Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
REGENSBURG & THE DANUBE
The sparsely populated eastern reaches of Bavaria may live in the shadow of Bavaria's big-
hitting attractions, but they hold many historical treasures to rival their neighbours. Top
billing goes to Regensburg, a former capital, and one of Germany's prettiest and liveliest
cities. From here the Danube gently winds its way to the Italianate city of Passau. Landshut
was once the hereditary seat of the Wittelsbach family, and the region has also given the
world a pope, none other than incumbent Benedict XVI who was born in Marktl am Inn.
Away from the towns, the Bavarian Forest broods in semi-undiscovered remoteness.
Eastern Bavaria was a seat of power in the Dark Ages, ruled by rich bishops at a time
when Munich was but a modest trading post. A conquering Napoleon lumped Eastern Bav-
aria into river districts, and King Ludwig I sought to roll back these changes by recreating
the boundaries of a glorified duchy from 1255. Though it brought a sense of renewed Bav-
arian identity, the area remained very much on the margins of things, giving rise to the odd
and appealing mixture of ancient Roman cities, undulating farmland and rugged wilderness
that it is today.
Regensburg
0941 / POP 135,500
A Roman settlement completed under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Regensburg was the first
capital of Bavaria, the residence of dukes, kings and bishops, and for 600 years an Free Im-
perial City. Two millennia of history bequeathed the city some of the region's finest archi-
tectural heritage, a fact recognised by Unesco in 2006. Though big on the historical wow
factor, today's Regensburg is a laid-back and unpretentious sort of place, and a good
springboard into the wider region.
