Keeleys, Wright, & Forster Viking River Cruise: Danube, Main, and Rhine : Regensburg, Germany

Today we’re off to explore Regensburg. We’re told it is the oldest city on the Danube and one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe! (The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site.) Our guide, Ulga, walked with us along the river to the old Stone Bridge built in 1135-46. (It is a mini-architectural marvel with sixteen arches that prompted others to come to the city to learn how to build bridges “way back when”. It also had a water mill that was used by local merchants and the proceeds were used to pay for the bridge.) There was a large tollhouse and salt storage warehouse – which along with gold and fabrics was the life-blood of the city in days gone by.

We walked through a maze of very narrow, cobblestone streets and alleys. Of course we had to look into many small shops. Eventually we arrived at the original Roman gates dating back to 171 AD. (There was a large contingent of Roman soldiers and family members at the time.) Later we came upon a few architectural digs with archeologists actively working in the pits to uncover some Roman ruins.

We walked from square to square – each with its own clock tower and church. The highlight was the 13^th century Dom St Peter with its twin Renaissance towers. We agreed it had the most beautiful stained glass that we had seen so far. (Who knows what the next church holds in store for us?) Oh, and did I say we found some very tasty cherry strudel and poppy seed cake in a small bakery? One city building had the units of measurement attached to a wall to be sure all merchants were using a common standard in their trade. Our guide also pointed out that buildings were of different colors to assist people that cannot read. For example, the color tan was for markets. Blue was for medical facilities.

After a few hours of walking we returned to the boat for lunch and then headed back into the city in search of German gifts and more sights. We came upon Meg and Gary eating riverside at the Regensburg Sausage Kitchen – the oldest sausage restaurant in Bavaria- 800 years old. The tables were packed with happy people eating and drinking beer and eating brats in the sunshine. The small finger-size brats come in 3's and are eaten on a small crusty roll with mustard. A basket of rolls is on the shared tables and you tell your server how many rolls you took before the bill comes. We strolled the lanes and streets for three hours finding some great German children’s books, toys, clothing, and chocolates. (And the Regensburg hat shop – oh my, what a place.) Oh yes, David also stepped up to buy Page a colorful 8’ silk scarf made with a traditional Bavarian stag design from one of the well known Bavarian clothiers. (She proudly wore it that evening during dinner.) As we headed out of the town square, we came upon a handsome German couple wearing Bavarian clothing. Beth asked if we could take their picture, and they so graciously obliged. We stayed and chatted with them- they were so friendly and full of historical information about the town- proud Germans and such a lovely couple!

After dinner we headed into a series of locks on the Main Canal – that connects the Danube with the Rhine. (This canal allows invasive species to move from one watershed to another.) While the idea of a canal was first raised in 700 AD and some initial attempts to dig the canal were made it really did not commence until the 1920’s (and completed in 1992). It is over 100 miles long with 16 locks – some of which have three filling basins to make the operation as efficient as possible. (Unlike the locks on the Danube these locks were JUST wide enough for our ship (2” on each side was all the space we had). Over 7000 vessels transit the canal each year.

This medieval sign in the old part of the city is supposed to depict Jonah and the whale, but the artist, having never seen a whale, depicted it more like a Danube catfish!

You can see the ancient Roman stonework beneath the stucco of this ancient building.

Old mill and water wheel

Clock tower on the City Hall in the town square

Entering the old part of the city through one of the arches in the city wall

Different colored buildings along the streets

In the town market square- Old Town Hall and Bishop's Quarters

The standard measurement units in the town market square - metal embedded in the wall- a foot, an arm's length, and height of a person (or double arms length)