Regensburg bills itself as "Germany's best-preserved medieval city." Historically also known as Ratisbon, Regensburg is a city (population 132,000 spread over 81 sq km) in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube, west of the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the administrative region, Upper Palatinate of Bavaria. The large medieval centre of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The south is dominated by the tertiary hill country (Tertiär-Hügelland), a continuation of the alpine foothills and the Franconian Jura (Fränkische Jura) is to the West.
How to Get There:
The closest major airport is Munich International Airport, which is served by Lufthansa and more than 80 other airlines. Regensburg is about 90 minutes from Munich by train. The city lies also on two motorways, Cologne and Frankfurt to Vienna, and from Munich to Dresden. The city is also connected by "Bundestraßen", or regional transport. Local transportation is through a complete and extensive bus network, though you probably won't need to use it.
What to See:
The Dom (Cathedral) is a very interesting example of pure German Gothic and counts as the main work of Gothic architecture in Bavaria. It was founded in 1275; the official choir for the liturgical music at St Peter's Cathedral are the famous Regensburger Domspatzen.
The Stone Bridge, built 1135–1146, still stands proud. The knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade used it to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land; remains of the Roman fortress' walls including the Porta Praetoria; The Church of St. James, also called Schottenkirche, a Romanesque basilica of the 12th century; the Gothic villa of the king of Bavaria on the bank of the Danube. Near Regensburg there is a very imposing Classical building, erected by Ludwig I of Bavaria as a national monument of German patriotism and greatness. The most imposing Walhalla is a costly reproduction of the Parthenon, erected as a Teutonic temple of fame on a hill rising from the Danube at Donaustauf, 15 km to the east.
Where to Eat:
Regensburg has over 120 restaurants. Historische Wurstkuch'l, L'Osteria, Rosenpalais, Alte Linde, Furstliches Brauhaus, Heuport and Goldenes Kreuz are recommended.
Hotels:
Regensburg has several dozen hotels, mostly in or within walking distance of the Altstadt or Old Town. Private rooms (Privatzimmer) and vacation apartments (Ferienwohnung) are also available. Altstadt-Engel, Hotel Goliath am Dom, Grand Hotel Orphee, Park Hotel Maximilian, Sorat Insel-Hotel Regensburg and the Courtyard by Marriott Regensburg are top-end hotels. Hotel Schloss Eggersberg, Hotel Haslbach, Star Inn Hotel Regensburg, Hotel Karmeliten and the Etap Regensburg Ost are in the mid-range lot. Altstadthotel Arch, Haidplatz 4, a traditional family-owned hotel; Hotel Orphée, Untere Bachgasse 8, an intimate 15-room hotel with good press reviews; Hotel am Peterstor, Fröhliche Türkenstrasse 12, an inexpensive hotel near the Parkhotel Maximilian; and Gaststätte Spitalgarten are at the lower end. JH Regensburg is the only Youth Hostel.
