Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [333]
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Getting Around
BICYCLE
At Bikehaus ( 599 8808; Bahnhofstrasse 18; bikes per day €6-9.50; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat) you can hire anything from kiddies bikes to fully saddled tourers and even a rickshaw (per day €60) for a novel city tour.
BUS
On weekdays the Altstadtbus somehow manages to squeeze its way through the narrow streets between the Hauptbahnhof and the Altstadt every 10 minutes for €1 a ride. The bus transfer point is one block north of the Hauptbahnhof, on Albertstrasse. Tickets cost €1.90 for journeys in the centre; strip tickets cost €7 for five rides (two strips per ride in town). An all-day ticket (€4 at ticket machines, €5.50 on the bus) is a better deal.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
The Steinerne Brücke and much of the Altstadt is closed to private vehicles. Car parks in the centre charge from €1.50 per hour and are well signposted.
TAXI
For a taxi, call 194 10 or 520 52.
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AROUND REGENSBURG
Klosterschenke Weltenburg
When you’re this close to the world’s oldest monastic brewery, there’s just no excuse to miss out. Klosterschenke Weltenburg ( 09441-675 70; www.klosterschenke-weltenburg.de; Asamstrasse 32; 8am-7pm Apr-Nov, closed Mon-Wed Mar) has been brewing its delicious dark beer since 1050. Now a state-of-the-art brewery, it is a favourite spot for an excursion, and the comely beer garden can get quite crowded on warm weekends and holidays.
Not everyone comes for the brew alone, as the complex is also home to a most magnificent church, Klosterkirche Sts Georg und Martin, designed by Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin Asam. Its eye-popping high altar shows St George triumphant on horseback, with the skewered dragon and rescued princess at his feet. Also worth noting is the oval ceiling fresco, with a sculpture of CD Asam leaning over the railing.
The most dramatic approach to Weltenburg is by boat from the Danube river town of Kelheim (about 30km southwest of Regensburg on the B16) via the Danube Gorge, a spectacular stretch of the river as it carves through craggy cliffs and past bizarre rock formations. From mid-March to October, you can take a trip up the gorge for €4.60/8.20 one-way/return; bicycles are an extra €2.10/4.
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Walhalla
Modelled on the Parthenon in Athens, the Walhalla (adult/child €4/3; 9am-5.45pm Apr-Sep, 10-11.45am & 1-3.45pm Oct-Mar) is a breathtaking Ludwig I monument dedicated to the giants of Germanic thought and deed. Marble steps seem to lead up forever from the banks of the Danube to this dazzling marble hall, with a gallery of 127 heroes in marble. It includes a few dubious cases, such as astronomer Copernicus, born in a territory belonging to present-day Poland. The latest addition (2009) was romantic poet, Heinrich Heine, whose works were set to music by Strauss, Wagner and Brahms.
To get there take the Danube Valley country road (unnumbered) 10km east from Regensburg to the village of Donaustauf, then follow the signs. Alternatively, you can take a two-hour boat cruise with Schifffahrt Klinger ( 0941-521 04; €7.50/10.50 one-way/return; 10am & 2pm Apr–mid-Oct), which includes a one-hour stop at Walhalla.
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Befreiungshalle
Perched on a hill above the Danube, this mustard-coloured tankard of a building is the Befreiungshalle (Hall of Liberation; 09441-682 0710; Befreiungshallestrasse 3; adult/concession €3/2.50; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep, 9am-4pm Oct-Mar). Erected in 1863, it’s an outrageous piece of Bavarian nationalism ordered by King Ludwig I to commemorate the victories over Napoleon (1813–15). Inside you’ll find a veritable shrine lorded over by white marble angels modelled on the Roman goddess Victoria.
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LANDSHUT
0871 / pop 62,000
A worthwhile halfway halt between Munich and Regensburg, Landshut (pronounced lands-hoot) was the hereditary seat of the Wittelsbach family in the early 13th century, and capital of the Dukedom of Bavaria-Landshut for over a century.