Woke up stupid early yesterday, grabbed my backpack, and hopped on the train headed straight for Regensburg. Heard so much about how ancient this place is, basically a giant open-air museum. My plan? Hit their top 5 historic spots. Simple as that.
Getting There & First Impressions
The train ride was smooth, honestly kinda zoned out looking at the Bavarian countryside roll by. Got off at Regensburg Hauptbahnhof, stepped outside, and bam – that old city vibe hits you immediately. Narrow streets, wonky buildings leaning like they’re whispering secrets to each other. Started walking towards the Danube, legs feeling fresh.
The Stone Bridge (Steinerne Brücke)
Heard about this forever. Holy crap, seeing it in person? Way bigger than pictures make it look. Crossed it slowly, felt the rough stone under my fingers. Peeked through the arches at the river swirling underneath. Crazy to think this thing was built way back in the 1100s. People were just building bridges this tough then? Unreal. Stopped halfway, leaned on the edge, just stared at the cathedral view. Perfect start.
Regensburg Cathedral (Dom St. Peter)
Walked off the bridge right into the shadow of this monster. The spires look like they’re trying to poke the clouds. Went inside – man, it’s dark and huge. Cold stone floor under my sneakers. Tilted my head back so far my neck hurt. All those stained-glass windows… the colours splashing on the pillars in the morning light? Pure magic. Tried whispering, the echo bounced everywhere. Felt properly tiny in there.
St. Emmeram’s Abbey (Now Thurn und Taxis Palace)
Took a little stroll through the city, dodging some tour groups, and ended up at this place. It’s not just an abbey anymore, obviously, but parts of it scream ancient. Wandered around the big courtyard. You can feel the history layered thick here – from monks wandering cloisters to fancy princes riding carriages. The mix of super old stonework and the later fancy palace bits is kinda wild to see mashed together.
The Roman Tower (Porta Praetoria)
Honestly, kinda stumbled across this one while wandering down towards the riverbank near the bridge. Saw this big chunk of old stone wall tucked away. Porta Praetoria. Romans built this?! Around the time they marched around Europe building forts? Touched the cool, rough stone. Hard to picture Roman soldiers marching through this exact spot centuries ago. Feels heavy, man. Just stood there for a minute, imagining.
Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus)
Circled back towards the heart of the city, starting to get peckish. Found the big square with the Old Town Hall sitting there like a boss. The outside’s got this cool colorful paint job – real eye-catcher. Wandered past it, wondering about all the deals and shouting that must have gone down in there over the centuries. Didn’t go inside the Reichstag museum rooms this time – feet were getting tired, and that smell from a nearby bakery was too strong.
Wrapping Up
Finished off sitting by the river near the Stone Bridge again, eating some seriously good sausage. Legs were buzzing, head full of pictures – Roman stones, giant Gothic arches, layers of history stacked everywhere you look. Regensburg? It delivers. Those top five sights? They really show you how deep the roots go in this city. Walked back to the train station slowly, looking over my shoulder a few times. Yeah, that place has some serious stories stuck in its stones.
