Regensburg, Germany
This city in eastern Bavaria is not as well known as Munich or Nuremberg but it suffered little damage in the war and its medieval core remains intact. Most of the buildings are solid stone and today are painted soft colors.
A Roman settlement completed under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Regensburg is one of the oldest towns in Germany. Many of the monuments and architectural details have withstood the ravages of time.
Regensburg is famous for its 12th-century stone bridge across the Danube used by Crusaders en route to the Holy Land. Unfortunately, it was covered by scaffolding for renovation but here’s a shot from below:
After the stone bridge was completed in 1146, trade flourished between Venice and northern Europe. Wealthy families competed to see who could finance and build the tallest towers in town.
It was another perfect early October day here and I spent most of the afternoon wandering around the narrow streets. It was also Saturday so I shared the city with plenty of Germans out shopping and eating.
I had no idea that Oskar Schindler lived in Regensburg virtually penniless after the war from 1945–1950. I passed this marker on a non-descript building along a quiet street. It wasn’t until attention from the 1993 Spielberg movie that this fact was recognized (sign installed by city in 1995):
One of my favorite sayings is “God is in the details” and the attention shown to small things has big rewards. You have to appreciate the extra work to create all the little things that provide humor and whimsy where something dull could just as easily have been used instead.
Regensburg was a rich city on a major trade route and money was obviously no problem in creating beautiful surroundings.
Looks like Uncle Roger might have some German relatives down this street:
After visiting more churches than I can count, I’m about churched-out and it takes a lot to impress me now. This one stood out. The Alte Kapelle (old chapel) is lavishly decorated in gold leaf and over-the-top rococo swirls.
Regensburg was especially dramatic at night with dim yellow street lights casting an eerie glow on the walls. Way too many dark corners and shadows to ever feel completely at ease, then or now.
I found this amusing. Each of the windows on the front of the Hofbräuhaus presented lessons to those merrily drinking inside including “don’t drink too much”, “be sure to share your beer with friends” and “you’ll be sitting by yourself if you continuously take advantage of those around you”:
One sign that I’ve been in Germany a while is that I’m still enjoying all the Porsches and Mercedes…
…but this caught my eye. A good ‘ole American Ford Mustang:
I’ll be back at the Bahnhof in the morning to head west to Nördlingen. I’m going to explore a trio of small, medieval northern Bavarian villages to contrast with the set I visited down south in the Alps.
