|
Regensburg has guarded the northernmost reaches of the
Danube for 2,000 years since Roman days, and its
historic and architectural riches are almost beyond
belief . . . Roman, mediaeval and Baroque buildings, and
monuments thankfully spared by war and offering a living
history lesson.
Its importance as a centre of river trade and the seat
of the Reichstag (Imperial Government) from 1663 to 1806
is reflected in its fine churches, public buildings and
merchants’ houses that line the banks of the Danube.
The soaring spires of the Dom (cathedral) tower over the
city and look down on the courtyards of great houses,
narrow winding alleys, pretty squares, Romanesque and
Gothic churches and the arches of the Porta Praetoria,
the remains of a Roman gateway.
Visit the old town hall, whose dungeons house one of
Germany’s few remaining examples of a mediaeval torture
chamber. Stand on the massive 12th-century stone bridge
near the cathedral and watch the waters of the Danube
swirl by.
And then, like most visitors to Regensburg, fortify
yourself with a visit to the Historische Wurstküche, the
oldest cooked sausage house in Germany, or head for the
city’s bustling shopping centre where a wide range of
goods will tempt you. |
