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 – Benedict XVI – who was born in Marktl am Inn. Away from the towns, the Bavarian Forest broods in semiundiscovered remoteness.

Explore Regensburg & the Danube

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Regensburg & the Danube.

  • Castle

    Schloss Thurn und Taxis

    In the 15th century, Franz von Taxis (1459–1517) assured his place in history by setting up the first European postal system, which remained a monopoly…

  • Church

    Dom St Peter

    It takes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust to the dim interior of Regensburg’s soaring landmark, the Dom St Peter, one of Bavaria’s grandest Gothic…

  • Museum

    Golf Museum

    Claiming to be Europe's best golf museum (not counting Scotland, home to the British Golf Museum), this fine repository of wooden clubs, ivory tees and…

  • Church

    Dom St Stephan

    There's been a church on this spot since the late 5th century, but what you see today is much younger thanks to the fire of 1662, which ravaged much of…

  • National Park

    Bavarian Forest National Park

    A thickly wooded paradise for lovers of fresh air, the Bavarian Forest National Park extends for around 24,250 hectares along the Czech border, from…

  • Church

    Asamkirche Maria de Victoria

    The Altstadt’s crown jewel is the Asamkirche Maria de Victoria, a baroque masterpiece designed by brothers Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin Asam between 1732…

  • Landmark

    Dreiflusseck

    The very nib of the Altstadt peninsula, the point where the rivers merge, is known as the Dreiflusseck. From the north the little Ilz sluices brackish…

  • Factory

    Audi Factory

    Ingolstadt is home to the famous Audi factory that sprawls to the north of the city centre. The two-hour 'Production in a Nutshell' tours of the plant…

  • Museum

    Internationales Keramik-Museum

    Weiden's top attraction is the International Ceramics Museum, housed in a spare baroque monastery building right in the town centre. The permanent…

  • Cathedral

    Dom St Maria und St Korbinian

    Looming over the old town is the Domberg, a hub of religious power with the twin-towered Dom St Maria und St Korbinian as its focal point. The restored…

  • Notable Building

    Walhalla

    Modelled on the Parthenon in Athens, the Walhalla is a breathtaking Ludwig I monument dedicated to the giants of Germanic thought and deed. Marble steps…

  • Church

    Liebfrauenmünster

    Ingolstadt’s biggest church was established by Duke Ludwig the Bearded in 1425 and enlarged over the next century. This classic Gothic hall church has a…

  • Historic Site

    Document Neupfarrplatz

    Excavations in the mid-1990s revealed remains of Regensburg's once-thriving 16th-century Jewish quarter, along with Roman buildings, gold coins and a Nazi…

  • Museum

    Geburtshaus

    The simple but pretty Bavarian home where Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) was born in 1927 and lived for the first two years of his life…

  • Fortress

    Veste Oberhaus

    A 13th-century defensive fortress, built by the prince-bishops, Veste Oberhaus towers over Passau with patriarchal pomp. Not surprisingly, views of the…

  • Castle

    Burg Trausnitz

    Roosting high above the Altstadt is Burg Trausnitz, Landshut’s star attraction. The 50-minute guided tour (in German with English text) takes you through…

  • Church

    Schottenkirche St Jakob

    The sooty 12th-century main portal of the Schottenkirche St Jakob is considered one of the supreme examples of Romanesque architecture in Germany. Its…

  • Historic Building

    Altes Rathaus

    From 1663 to 1806, the Reichstag (imperial assembly) held its gatherings at Regensburg's old town, an important role commemorated by an exhibit in today's…

  • Museum

    Passauer Glasmuseum

    Opened by Neil Armstrong, of all people, Passau's warren-like glass museum is filled with some 30,000 priceless pieces of glass and crystal from the…

  • Museum

    Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald

    On the southern edge of the Bavarian Forest is Tittling, home to this 20-hectare open-air museum displaying 150 typical Bavarian Forest timber cottages…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Regensburg & the Danube.

  • Activities