You Go Nate!: The Day-trip Diaries

September 6th:

Having only left Munich once in August (helping the Taggs move to Switzerland), when September came around I knew it was time to get out again. Next city on my list to visit: Regensburg.

I took the morning train, and an hour and half later I was pulling into the Regensburg train station...

View Regensburg in a larger map

Regensburg is one of Bavaria's oldest and most important cities. It is one of Germany's largest cities that was undamaged by WWII Allied bombings and the entire city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was time to get bizzy...

Regensburg sits on the Danube River and so many interesting things are found on the scenic waterfront...

The old cathedral is the symbol of the city...

So is the multi-arched bridge: the Steinernebrücke...

This little guy was sitting atop a post on the bridge. Who knows how long he's stared at the sky?...

Traffic on the Danube...

More Danube fun...

Many of Regensburg's medieval structures are still standing, including this tower overlooking the old corn market (now a parking lot).

It was fun to explore the narrow old streets and gawk at some of the other old medieval towers...

And other colorful architecture...

Classic 17th century houses on a quiet square...

Flowers outside the city hall...

Another medieval square...

Before Munich was even a bridge on the river, Regensburg was a Celtic settlement and then a Roman fort city. There are still a few Roman ruins in the city...

Lunch was a pleasant affair sitting outdoors near the river enjoying some classic German cuisine...

Back in the city, David and Goliath stand painted brightly on one old house...

Regensburg has the distinction of being the first city in Germany where missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints preached. Or I should say missionary, since it was just Orson Hyde alone, who spent several months here on his way back from dedicating the Holy Land. He printed a few tracts in German and made some proselytizing efforts.

Near Regensburg is a beautiful stretch of the Danube with an interesting monument. I took the bus that took me a few kilometers out of town to the Walhalla, perched majestically above the river...

This Greek Temple-like structure was built by King Ludwig II in the 1840's (yes, that King Ludwig II, who built Neuschwanstein and featured in the last two blog posts)...

I ascended the mighty steps...

And refused to pay admission to go inside, but snapped a few sneaky ones from the entrance. The Walhalla is a monument to all the great Germans throughout history. Each have a bust...

And there were caryatids...

Everyone from Beethoven, to Copernicus, to Alfred the Great, to Catherine the Great of Russia (yep, she was actually German), to Einstein are featured somewhere in these spacious halls...

Uncle Bret's comment on the following picture: "Very nice. In Utah, every bride would get her picture taken here..."

The Walhalla hosted a commanding view of the Danube...

After visiting the Walhalla I trekked up-river a bit more to the town of Donaustauf, which had some nice castle ruins to explore...

This little castle also had a pretty nice view of the river...

Window in time...

View down-river, you can see the Walhalla poking through the trees on the left, and a traditional maypole there at the bottom center...

I took the bus back to Regensburg and went to the Cathedral to spend some time...

Though a church has stood on this spot since at least the 700's, the current cathedral was built between the 1300's and the 1500's (it took 200 years)...