Regensburg

On the morning of October 1, 2013, we arrived in Regensburg in Bavaria, Germany at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers at one of the northernmost points of the Danube.  The city was built in 179 BC by the Romans and is now one of the largest and most well preserved cities in Bavaria.  The ship docked right at the town so there was no need for a bus.  We had a walking tour of the city and then were free to explore on our own.

The pedestrian only stone bridge was built in 1135-1146.  The knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusades crossed this bridge on their way to the Holy Land! The bridge links Old Town with Stadtamhof and was the city's only bridge across the Danube until the 1930s.

Because the bridge has withstood centuries of use, constant maintenance is necessary ....

This was the view from the bridge looking down on to the Danube ....

The Regensburg Cathedral is dedicated to St Peter and is also known as the Dom St. Peter.  It is the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Regensburg and is a prime example of Gothic architecture.  We were fortunate to be there at the right time of day and enjoyed an organ concert at noon.  

No picture taking inside the Cathedral, please .... OOPPSS ..... I saw that sign a little too late!

We enjoyed walking around Regensburg.... one of our stops was a hat store - Hutmacher am Dom, located next to the Cathedral.  It offered more than 15,000 hats and accessories on two floors - men's items on the first floor and women's on the upper level.  My husband found a wool cap that's become a great remembrance of our trip.  Here are some pictures of delightful Regensburg..... 

Soon it was lunch time and we ate at the Historic Sausage Kitchen of Regensburg.  This 900 year old building is famous for its role in catering to the workers who built the stone bridge.  The kitchen is still in business today and offers only sausages on its menu.  There was an area of outdoor seating but since it was very chilly, we decided to be seated indoors.