Return to Bavaria

Given the good forecast, we decide to return to Bavaria; our destination is Regensburg. Built of stone, it is the best-preserved medieval city in all of Germany, and what sets it apart is the greenery surrounding it, almost like a crown. Goethe comes to mind, who wrote “Regensburg lies in such a beautiful spot that someone was bound to come and live there”… and he was entirely right: it stands at the confluence of the river Regen with the Danube, where natural and artificial “architecture” live together harmoniously. The most important and majestic building in the city is St. Peter's Cathedral. Other religious buildings worth seeing are the church of St. Ulrich, the baroque St. Joseph and finally the church "Zur Alten Kapelle".

An interesting construction is the Steinerne Brücke ("stone bridge"), considered by the superstitious to be the work of the devil who, it is said, helped the bridge's builder in exchange for the first three souls to cross it. The first to cross were a dog, a hare and a hen, and so the devil was outwitted. At the start of the bridge is the famous Wurstküche, an old establishment where pork sausages (Regensburger Bratwürste) are grilled and the smoke, rising up the chimney, floods the surrounding area with a tasty aroma. Visiting the historic centre means going back in time: the winding lanes, the ancient cloisters, the inner courtyards really make it pleasant to wander aimlessly and give yourself over to sweet idleness or shopping.

The many traditional Bavarian establishments and a great variety of restaurants serving international cuisine, small pubs and elegant cafés make choosing where to stop for a “snack” rather difficult instead. It is worth moving the car and, about 10 km east of the city, reaching the heights overlooking the Danube to visit the Walhalla. It is a Doric temple, modelled on the Parthenon in Athens, commissioned by King Ludwig I. It can be seen from far away and enjoys a striking view, but in my opinion it should be described as one of the first “eco-monsters of history”. Inside, numerous busts made in honour of important German figures are collected.