Danube – justbluedutch

Bavarian Jura, wooden bridges and 18th century fountain in Essing

May 27, 2020Bavaria, BAVARIAN JURA, GERMANY, LIFE IN PHOTOS, LOCAL SIGHTINGS, NATURE, SNAPS + STORIES, WANDER TAGS6 Comments

A painter´s dream , this wooden bridge is undeniably the most photographed landmark in Essing.

Last Sunday we took again another short trip to the nearby town of Essing. Essing is a small town in the Altmülhl valley , a few kilometers away from the vicinity of Kelheim and to its neighboring town of Riedenburg. Essing actually is a great stop over when exploring the Altmühl valley and Donaubruch. Nowadays,we are on the bent on exploring more and more of the bits of beautiful Bavarian Jura and nature sanctuary of Altmühltal. I guess we can´t explore them all in one time because every town has its own unique attraction to offer so we take it one at a time.

With much anticipation, this little town of Essing give us quite an impression and we would definitely go back to explore more. I still can´t get enough of the beautiful rock formations that we saw when we did the boat trip in Kelheim seeing the Weltenburg narrows, and again, we were surprised to see the same things here. We visited on Sunday so naturally most shops are closed. I don´t mind that shops are closed since we have no plans to mingle with crowds because of the worry of Corona infection. We always make it a point to restrain from crowded areas and always stay at a distance with other people. Besides, we prefer to absorbed ourselves with nature and fresh air always do us good.

Who can resist a beautiful, calming b-view like this? I took this photo above the Holzbrücke Tatzwürm in Essing overlooking the lush green nature, the magnificent rock formations and the calm waters of Danube river.

I noticed a crowd of hikers, some with bicycles and hiking sticks all flocking around and standing in awe admiring the beautiful landscape as much as we did.We arrived at around 10:30 in the morning,but we haven´t antcipated that it would be a chilly and windy, but nevertheless, the weather is great for walking so we moved on.First thing that gets my attention was the impressive suspension wooden bridge, the Holzbrücke Tatzwürm. For me is great because for one— it is really wood! It makes a squeaking sound and swing a bit once we run and walk. I heard that its one of the longest suspension bridge in Europe and span along the main Danube canal.

Designed by Architect J.Dietrich, the 200 meters long wooden bridge is the greatest contrast in the beautiful landscape of Altmültal valley.

The side of the river is adorned with quaint houses, cafes, Biergartens and restaurants.

I have read that this type of suspension bridge is quite common in the Altmühltal valley eversince the Roman times.They already made it in history when they built a large rope slope bridge over the Danube in Weltenburg.With so many modern bridges nowadays, I find it fascinating that they have kept their tradition and they maintain it through the ages.The total length of the bridge is approx. 193 meters, the clear width of the walkway is 3.20 meters. The construction is designed for a traffic load of 500 kg per m².We have enjoyed this bridge alone without any other people so we really had a wonderful view of the calm waters of the Danube, the rock formations, and the quaint row of houses along the canals.The scenery actually reminded me so much of Innsbruck, Amsterdam and Utrecht where they also have rows of houses , cafes and restaurants.

This place is definitely a place between limestone rocks and river. It´s like the early civilization here forged their way of live and history from the mosaic of Bavarian Jura , from Castle ruins to nature valleys to lakes, Danube river, and limestone bedrocks. Take for example their historical fountain located in front of the Town Hall ( Rathaus).This old fountain is the root of Essing since it is the first well that they have drawn fresh spring water.Decades ago, this fountain was the well of life of the people who lived here. They even preserved this legacy up until now by providing the story of this fountain as an integral part of this town.

At the other side of the other bridge ( Bruck and Bruckturm) besside the town city hall is a statue of a civilian soldier named Josef Deifl ( 1870) who wrote a diary (Tagebuch) about his gruesome experiences about the Napoleonic wars and his wish for eternal peace. He wrotes that he taught himself to write and read and that writing is not an Art, that he only need it for reading.

We continue to explore the scenery beside the river and the majestic view of the mountain rocks. They also have a very nice art installations along the river.We were trying to look for a nearby playground but we are already getting hungry so we decided to try one of the Biergartens along the river. Biergartens are opened once again but let me tell you what has been changed. We chose the Schneider Biergarten which happened to be a hotel and Brewery as well. Of course we need to make distance, wear masks when going inside aside and provide our contact data to the reception.This is actually our first time again to eat out eversince the Corona Lockdown begins. We were always cautions about the infection so we are careful of the places we go.It feels weird actually, it is not the same anymore.

One thing still the same, a great ambiance and food makes the journey even more worthwhile.The Biergarten is not that full when we came in but then at around lunchtime, more and more people , mostly with reservations are coming in. There were also people waiting outside picking up their take away orders. I guess the great weather and the calming view of the waters is a great factor. We had a nice time, the food was great and the charm of this lovely little town is heartwarming!

How about you, how was your weekend so far?

Until next time my friends, thank you for stopping by and see you again in our next adventure! Tschüss!

Cruising through two rivers, from Kelheim to Weltenburg

September 11, 2019Bavaria, LOCAL SIGHTINGS, NATURE, Only in Germany, TOTALLY RANDOM4 Comments

Oh hello September and Servus from Bavaria!

Yesterday was the first day of school here in Bavaria, for most parents like me, it’s one of the times we anticipate. We can’t afford a vacation of more than 6 weeks so we’ve survived the “Urlaubzeit” (or summer break) by doing “small vacations“. Budget wise and travel-wise, it’s all our deal to keep the little one busy and for us to keep the day going keeping with our day jobs!

We’ve been to the Hops fields which get us up close and personal about the raw material of German beers, One of the most memorable thing we’ve done was cruising into two rivers in one day without breaking our budget!And yes, toddlers enjoy boat trips as well!

But first, what do you think of the view below?

Bavaria, you are beautiful!
One of the best kept hidden beauty in Bavaria– cruising in two rivers from Kelheim to Weltenburg and ogling the Danube Gorge.

Yes, we sailed by boat through this Gorge! On the heat of summer , we discovered another nature adventure, and yes, we didn’t need to travel so far. Just approx. 1 hour max. (55 kms) drive from Ingolstadt, we head towards to the tranquil city of Kelheim. Kelheim is another beautiful town here in Bavaria which is known for its Kings, Celtics and Dukes and the relaxing boat trips along rivers of Bavaria. Thank God for the Dutch husband that discover this excursion trip, if not for him, I wouldn’t be able to see the hidden beauty of the Danube Gorge! Kelheim is also famous for its natural attractions because of its nature reserves, adventure hiking trails, cycling adventures, and the city’s cultural heritage. It lies within the proximity of the Danube river and so close to the Naturpark Altmühltal. Together with my parents in law and my ever active 5 year old story teller, we got our Tickets and boarded our boat ( MS Ludwig the Kelheimer ), that’s going to sail us through two rivers — the Danube and the Altmühl!

We decided to take the ship and explore the Danube Gorges up to the Monastery of Weltenburg but the weather kept on bothering me. But then we stick to our plan and off we go. In the middle of the trip, we were greeted by fleets of heavy delusions of rain that we almost cringed and wanted to go back home! How on earth can we have a boat trip in this rain? But then we continue driving. Tell you frankly, this trip reminds me so much of the boat trip we made when we are in Regensburg where we made an excursion up to the Walhalla, or the German Parthenon!

For those of you who doesn’t know, Southern Germany is famous because, it is Bavaria, the only Bavaria, the beautiful region in southern Germany where Castles and dreams go together so good. Plus, we have King Ludwig. When he is on his rule, he kept himself busy building his dream castles. He is really a one of a kind.The king of sky- is- the limit , and has extraordinary imagination and lover of great architecture. In Bavaria, he built so many beautiful Castles, Halls and gigantic monumental structures that made Bavaria a tourist magnet as it is now.One thing, he likes to build either on a high hill, on top of a mountain. It’s always like we need to climb, hike, travel by boat or with a Bergbahn or just walk, in order to reach his memorable hideaways!

A fine day exploring the Weltenburg, one of oldest nature reserves in Bavaria in southern Germany
Danube Gorge ; a sight to behold. Just imagine that these beautiful rock formations were carved millions years ago.
Traces of times long past.

Schiffahrt Kelheim and Personen Schiffahrt im Donau & Altmühltal are some of the companies who runs the boat trips and departs from the dock of Kelheim on a close schedule, daily ( Summer schedule, from May to October).For the updated boat trip schedules, do check their detailed Fahrplan in their website. Their prices is pretty decent and affordable. For this Summer vacation, they even have discounts for students and if you’ve got a grade of 1, then you can even have a trip for Free! If you’re interested about this, you can check the full information Here. Our ship was pretty full. Aside from the normal group of tourists and elderly people, I noticed that in our ship that its full of cyclists with their bikes, mountaineers, and families with small children. It’s really an adventure trip for all ages! A trip to Kelheim offers cruising the Danube narrows , trekking , rock climbing, canoeing, paddle boat rides , swimming and exploring the nature reserves and cycling with a view until your Adrenalin drops! Your pets are even welcome on board!

The weather was a bit gloomy but still we have fantastic views from Kelheim and the Liberation Hall located on Michelsberg. It was built between 1842 and 1863 by order of King Ludwig I of Bavaria to commemorate the Wars of Liberation from Napoleon, above all the Battle of Nations in Leipzig.

The extraordinary mosaic of cliffs exposed to the summer heat, shady forests, tranquil abandoned river channels, and the cool stream of the River Danube provides habitats for numerous plants and animals. This place really deserves to be declared as one of the oldest nature reserves in Bavaria. Definitely a natural heritage of European significance.

The Danube Gorge –here the river is only 80m wide. but depending on the water level, it can reached up to 20m deep. It is the narrowest and deepest part of the Bavarian Danube.The flow velocity is at mean water level of about 2.5 m per second.

The boat trip from Kelheim up to the oldest Monastery of Weltenburg is about 45 min. and it covers a stretch of 6 km.
Watching the paddle boats from the Monastery of Weltenburg
Start of the journey through the Danube Gorge

The bee-Hive or hollow stone–Here we saw that the lower part of the rocks are almost white, it shows the height of the “Flood of the Century”at Whitsuntide 1999.At that time, the water level was about 5 meters higher at mean water level.

The spectacular Rock formations in the Danube Gorge that evolved from Jurassic period.This nature reserved was declared since 1978 and one of the most beautiful Geotopes in Bavaria.

A beautiful baroque pit-stop !
On sight is the oldest Benedictine Abbey in Bavaria—the Monastery of Weltenburg which was founded in 620 A.D. The Abbey church was built between 1716 and 1751 by the Asam Brothers and its famous for its great Baroque decor!

The Weltenburg Barock Dunkel is a dark bottom fermented beer specialty is being served in Weltenburg for generations.Where else can you see a Brewery, restaurant, Biergarten in a Monastery in front of a benedictine church?— Only here in Weltenburg!.. and yes–Only in Germany!

Fascination for the Little Wanderer!
One of the best discoveries we had in Weltenburg and Danube Gorges was the “Wipfelsfurt” .This circular basin with a diameter of 150m was created about 15 million years ago when a meteorite hit the ground and formed a crater. Wipfelfurt is the shallowest part of the Danube between Ingolstadt and Regensburg.

Lovely summer blooms along the River Danube!
The Danube with its length of 2,850km is the second longest river in Europe.Its length is counted from its mouth to its source.
My Little Wanderer, ready for some boat trip and collecting stones from the banks of the Danube! making precious memories with your little ones.
It is quite extraordinary that these rock wall formations are carved by the forces of nature–without any human help, without blasting and worked its way through Jurassic perios.

Enjoying a late sunshine on board !
Tourists and visitors enjoy a beautiful backdrop of the Danube and the rock wall formations .

Besucherzentrum in Kloster Weltenburg
In the deciduous forests, which are near naturally cultivated, some fascinating birds can be found like the Woodpecker and Stock Dove. This museum is situated in front of the restaurant and in here visitors can learn more about the history of the Monastry, the Danube nature reserve and the construction of the Asam church.

It was quite an enjoyable smooth boat ride with only occasional showers and soft winds.Inside the boat is a restaurant which also serves different refreshments and dishes so you won’t really worry about being hungry on board. There is an audio guide Tour on run so we are informed on every significant details of the boat tour. Right on time, we made it to the Monastery of Weltenburg after 45 mins. and we hopped off from the ship to explore the oldest Benedictine Abbey in Bavaria. This monastery was built by the Asam Brothers who are famous with their Baroque masterpieces. I’ve seen quite some of their works in Asamkirche here in Ingolstadt and the Asam church in Munich. If you love Baroque, then you must really see this church

It’s almost lunchtime when we arrived in the monastery and just in time for us to grab some bite at the Weltenburger Wirthaus-Bladl. We are in Bavaria so even after a boat trip, we sit ourselves in front of the Asam church which is adjacent to the restaurant. What’s so special about this restaurant? It is actually the oldest brewery in a Monastery, and famous for its dark beer. Here you can enjoy the famous Kloster dunkel bier ( dark beer) and Bavarian traditional dishes such as the Weiss wurst (white sausage eaten with sweet mustard), Klosterwurst, Klosterkäse ( Cheese), and their Klosterkaffee.

Some Baroque details of the Church by Asam Brothers.
Views from the ship.

Big discoveries for Little Wanderers!
Making a pose at the oldest Monastery Brewery in the World. The oldest Benedictine Abbey here in Bavaria was founded by the monks of St. Columbanus. It is situated near the entrance to the scenic Danube gorge, on the northern slopes of the Arzberg mountain, near the site of the ancient Celtic settlement of Artobriga. .

The wonderful world of Limestone rocks. They degraded naturally from the mountain through time.

We leave nothing but footprints, but we took along giant bags of memories, wonderful photos, and worthwhile experience.

What kind of family adventure have you’ve done lately?

If you’re in the vicinity of Regensburg, you can combine this nature adventure trip with a boat trip along the Danube, and to its neighboring town of Riedenburg where you can see the largest Crystal group, or if you are in the mood to discover some amazing Art while drinking Beer, then you can head on to Abensberg to see the Kuchlbauers Kunsthaus . You can also check more on Here.

Thank you for following my Blog and until then, see you again in my next family adventure! Tschüss!

Walhalla : The German Parthenon

August 18, 2017August 19, 2017Bavaria, EXPAT TRAVELS, REGENSBURG9 Comments

Finally, we’ve reached our destination , the Walhalla , the German Parthenon as they called it, a revival from the one in Acropolis, in Athens. After almost an hour of pleasant cruising along the Danube, we embark from the ship and set our foot in Donaustauf, directly looking at the foot of the mountain.

Lots of green in different shades , cloisters, and castle ruins

It was indeed a pleasant ride, add the fact that we are rewarded with scenic views along the river. I am so thankful that the weather has been perfect, a sunny, around 30-34 degrees, toasty, but nevertheless, we are happy that we were not bothered by rain, otherwise, we would have cancelled this trip.

IMG_0044 (1) — Took this photo of the scenic vista of Bavarian countryside up from the massive Walhalla temple, east of Regensburg

Guys, going to Walhalla with a 3-year old toddler is no joke. I wouldn’t even called it as an ideal destination to bring a toddler. It’s not a place to play.

I mean, yes, we are adventurous, strong and able, but not stupid enough to exhaust ourselves climbing the steep mountain with a stroller in hand. Looking at our group, I didn’t see anyone with a stroller, there are lots of bikes in the foot of the mountain, but no stroller. For a minute I thought that we made a mistake in going to this place. Looking at the 300+ steep steps, the elevation, there is no way a stroller can go up there, nope. I wanted to go back, as I am already feeling tired. I am in the brink of giving up, and in a helpless blank mode, since I don’t know where to go. Taking a deep breath, I just smiled when I looked at my daughter, my busy talkative Little travel Buddy . She said she just want to see the orca in Walhalla!

But my husband is my lifesaver. Google maps aren’t working but then He managed to find the foot path that leads us to the alternate route going up the mountain. Honestly speaking, I have high respect to German sites such as these. I knew it’s not a tourist trap. I knew from experience that they make sure that the place is accessible and always give considerations for the physically challenged, disabled, with wheelchairs, let alone strollers with very young children. I’ve seen even cows and horses goes up to the Zugspitze or in the Alps, in a comfy cable cars! Why not here?

With the gigantic view of the massive Walhalla in front of us, we decided to head to the left side road, a small foot path leading to Walhallastrasse in the village of Donaustauf, in the direction of the backside of the mountain.We took the skimpy foot path where we came across a lady with 2 little boys who told us that the foot path going up the mountain is currently closed, and the one which goes through the forest is difficult to follow for lack of directions. We chose to stick to the highway that leads up to the main parking area, and climb uphill. This is the best possible option if we can’t make the 358 steps.

The walk uphill is not that bad actually, it’s a 20-30 minute walk depending on your pace. The moment I saw from a distance so many cyclists and horses with people climbing up, I felt hopeful, and positive. We entertained ourselves by listening to my daughter’s ramblings and singing. She was just in a happy mood. We decided to climb the remaining steps and she’s fine with it. At the ride side of the temple, finally there is a ramp.

Hooorrraayyy, we’ve made it!

The Hall dedicated to honor the notable Germans

Something about Walhalla

The Walhalla is located in a dominant position high above the Danube in the east of Regensburg. This Neoclassical building in the form of a temple surrounded by a portico with gigantic columns that represents one of the most important German national monuments of the 19th century. Created by order of Bavarian King Ludwig I (reigned 1825-1848). The Walhalla was built by Ludwig’s I favourite architect, Leo von Klenze (1784-1864), one of the most important Neoclassical architects of the 19th century. The foundation stone was laid in 1830 and the building was ceremoniously opened twelve years later, on 18 October 1842. Klenze’s design was primarily inspired by the famous Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens dating from 5th century B.C. The combination of colonnaded temple and massive substructure and the free design of the interior however prevents the architecture from being a mere copy of the ancient building. The temple building, which is clad inside and out with precious marble, rises above the massive tiered substructure. This was originally intended to house the ‘Hall of Expectation’ containing the busts of people to be honoured in the future.

In short, Walhalla is one great site to see!!

King Ludwig of Bavaria, the man who made all these things possible. Without him, we won’t have this place to explore.

The memorial Hall displays some 65 plaques and 130 busts covering 2,000 years of history, beginning with Arminius, victor at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. Inside the temple is a striking hall, filled with busts of people, gigantic monuments and the ceiling is quite impressive. Notable people whom I recognized (at least from which I am familiar with ) were Goethe, Richard Strauss, Alfred Einstein, Wilhelm von Oranje, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Albrecht Dürer , Erasmus of Rotterdam, Nikolaus Copernicus,Martin Luther,Johann Sebastian Bach, and of course, King Ludwig of Bavaria.

The rest I don’t know, or at least I haven’t heard of them. Most of them are really notable and made a great impact in German history, to be in this hall of fame, at least you need to be dead for 20 years…

I wonder whose going to be included in this list?

The columns in Walhalla are huge and gigantic. I find the whole place so majestic, like I imagine it would be, suddenly I thought about the Greek Mythology and the mighty Gods in Mt. Olympus. It’s a surreal experience to be on top. We arrived on a bright sunny day, perfect weather, and yes, as expected, packed with tourists, but the views are breathtaking. I couldn’t find a place in the front colonnade to be empty. Everyone was busy taking their photos, having a picnic, lounging in the floor of the temple, admiring the scenic vista in front of them. Acres and acres of different shades of greens, the graceful flow of the Danube and the beautiful skyline of this region. I never imagined that this place could be so beautiful.

I have a thing with vertigo and I am scared for my daughter. I can’t ever let her go, even for a second. There is a warning and precaution for this place since fatal accidents already happened if ever you slipped in the edges of the temple.

walhalla me 3 — Not afraid of the heights…

If you are exploring Bavaria and the neighboring cities like Regensburg, Weltenburg and Kelheim, this trip should not be missed. Once you are at the top, you forget that you sweat out.Traveling with kids has never been easy, be it by car, plane or whatever means. Imagine the chaos, but also imagine the joy you feel as you create memories as a family.

No matter how you choose to explore the beautiful Bavaria, it’s gonna be amazing!

What do you think about Walhalla Temple? would you consider exploring it with your child?

More information about this place can be found Here, and if you want further reading about spending 48 hours in Regensburg, then you might want to check out these links.

Exploring the Streets of Regensburg

Wurstkuchl: the 870 Historical Sausage Kitchen of the World

Cruising along the Danube

Hundertwasser and Kuchlbauer : When Beer and Art meets

Discovering the streets of Regensburg

August 16, 2017August 17, 2017Bavaria, EXPAT TRAVELS, GERMANY, REGENSBURG7 Comments

IMG_0313 (1) — The view of the Old town of Regensburg from the other side of the Old Stone Bridge.

IMG_0326 (1) — The city of Regensburg was added to UNESCO World Heritage Site from July 13,2006.

Bavaria, my second home here in Europe, is a region in Germany where holidays from work is plentiful. I mean, here, I have heard of holidays which I’ve never heard before , like for example yesterday was “Maria himmelfahrt“ ( or the Feast of the Assumption Day of Mary ) . So we decided to take another trip and extend our nomadic bearings in exploring the Romantic roads and historical cities of Bavaria. This time, we chose Germany’s (another) UNESCO World Heritage site, the fascinating city of Regensburg, the medieval city of northernmost town in Italy.

Walking through the Old Town of Regensburg

A little something about Regensburg

Before I don’t know anything about Regensburg, nothing at all. So when we tour this city, I was really surprised at how fascinating it is. My personal impression : Regensburg is beautiful, and has its own charm to be proud of.

But let yourself be warned, it is also very touristy and expensive. Most of the attractions can only be accessed with tours and entrance fees are high compared to other places we’ve been to.

For the record, Regensburg is the largest Medieval city in Germany. With two thousand years of thrilling history meets lifestyle on the Danube. It is one of the few cities in Germany which were spared from heavy bombings from WWII. Regensburg has 1,500 listed buildings; 984 of them make up the UNESCO World Heritage ‘Old Town with Stadtamhof’ ensemble.

Regensburg , a city that lies along the beautiful Danube ( or Donau) river was an important reloading point on the continental trade routes to Italy, Bohemia, Czech Republic and Russia.

Impressions about Regensburg

Regensburg is a colorful city. I love colors and art so this city is really gives me a very charming atmosphere. Almost all of the important landmarks of the city are within walking distance so its easy to navigate. Although I don’t consider myself as a tourist here, I was intimidated with the massive amount of tourist that I saw. Compared to Nuremberg, the tourists flocked like birds, they are everywhere. There are plenty of ‘Tuscan style’ of the pastel coloured patrician’s houses which makes it really unique from other cities we’ve visited. The small, narrow streets contains so much detail which you can see from the windows, railings, and doors.

Regensburg’s Old Town is an exceptional testament to the cultural traditions in the Holy Roman Empire and Christianity. In the inner city alone, it has 46 churches.There are churches of different denomination in almost every corner we go. It has small, narrow alleys which leads one to the other and I find the traffic build-up rather annoying . We were exploring the city with a stroller so I find it hard to push the stroller on almost gut-end of the curb of the streets, add the hassle of the cobbled-stone pavements. Nevertheless, as same as in most parts of Germany, drivers are polite and always giving way to pedestrians.

What to see in Regensburg

Oh Regensburg has a lot to offer for all ages, especially for families! Be it for leisure, fun, adventure or a simple getaway from another city, this city is never a dull one.

Your eyes will feast on so many different kinds of beautiful architecture, monumental buildings, museums, churches, and the views that surrounds the city. If you are a lover of art, there are plenty of museums to visit. We skipped this part because my daughter can’t stand the long hours contained indoors in Museums and tours. Here are some of the highlights of our trip which I think you shouldn’t miss if you are planning to visit this city.

The Old Stone Bridge ( Steinerne Brücke )

The panoramic view of the city with the large stone bridge dating from post-Roman times is completely a postcard-worth for photography! It is an impressive bridge , which were once considered as “The Eighth Wonder of the World”.This medieval monument has served as a model for many other bridges, including Charles Bridge in Prague.

Built between 1135 to 1146,with its original length of 350 meters, and 7 meters wide, with its fortifications with three towers.For more than 800 years, it was the only stone bridge over the Danube from Ulm to Vienna. Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa launched the Third Crusade from here in May 1189.

The views from the bridge and from its foot are really great. The view of the Danube over the Stone Bridge is a magical one and the view of the city’s skyline with its orange and rust colored-roofs is so impressive. I think this is the best landmark of this city. The only thing that bothers me is that a large part of the bridge was undergoing a restoration so half of it was covered in scaffolding so yes, the perfect shot that I wanted to make was unfortunately not possible.Nevertheless, I find it really impressive.

The Old Town

The Old town of Regensburg is a maze of wonder, every alley has its own twists and turns, own charm and yes, it is quite a challenge to discover them one by one. Best way to explore them is by foot since streets are narrow and there are plenty of attractions for sightseeing. There are numerous squares and cafes for a pit stop and place to rest. I saw a lot of details in the rows of buildings, houses and shops. The best way to describe the charm of Regensburg’s Old Town is through photos. You need to experience it for yourself.

St. Peter’s Cathedral ( Dom St. Peter )

Since I moved to Germany, I have seen beautiful Cathedrals, and this one is no exception. At the heart of Krautermarkt square, you can’t miss St, Peter’s Cathedral.The exterior itself is already impressive and the twin towers are the best landmark of the city. Wherever you go, you always see the towers dominating the skyline. This cathedral is famous for its ‘Sailer Chapel”, “St. Peter’s Window”, the “Smiling Angel ” and its complicated , striking and yet legendary Gothic vaulting. Big part of the Dom is undergoing restoration and during our visit, the front grounds is being prepared for the finishing program for a Triathlon race event (Challenge Regensburg) , so I find it rather in chaotic mode with so many boulders in front. Visitors with kids in stroller and wheelchairs can access the cathedral by way of the close ( Domgarten) to the north side of the Cathedral.There are guided tours ( 6 Euros) to access the cloisters, chapel of all Saints and St. Stephen but only in German.

Musicians playing music in the public square

Extraordinary find: The mural of David and Goliath right in the heart of a busy shopping area in the Old Town

The Old Town Hall ( Altes Rathaus)

I love the intricate detail of this 13th century old Town Hall ( or Altes Rathaus) which consists of the Town Hall tower, the Gothic Imperial Chamber building and the baroque Town Hall. From 1663 to 1806 the Reichstag Imperial Assembly met in the Imperial Chamber. It was there that the well-known expressions “to put something on the long bench” (to postpone something) and “to sit at the green table” (to take important decisions) originated.

IMG_0371 (1) — The doors symbolizes as openings and gateway for knowledge

Notable in this place is the imperial assembly hall and the torture chamber in the cellar where persons charged with an offense were “questioned”.This place can be accessed only with guided tour.Down the town hall is the Tourist Information Center where you can get any information you need to explore Regensburg.

Fürstliches Schloss Thurn and Taxis ( Thurn & Taxis Palace)

We discovered this Palace by chance when we are looking for a playground. It is very huge. More like a version of the Buckingham Palace. The palace gardens are of private property , including the Prince of Thurn und Taxis Museums, their own Brewery– the Brauhaus am Schloss, the Cloister of St. Emmeram. I admit that when I saw the explicit and grand Carriage Museum and Princely Treasury, I was totally in awe how rich this family is. The name of the noble house of Thurn und Taxis is closely bound to the postal history of Europe.The family, which originally came from Cornello,near Bergamo in Northern Italy built up a postal system in the 15th century.For over 350 years, Thurn und Taxis managed the postal affairs in Central Europe.

Porta Praetoria

Not as impressive as the Porta Nigra in Trier, but if you love Roman architecture, then you are in luck. This hidden gem which shows the ruins and old Roman gate built without using a mortar. The twin arches served as a city gate until the 17th century. The parts that remain are the western arch, a section of the wall connected to the western tower, and the two-story eastern tower. The shaped stones were built-in layers without using mortar. The Porta Nigra, Trier’s northern city gate, was built at the same time, and the two are the only remaining Roman gates north of the Alps. For the record, Porta Praetoria gains significance as the only remaining gate of a Roman military camp in northern Europe.

There’s so much more to see and to write about Regensburg, even my photos won’t do justice. All I know is that I can sit there in the dock of the Danube for hours, watching the ship, cruise, and boats take the toll of time. Feeling the wind in my face, smelling history as I looked at the skyline and watch the hustle and bustle of people, roaming around, paddling the waves of curiosity.

Every cobble stone is patched to create a mosaic of rough patterns, transforming the movements of the locals and visitors into a myriad of tales, photographs, stories, and memories.Every photographs depicts a memorable time spent in new found land, a new taste of culture and wisdom gained from what the eyes conceived.

As the saying goes, “Travelling leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller “.

What’s your story about Regensburg?

What do you think of this city?

Someday I have a story to tell to my daughter…

Until then, let the turning of pages continues. I’ll see you in my next travel story about Regensburg!

Danube River

July 2, 2016EXPAT TRAVELS, GERMANY, MY EXPAT LIFE, SNAPS + STORIES, TOTALLY RANDOM12 Comments

The Danube with the view of Neues Schloss (18-19th Century)

Back then in Kuwait, I have the view of the Arabian Gulf from our bedroom window and just 10 minutes, we can dip our feet into its shores. It has become our haven.It was great living so close to the beach.

But how nice it is to live so close to one beautiful River? To gaze at its mellow stream? to gaze at its serene flow? I am so grateful that we have the river Donau (Danube) just 5 minutes away from where we live now .

I have seen the Mosel River but the Danube has its own charm.We fell instantly in love with it.Who doesn’t?

The Danube is the most important stream of Europe. With its 2.857 kilometers from the well in Schwarzwald to the Delta in the Black Sea it is the second largest river of the continent. 2.488 kilometers are navigable and connect 10 neighbor countries namely ; Germany,Austria, Slovakia, Hungrary, Croatia, Serbia,Bulgaria,Romania, Moldavia & Ukraine.

The nature along the Danube changes from hills and wild canyons to flat land. Forests, fields and many river coasts are living space for many animals and plants. Many of the pretty landscapes are verified as National parks and Nature reserves.

I can’t wait to explore more of the wilderness along its banks.