Day 3 – Regensburg

Panorama of Regensburg from the Stone Bridge

“Regensburg is the most beautiful town in Germany”, announced our guide this morning.  She was biased, I know, but  after spending a day here I reckon it’s got to be up there.  Luckily Regensburg escaped being bombed in the war, leaving the city centre with its wonderful collection of Medieval buildings intact.  If you stand on the Stone Bridge (the oldest bridge crossing the Danube) and look back it’s like looking at a fairy-tale illustration: the Gothic cathedral standing tall and huddling beneath gabled roofs, towers and painted mansions in the style of castles.  These castle residences were the homes of patrician families and the towers their statement of wealth – so not much has changed there then.

Our guide like yesterday’s was excellent.  We had a choice of a regular walking tour 1 1/2 hours, a more leisurely tour at a gentle pace with less standing or the extended tour half an hour longer and they all seem to have been good.

Had to go back in the afternoon to explore the shops; imagine cobbled streets, little alleyways and secluded courtyards lined with interesting specialist shops selling hats, antiques, rare books, jewelry, advent calendars, shoes, fruits and nuts, sweet Regensburg mustard – very good with some of their famous sausages and sauerkraut …..  Just as well I’ve no luggage allowance left, though I did treat myself to a boldly painted advent calendar dedicated to the city of Regensburg.