Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [328]
Neue Galerie Das MO ( 339 60; Bergbräustrasse 7) Right opposite the Liebfrauenmünster, this trendy cafe-bar holds art exhibits and has probably the best beer garden in town, amid a copse of chestnut trees.
Also recommended:
Casa Rustica ( 333 11; Höllbräugasse 1; mains €5-16) Most agree this is Ingolstadt’s best Italian restaurant, with a melting cheese and herb aroma in the air and cosy half-circle box seating.
Kuchlbauer ( 335 512; Schäffbräustrasse 11a) A superb brewpub with oodles of neat brewing and rustic knick-knacks hanging from the walls and ceiling.
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Getting There & Away
Trains to Regensburg (€13.30, one hour) and Munich (€15.20, one hour) leave at least hourly. A BEX BerlinLinienBus coach leaves for Berlin daily at 10.55am (€47, five hours).
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EASTERN BAVARIA
* * *
The sparsely populated eastern reaches of Bavaria may live in the shadow of Bavaria’s big-hitting attractions, but they hold many historical treasures to rival their neighbours. Top billing goes to Regensburg, a former capital, and one of Germany’s prettiest and liveliest cities. From here the Danube gently winds its way to the Italianate city of Passau. Landshut was once the hereditary seat of the Wittelsbach family, and the region has also given the world a pope, none other than incumbent Benedict XVI who was born in Marktl am Inn. Away from the towns, the Bavarian Forest broods in semi-undiscovered remoteness.
Eastern Bavaria was a seat of power in the Dark Ages, ruled by rich bishops at a time when Munich was but a modest trading post. A conquering Napoleon lumped Eastern Bavaria into river districts, and King Ludwig I sought to roll back these changes by recreating the boundaries of a glorified duchy from 1255. Though it brought a sense of renewed Bavarian-ness, the area remained very much on the margins of things, the odd and appealing mixture of ancient Roman cities, undulating farmland and rugged wilderness that it is today.
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REGENSBURG
0941 / pop 130,000
A Roman settlement completed under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Regensburg was the first capital of Bavaria, the residence of dukes, kings and bishops, and for 600 years an imperial free city. Two millennia of history bequeathed the city some of the region’s finest architectural heritage, a fact recognised by Unesco in 2006. Though big on the historical wow-factor, today’s Regensburg is a laid-back and unpretentious sort of place, and a good springboard into the wider region.
Oskar Schindler lived in Regensburg for years, and today one of his houses bears a plaque (Am Watmarkt 5) to his achievements commemorated in the Steven Spielberg epic Schindler’s List.
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Orientation
The city is divided by the east-flowing Danube, which separates the Altstadt from the northern banks. Islands in the middle of the river, mainly Oberer and Unterer Wöhrd, are populated as well. The Hauptbahnhof is at the southern end of the Altstadt. From there, Maximilianstrasse leads north to Kornmarkt, the centre of the historic district.
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Information
BOOKSHOPS
Bücher Pustet ( 569 70; Gesandtenstrasse 6-8) Good collection of English-language novels and travel books.
Presse + Buch (Hauptbahnhof) Stocks English books, newspapers and magazines.
EMERGENCY
Ambulance ( 192 22)
Police ( 110; Minoritenweg 1)
INTERNET ACCESS
Lok.in ( 5957 9404; 1st fl, Hauptbahnhof; per 30min €2; 6pm-1am)
LAUNDRY
Münz Wasch Center (Winklergasse 14; per 6kg load €3; 6am-10pm Mon-Sat)
LIBRARIES
Stadtbücherei ( 507 2470; Haidplatz 8, Thon Dittmer Palais)
MEDICAL SERVICES
Evangelisches Krankenhaus ( 504 00; Emmeramsplatz) Hospital.
MONEY
More banks are located along Maximilian-strasse.
Sparkasse City Center (Neupfarrplatz)
POST
Post