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Home Page > Travelogues > Germany > Bayern > Regensburg Also available: Segment on the Regensburg Christmas Market
Regensburg
was one of the oldest cities around. In
ancient times, it served as a major port on the Danube (Donau) River heading east
into
The top 'postcard' shot of Regensburg was shown in the
first photograph, which was taken from the Steinerne Bruecke, Regensburg's old
bridge. Prominently shown was the Regensburger Dom (Cathedral) and the
strand following dow The lion's share of the points of interest were on the south
bank. Heading to the city from the Steinerebruecke, we passed through a
The pedestrian zone ran along a 'T',
with one main road paralleling the river from the Domplatz to the Haidplatz and
on to the Alter Kornmarkt. The Domplatz was a small square adjacent to the
Cathedral. Opposite it was a hidden plaza in the old Bishops' residence
where occasionally special events were held. The Cathedral was fantastic,
filled with wonderful artwork. Following the road, we passed b The Haidplatz formed as a second street connected at a sharp angle, forming a triangular plaza at the 'Y'. It's location being a little away from the beaten path lent to its use for small-scale special events (as opposed to the main square where the larger events took place). During Tom's second trip to Regensburg, he happened upon an AIDS benefit taking place there. The fourth photograph shows this event, with the Thon-Dettmer Palais in the background. AIDS benefits were not uncommon across Germany, and Tom had encountered several in his travels. Like the others, this was well-attended by younger people and filled with food, drink, and live music (normally popular style). The Haidplatz was also used during Christmas Market season for additional booths and stage music. T The center market, known as the Neupfarrplatz, was the first stop through the main commercial district, which was quite large. The Neupfarrplatz was so-named for the Neupfarrkirche, the "Reformed Church" shown in the fifth photograph. This square hosted the Saturday market and was also the primary venue for the Christmas Market. The commercial zone seemed always packed with people, both for the huge department stores and the many ethnic restaurants that populated the access ways toward the main station. Other attractions in Regensburg included the palace and the gardens to the south of the old town near the railway station. The palace is only occasionally open, but the gardens were open to the public 24 hours a day. Regensburg was a nice place to go for day visit. With the quaint and historic old town gracing the Danube, it was a good alternative to the larger and better known places in Bavaria. Trip taken 22 June 2002 -- Page last updated 01 September 2006 -- (C) 2002 Tom Galvin Also available: Segment on the Regensburg Christmas Market |
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Central Europe.
In modern times, Regensburg was a comparatively forgotten city, playing second (or third) fiddle to the likes of 
nriver. The Steinerne
Bruecke, shown in the second photo, was the main bridge, and it
was much larger
than this photo shows. The statue in the distance over land actually marked
the center of the bridge, as this spanned over a split in the river. In
between, there was a large island containing a huge park and two major outdoor
cafés shaded by the thick trees. These cafés were the
main attraction during sunny weather. However, the island was very low
ground, and on one of Tom's visits the Danube experienced high water that
covered the whole island. Despite how the city was so low to the bank,
there were a number of canals on the opposite bank that worked to protect the
city from flood.
beautiful clock gate (the Bruckturm) that housed the city's tourist information
bureau. After crossing a main street that included several specialty shops
(especially an old toy bear store),
we faced a building called the Goliath House, whose mural is shown in the third
photograph. Based on the bizarre mix of window styles, we suspected that
this structure has been rebuilt multiple times. But given the city's Roman
and later Catholic history, the mural was probably a reconstruction of the
original once painted on the building.
y a number
of landmarks, such as the Alter and Neues Rathauses (Old and New Town Halls).
The Old Rathaus near Haidplatz had a decorative facade and huge clock tower.
he
Alter Kornmarkt was at the far western end and hosted some of Regensburg's
cultural landmarks. Included, was the bright yellow and white Stadttheater,
the city theater. Opposite it was the Praesidialpalais, a beautiful manor that
since became a café. Surrounding these were a number of lovely houses and
there were multiple fountains in the middle.
