A brief jaunt in a medieval town in Germany’s south.
When it comes to Germany, you could say I’m a one city kinda girl: apart from one trip to the tiny Western German village of Usseln (to visit Liebling’s extended familie) my exploration of Deustchland has been limited to Liebling’s hometown, the urban metropolis of Berlin.
Not that I’m complaining, of course. Berlin is fun, steeped in history, and generally, to borrow from now-defunct girl group TLC’s album titles, crazysexycool.
But I am a traveller, which means I have a keen interest in, well, travelling. You see, I get the itch. I need to explore, see more, discover. Throw in the fact that I’m married to a German and gearing up to have some Deutsch babies some day (emphasis on “some” — no bun in the oven yet!), and you’ll understand why it kind of bothered me to have done so little travel within Germany outside of Berlin.
Luckily the city of Regensburg swooped in to save the day. Since we drove to Austria for our honeymoon, we were able to work in brief pit stop in this Bavarian commune, found in southeastern Germany.
Now, we only stopped here for about an hour to stretch our legs, so unfortunately I’m unable to give an exhaustive explanation of things to do or see. But something is better than nothing, so here goes…
At the intersection of the Danube and Regen rivers, Regenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which basically means that its Old Town is pretty beyond belief. It also has the distinction of being of the best-preserved medieval cities in all of Germany. There are the classic cobblestoned walkways, ornate architecture, and buildings painted in pastel hues that make the city reminiscent of a storybook village. This being Germany (and the Bavarian part of Germany, at that), there are also the stereotypical stores selling dirndls and lederhosen, and a smorgasbord of restaurants serving traditional dishes (very fragrant and meat-heavy, yummo!). While we didn’t stop to eat, we did spend some time traipsing about said cobblestone walkways, taking the opportunity to appreciate aforementioned fancy architecture and pastel coloured buildings.
We also happened upon the Stone Bridge which crosses the Danube and is best known for being the famous river’s only crossing for over 800 years. Today, it connects the gorgeous Old Town with the rest of the city, but is still notable given its age and longevity (it was constructed in the 12th century, after all). The bridge’s 16 arches are said to be a marvel of medieval engineering.
More impressive is the Regensburg Cathedral (also known as the Dom St. Peter). Built in the 1300′s, its striking Gothic architecture is one of the best examples of the style found in Europe today. Sprawling and topped with cloisters built and rebuilt over centuries, this cathedral is perhaps imposing. Still, it is a gorgeous relic of history and one of Regensburg’s most prominent landmarks.
Next, Liebling and I hit up the Alte Kapelle (Old Chapel). Found slightly south of the Dom, this place of worship surprised me in a most pleasing fashion. As you can imagine, I have seen a ton of churches in my day — especially travelling in Europe — and over time, many of them have begun to look the same to me, and I wouldn’t hesitate to say that I am “churched out” after seeing so many. As such, I totally expected to be unmoved by the Alte Kapelle, especially after laying eyes on its humble exterior. However, the interior was a completely different story — it frankly blew me away with its beauty. Done up in what is known as Rococo, or Late Baroque, style, the walls are white and decorated with colourful painted frescos and gold guilding. I don’t believe I have ever seen anything like it.
After exhausting our cameras, however, it was (sadly) time for us to go. Legs sufficiently stretched and eyes filled with lovely images that will surely endure, Liebling and I regained our chariot and continued our journey into Austria. Though our time in Regensburg was brief, it was highly pleasurable and educational. But it also stirred within me the desire to see more of and do more in my beloved Deutschland, for Regensburg is but one small town in a very large country ripe for exploring. Here’s hoping that there’ll be more German travel in my near future!
What do you think of Regensburg? Have you ever travelled to this part of Germany? And is Germany someplace you would like to travel to if you’ve never been?