So it’s a cold Saturday in late March. Maybe a little thin sunshine around, but not enough to warm the soul. Enough to make me think spring isn’t far away. In Bavaria, at least.
In Scotland… another snowfall to come. At least one. (It would be nice to be proved wrong!)
A good day for a trip down the Donau (that’s the Danube for you Anglophobes) to Regensburg.
It’s a city of 140,000 souls (also wishing for some spring sun to warm them up) and one of the most historic in the country. It wasn’t bombed during WWII, so the old town is preserved original and intact.
We went around the Dom St Peter – dating from 1250, it dominates the skyline. We took a tour of the Altes Rathaus.
Rathaus
A 15th century joy, complete with dungeons and torture chamber (it seems a little stretching on the rack was regarded as being good for the soul back then).
We walked over the Steinerne Brücke.
the bridge
It’s a bridge over the Donau which was built in 1135-46, and is now on the UNESCO list of heritage thingies.
Since the sun was thin, we needed something more tangible to keep body and soul together. Coffee and cake mid-morning (a superb redcurrant crumble) at an old style place on Haidplatz. Coffee and cake mid-afternoon (a delicious plum something) in a youngsters’ place. Sandwiched in between – Regensburger sausages with sweet mustard on a bread roll, at the famous 12th century Wurstküche beside the river.
So the tummy was well cared for that day.
Last stop was a short drive east to Donaustauf to see Walhalla.
Walhalla
A magnificent neo-classical styled edifice built on a site high above the river. Great to look up and down river from that vantage point as the late afternoon sun started to sink.
Donau
The sinking sun lifted my soul.
Credits:-
Dagmar – for doing the driving, translating & tour guiding
Dagmar – for being fun as well
Me – for choosing good cakes
© iain taylor 2011