toppings.  We thought it was a speciality of the area, but it apparently comes from Alsace.  Not to worry,  it was very good and we left nothing on the plate.

inside the restaurant

flammkuchen 

We went into the beautiful courtyard of the Bishop’s Hotel to see the interesting statue.

Bishop’s Hotel

a good looking Bishop

The Art Nouveau bronze statue is of an innocent looking priest, but take a look behind for another side to this man of the cloth.

the priest with the trusting geese

such an innocent face

but look behind

bad priest

The Romanesque Old Stone Bridge is the oldest in Germany.  The bridge opened major international trade routes between Northern Europe and Venice.  Now excursions on the river depart from the bridge, taking visitors along the Danube, one of the world’s great rivers.  There are also restaurants beside the bridge where you can sit on a sunny day, admire the view and eat a German sausage or two.

the old bridge

the approach to the bridge

the clock tower on the bridge

the waters of the Danube

have a sausage for me

Regensburg is a beuatiful city, full of things to see and do. The shopping is excellent and the food very good. What more could you want?