Day 16 - Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Regensburg Germany

 

Wayne is so happy!  We're in the Bavarian state of Germany.  He's got his sausages and beer and pretzel.  He's so happy. That's my winer schnitzel.  I ate half.  Wayne gladly ate the other half.

Today we were bussed to Regensburg from Passau where we spent an additional night on the ship as the water level was too low to proceed to Regensburg by ship.  We left the ship at 8:30 am and 1 1/2 hours later we arrived in Regensburg.  

The view from the stone bridge as we walked into Regensburg.

My 2 hour walking tour, Historic Regensberg and Jewish Heritage walked us all over of the old city.  We were able to see the Roman gates built in 90 AD and although only small parts remain preserved, the Porta Praetoria of Regensburg is one of the most well known Roman gates in Germany.  

The clocktower at the end of the bridge 

This restaurant is famous for having the best sausages.  It sits right on the Danube River at the old stone bridge.  

Just some picnic tables but excellent sausages so I'm told

The original Roman arch and gates into the city, built in 90 AD

The Roman gate we walked through 

The tower at the Roman Gate 

We scrambled through alleys and tunnels and cobblestones to kill and saw amazing buildings.  

After WWII, Schindler (Movie:  Schindler's List) took up residency in Regensburg. This plaque commemorates him and his wife

English translation by google

Regensburg City Hall built in 1245

Look at the characters at the top. One has his arms crossed, the other throwing something at you.  With folded arms, hammers in their hands, throwing stones and looking grim, they symbolise the protection of the city. The names given to the two figures are particularly beautiful: Schutz and Trutz!

Metal gauges imbedded in stone to the left of the Old Town Hall entrance. Each dealer or craftsmen would use these to calibrate their own measuring tools so that uniform measures of length were observed within the city.

Jews were evicted in approximately 1520.. There were only 500 or so but they were made to leave. The typical problem.

They were trades people making money. There was a recession and the Jews were blamed. Wheil they eventually returned there were still only about 500 Jews in 1938 when World war II began. They were all taken to Dachow concentration camp. There are no known survivors of the Regensburg Jews.

The tow square.  Look out for the bicycles. They will mow you down.

Cobblestones make walking so much more challenging. Cobblestones to kill.

This is a tombstone mounted at the 3rd floor.  Despite its destruction in 1519, the traces of Regensburg’s medieval Jewish community are still there. They can be found along the streets and backyards: tombstones of the Jewish cemetery.  Publicly and proudly exposed document of vandalism and inhumanity.

The tombstone is mounted on the 3rd floor to the right of the window.

Jewish quarters of the Middle Ages documented for the first time in the year 1020 - First traces of Jewish population in Regensburg in 981-. Here stood the synagogue.  Between the summer of 1995 and early 1997 large-scale archaeological excavations in the whole area – and many almost perfectly preserved basements, in both the Romanesque and Gothic style, were dug out.  The most spectacular find was the complete layout of the synagogue destroyed in 1519.

In 2004 the renowned Israeli sculptor Dani Karavan inaugurated the memorial to commemorate the synagogue and its history. "A place for lingering and relaxing, a place for chatting, singing, reciting poems or meditating.

There are stumbling stones, as there are in many other countries I've visited. These commemorate the dead of WWII at the hands of the Nazis. They are usually outside the home where they had lived.

We visited a memorial placed above the archeological excavation which uncovered the first synogogue.  It shows the outline of the original pillars of the synogogue which date back to 1210 AD.  

St. Stephen's Cathedral 

I couldn't resist. The produce of the vendor looked so good

When my tour ended, I met up with Wayne who had gone on a different walking tour.  We had to meet our bus at 4pm, so we had plenty of time for lunch and to relax, shop (me) before we walked back to the bus area.  

Lunch was in a beer garden and it was a perfect day, sunny and cool and after two hours of walking, it was great to enjoy lunch and relax.   Wayne are half of my lunch so I felt compelled to head for the pastry shop after for a coffee and dessert 

 

They also make the best brezen. (soft pretzels) in town.  I agree 100%.  

Back on the bus and back to the shop, approximately 5:30 pm where I have to pack for the ship transfer tomorrow morning.  More news on that when we arrive back at the ship.  

We leave at 8:30 am by bus for a 4 hour drive to Nuremberg where we'll board our new ship, the Viking Vidar.  We'll have lunch and then take our tours.  I'll be missing a tour I booked because of this but am still scheduled to see the Nuremberg courthouse where the trials took place.