Travel Log for Melvin: Day 10 - Regensburg, Germany

Thursday July 4, 2013

Today the ship arrived in Regensburg, Germany.

The ship was scheduled to arrive at 1 PM, but it arrived early and I left the ship to walk around the town at about 11 AM and I arrived back at the ship and I ate some lunch and left on a walking tour of
Regensburg at 1:30 PM.

Regensburg is part of the Bavaria section of Germany and is one of Bavaria's most beautiful cities and among the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. The city is the oldest on the Danube and its history back nearly 2,000 years. Still standing are the Roman gates, Porta Pretoria built in 179 AD. The city center escaped damage in the war and its architectural gems and half-timbered building exude a timeless charm.

Regensburg's Gothic cathedral, Dom St. Peter with its twin Renaissance towers is among the grandest in Bavaria. The vast interior of this twin-spired 13-century landmark features magnificent stained-glass windows. The church has existed since about 700 A.D. but after several devastating fires, the current High Gothic style structure was started in 1273 and ready for use in 1320. The cathedral is 279 feet long and 115 wide; the nave is 105 feet high and the twin towers are almost 350 feet high. Construction of the Cathedral was completed in 1525.

In Regensburg is an old stone bridge and was a miracle of engineering in its time. The bridge was built between 1135 and 1146 and for more than 800 years remained the only solid crossing along the Danube. The knights of the 2nd and 3rd Crusades used it to cross the DAnube on their way to the Holy Land.

The Old Town Hall -- Altes Rathaus -- extended from medieval to baroque times, was the seat of the Reichstag (government) for almost 150 years.

At 10:30 PM the ship left Regensburg for Passau.