Regensburg is a city of churches; it was once the focal point from which Christianity spread throughout Germany and even into central Europe via the Danube. The most majestic of these churches is the towering Dom St. Peter's, Domplatz (tel. 0941/5865500; bus: 1, 6, or 11), which was begun in the 13th century on the site of an earlier Carolingian church. Because it was constructed with easily eroded limestone and green sandstone, this French Gothic edifice is constantly being restored. The massive spires of the two western towers, added in the mid-19th century, were almost completely replaced in 1955 with a more durable material. The well-preserved stained-glass windows in the choir (14th c.) and south transept (13th c.) are impressive. Most of the pillar sculptures in the aisles of the nave were made in the cathedral workshop in the mid-14th century. The townsfolk call the two little sculptures in the niches on opposite sides of the main entrance The Devil and The Devil's Grandmother. The cathedral is home to a famous boys' choir, the Chor Dompatzen, which performs every Sunday morning at 10am Mass. The performance is open to all. From May to October, the cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 8am to 6:30pm and Sunday noon to 6pm; November to April, hours are Monday to Saturday 8am to 4pm and Sunday noon to 4pm. Admission is free.
You can also visit the cathedral treasures at the Domschatzmuseum, Krauter-markt 3 (tel. 0941/57645; bus: 1, 6, 11, or the Altstadt bus), which displays goldsmiths' work and splendid textiles from the 11th to 20th centuries. Entrance is through a portal in the north aisle of the cathedral. It's open April to October Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 5pm; December to March, generally only Friday and Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday noon to 4pm; and closed in November. The charge is 2€ ($2.60) for adults and 1€ ($1.30) for students and children under 18. You can also buy a combination ticket to the Domschatzmuseum and the Diözesanmuseum St. Ulrich that costs 2.55€ ($3.30) for adults and 4€ ($5.20) for a family ticket. (Admission to the cloister isn't included with this ticket.)
The permanent collection of the Diözesanmuseum St. Ulrich is on exhibit in the former Church of St. Ulrich, an early-Gothic building to the side of the cathedral, Domplatz 2 (tel. 0941/51688; bus: 1, 2, 6, or 11). Sculptures, paintings, and goldsmiths' work form a representative selection of religious art in the diocese from the 11th to the 20th centuries. Of particular interest are various works on loan from the monastic foundations of the diocese. The museum is open April to October Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.
Crossing the cathedral garden, you enter the cloister with its Romanesque Aller Heiligenkapelle (All Saints' Chapel) and Sankt Stephan Kirche (St. Stephen's Church). The ancient frescoes on the walls of the chapel depict liturgical scenes from All Saints' Day. The 11th-century church of St. Stephen contains an altar made of a hollowed limestone rock with openings connecting to early Christian tombs. You can only visit the cloister and St. Stephen's Church on one of the guided tours, which are given (in English) from May to October Monday to Saturday at 10, 11am, and 2pm, Sunday and holidays at noon and 2pm; November to April, hours are Monday to Saturday at 11am and Sunday and holidays at noon. The charge is 2€ ($2.60) adults, 1.15€ ($1.50) students and children, and free for children under 6.
Of all the remnants of Roman occupation of Regensburg, the ancient Porta Praetoria, behind the cathedral, is the most impressive, with its huge stones piled in the form of an arched gateway. Through the grille beside the eastern tower you can see the original level of the Roman street, nearly 3m (10 ft.) below -- which is why you often have to step down into the churches of Regensburg.
Of the four Museen de Stadt Regensburg (City Museums of Regensburg), the most important is The Historisches Museum, Dachauplatz 2-4 (tel. 0941/5072448; bus: 1, 2, or 3), one of the most notable museums in east Bavaria. Its displays show major developments in the history of the region from the earliest days up to the present. You'll see relics of the Roman period, such as a stone tablet marking the establishment of a garrison at Regensburg in the 2nd century. There's also a stone altar to the Roman god Mercury, as well as several Christian tombstones. The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10am to 4pm, Thursday 10am to 8pm. Admission is 2.20€ ($2.85) for adults; 1.10€ ($1.45) for students, seniors, and children 8 to 18; and 4.40€ ($5.70) for a family ticket. Free for children 7 and under.
No town hall in Germany is preserved better than Regensburg's Altes Rathaus, Rathaus Platz (tel. 0941/5073440; bus: 1, 6, 11, or the Altstadt bus). This Gothic structure, begun in the 13th century, contains a Reichssaal (Imperial Diet Hall), where the Perpetual Diet sat from 1663 to 1806. In the basement of the Rathaus are the dungeons, with the torture chamber preserved in its original setting. The Altes Rathaus is open daily, with guided tours Monday to Saturday every 30 minutes 9:30am to noon and 2 to 4pm; Sunday and holidays, every 30 minutes 10am to noon. Know in advance that all of the above-mentioned tours are in rapid-fire, colloquial German, with the exception of a single English-language tour, conducted daily at 3:30pm. For information about tours of the Rathaus, contact either the tourist office or the number noted above.
Cruising the Danube
One reason for visiting this Dreiflüssestadt (town of three rivers) on the Austrian frontier is for a boat tour along the Danube and its tributaries, the Inn and the Ilz. Trips range from a 45-minute three-river tour to a steamer cruise downriver to Vienna. The cruises depart from Fritz-Schäffer Promenade. Many passengers prefer to go by boat, and then take a train back.
You may also be tempted to board one of the passenger ferries that makes runs (Apr-Oct only) every day from Passau downstream to the Austrian city of Linz. The trips take 5 hours each way, cost 22€ ($29) per person, and depart every day except Monday from the city's riverfront piers at 9am and noon.
If you're interested in gaining even greater insights into life along the Danube, you can continue by train from Linz to Vienna, buying a ferryboat, train, and hotel package priced at a reasonable 269€ ($350) per person, which will include round-trip transit by boat and train to Vienna, via Linz, from Passau, and 1 night's stay at a four-star hotel in Vienna. For information about either the day trip to Linz or the overnight sojourn in Vienna, contact the Donau-Schiffahrt Line (www.donauschiffahrt.de) through its local representative, Würm & Höck, Höllgasse 26, D-94032 Passau (tel. 0851/929292).
