Regensburg

Regensburg is one of Germany's oldest towns, founded by the Romans in 179 AD. It is in the German federal state of Bavaria, at the northernmost point of the river Danube. As capital of the district of Upper Palatinate and also its biggest settlement, Regensburg today is a thriving city of about 137,000 inhabitants. It has two universities and many landmarks and little chapels, most dating back to the Middle Ages (e.g. the Cathedral of St. Peter, the Old City Hall and Imperial Diet, and the Stone Bridge). According to legend there are so many chapels here, that there would always be at least one church bell ringing. The historic city center of Regensburg and Stadtamhof has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2006. Because of its narrow alleys Regensburg is often called the northernmost city of Italy.

History
The earliest settlements in the area date back as far as 5000 BC and the first Celtic settlement, called Ratisbona, was in the city's present-day vicinity from the first millennium BC.

The official history starts in 179 AD, when the Romans built the fortress Castra Regina at the northernmost bend of the river Danube. For the following 200 years the fortress served as the Romans main military base in the province of Raetia. After the Romans left the area during the Barbarian Invasions, the town became a civil settlement.

From about 500 Regensburg was the seat of the Bavarian dukes and was therefore referred to as the first Bavarian "capital". In 739, the bishopric of Regensburg was founded by St. Boniface, making it one of the oldest on German soil.

Regensburg grew to strength and prosperity during the Middle Ages. In the 9th century Regensburg was one of the most important cities in the East Frankish Kingdom. Through the long-distance trade to Paris, Kiev and Venice; Regensburg’s economy boomed in the 12th and 13th century, and it was one of the most populous and prosperous cities. A sign of the prosperity of the time is the construction of the Stone Bridge (c. 1135-1146). In 1245, Emperor Frederick II raised Regensburg to the status of Free Imperial City, and it remained so until 1803.

Construction of the cathedral started in 1273, and building continued for nearly 600 years until the structure was completed in 1872. Both the Stone Bridge and Regensburg Cathedral have survived unchanged and are the city's main sights today.

When the Empire dissolved during the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon forced Regensburg to agree to become a part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1810, which ended the city's political importance. This decline in importance in the 19th century meant that industrialisation and modernisation of that time had a limited effect on the city, and many buildings prior to this period were preserved.

Regensburg economically regained some strength because of its role as a river port for crude oil imports from Eastern Europe. Although Regensburg was targetted by 20 allied bombings during World War II, because it was home to one of Messerschmitt's main aircraft factories as well as an oil refinery, the historic city center suffered little damage. Two sub-camps of the Flossenbürg concentration camp were located near the town for a brief period of time in early 1945. In 1960 the university was founded and several large companies like Siemens, BMW, Infineon, and Toshiba built factories in the city. In 2006 Regensburg's historic city center was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Regensburg was also home to the German Pope Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI). He spent a long time in the city and from 1969 on he taught theology at Regensburg University.

By plane
Munich Airport, 100 km south, is usually the most convenient for its good range of domestic and international flights at competitive fares. An hourly regional train takes 80 min direct to Regensburg, you don't need to double back via central Munich. The Bayern Ticket is valid on this train.

Nuremberg Airport is 100 km north-west and has mostly domestic plus a few European connections. From the airport take U-Bahn U2 to Nuremberg Central Station and change for the train to Regensburg, journey time is about 90 min. By road follow autobahn A3.

By train



 * ICE 91: Vienna (Austria) - Passau - Regensburg - Nuremberg - Frankfurt - Cologne
 * ALEX: Munich - Freising - Regensburg - Prague (Czech Republic)
 * IC 26: Passau - Regensburg - Nuremberg - Frankfurt - Hamburg
 * IC 31: Regensburg - Nuremberg - Frankfurt - Düsseldorf - Hanover - Hamburg
 * RE: Munich - Freising - Landshut - Regensburg - Nuremberg
 * ag: Ingolstadt - Regensburg - Landshut

By car
Regensburg is easily accessible via the German autobahn network, with two autobahns intersecting in the city:
 * A 3: Cologne - Frankfurt - Würzburg - Nuremberg - Regensburg - Passau - Linz (Austria) - Vienna (Austria)
 * A 93: (Munich via A 9 -) Hallertau - Regensburg - (Prague via A 6) - Hof (- Berlin via A 72 & A 9)

There are also major national highways passing the city:
 * B 8: Nuremberg - Regensburg - Straubing - Passau
 * B 15: Weiden - Schwandorf - Regensburg - Landshut
 * B 16: Ingolstadt - Regensburg - Cham

There are several possibilities for parking. The pricing differs (refer to the official website) and sometimes includes a free bus ticket.

By bus
Travelers to Regensburg by bus usually arrive at the big bus station in Stadtamhof, on the other side of the Danube. The city has many regional services and also a few national and international connections, most notably an express bus to Prague (Czech Republic), which is much faster than the train.

By boat
On the banks of the river Danube, that runs via Vienna (Austria), Belgrade (Serbia) and Budapest (Hungary) to the Black Sea, Regensburg is the start and end point of regular river cruises along the whole length of the Danube. Thanks to the Main Danube Canal cruises can offer both a stop in Regensburg and in Nuremberg as well as cities along the Main, the Rhine and the Danube.

Get around
As the city center is reasonably compact, it's best explored by foot. The historic city center is a pedestrian zone, so if you arrive by car you will have to park in one of the several parking garages around the center (see here for a map and details). All major points of interest are within a 1 km (1,100 yd) radius.

You can rent bikes from the station.

To reach Walhalla, you also can take a ship, which leaves from the pier close to the Stone Bridge (Steinerne Brücke) twice daily. See below for information.

By bus
For longer distances, Regensburg has a comprehensive public bus network, operated by RVV and RVB. Buses are frequent (10 min intervals during peak hours) and run until around midnight every day. The centre of the bus network is Albertstraße bus station just opposite the train station. There is also an Altstadtbus taking you through the inner city. The price for 90 minutes is €2.40 in Zone 1 (central). You can get an all day pass for all zones for €5.00.

Regensburg used to have a modest tram network until the 1960s and there is talk of building a light rail system, but it will be the late 2020s before anything gets built.

See
As one of the few cities in Germany that remained mostly undamaged during World War II, Regensburg boasts the largest preserved medieval city centre in Germany. It contains the highlights of the city: Regensburg Cathedral and the Stone Bridge. The city is sometimes called "the northernmost city of Italy" due to the lively places and streets with lovely outdoor cafes during summer, as well as the large number of Italian-style medieval merchant houses and towers. The historic centre lies next to the river Danube (German: Donau), and crossing the medieval stone bridge into the town provides a perfect entrance to the city and a great view over the whole historic city centre.

Churches
Regensburg has many churches, chapels and former monasteries. According to legend there are so many of them, that there would always be at least one of them with bells ringing.





Do

 * Visit a mass in the cathedral on Sunday morning when the world-famous boys' choir "Domspatzen" is singing.
 * Visit the theatre
 * Visit the Dult when it's May or September! It's like a small "Wiesn" for Regensburg.
 * There is a Bürgerfest in Stadtamhof every odd year (2025, 2027 …)
 * Every year in December the Christmas Market is at the Neupfarrplatz.

Buy
Regensburg made its fortune trading in salt, however it is unlikely that you will be taking this home as a souvenir. Regensburg has many centuries worth of old breweries, so perhaps some local beer, or perhaps a litre Stein (glass) would be a good purchase. Try some "Händlmaier's Senf", the typical sweet mustard that is usually served with white sausages.

There are several shopping malls in Regensburg:
 * The Alex Center
 * The KÖWE Center
 * The Alex Center
 * The KÖWE Center

Eat
Regensburg has a superb variety of places to eat, from snacks, to traditional brewery fare, past international cuisine to high-class restaurants. There is sure to be something to please every taste. One famous place is the "Wurstkuchl", just at the Steinerne Brücke (Stone Bridge), founded over 900 years ago and presumably the oldest fast food restaurant in the world. There is a small beer garden right at the river bank where you can enjoy the sausage specialties served by waiters in medieval dress.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:



Drink
In the inner city there are over 350 bars, cafés, clubs and discos within easy walking distance of each other.

Breweries and beergardens
Regensburgs main drink is, just as usual for Bavarian cities, surely beer. The city boasts three functioning breweries and two brew pubs, producing a variety of beer styles, from lighter Pils to heavy Dunkels; Weißbier (wheat beer) is also locally made. A typical pub to visit would be the "Kneitinger" at the Arnulfsplatz 3. Also the beer gardens near the Danube "Alte Linde" and "Spital Garten", both reachable from the Stone Bridge, offer a perfect way to taste Regensburg-brewed beer. The Bischofshof beer can be tasted next to the cathedral in the court of the "Bischofshof", where the brewery used to be.

The beer from the Thurn und Taxis brand is primarily no longer brewed in Regensburg, but an exception is the Thurn und Taxis brew pub "Fürstliches Brauhaus" in the Waffnergasse 6.

When visiting in summer, there isn't much (in terms of enjoying a cold one) that tops sitting in one of Regensburg's beergardens.

Clubs

 * The Velvet: St.-Peters-Weg
 * The Gloria: Simadergasse
 * The Scala: Pustetpassage, Gesandtenstraße
 * The Zap: Rote-Stern-Gasse
 * Gasthaus Kneitinger

Stay safe
Regensburg is, like many Bavarian cities, a very safe place. The biggest threat to your health is the local beer drinking culture in combination with the easy availability of alcohol - be careful when you try to keep up with the locals in the art of drinking.

Connect
Regensburg and its approach highways have 5G from all German carriers. Wifi ("WLAN" in German) is widely available in public places.

Go next

 * Cham is a town in Upper Palatinate, 60 min away from Regensburg by train to the north-east, close to the Czech border.
 * Landshut, the capital of Lower Bavaria, is 40 min away by train to the south. The city's main attractions are the quadrennial Landshut Wedding, which takes place in the well preserved medieval city center, and St. Martin's Church, the highest church in Bavaria.
 * Munich is the capital of Bavaria and its only city with over a million people. It is best known for the annual Oktoberfest, but is foremost a city of culture and arts. It is a 90 min train ride south of Regensburg.
 * Passau is a quaint university town at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Iller and Ilz. Passau is close to the Austrian border and it takes approx. 60 min by train to get there.
 * Weltenburg Abbey (Kloser Weltenburg) and the Danube Gorge are two famous sites, located upstream of the Danube to the west.