Germanic
History & Holiday Gastronomique In Regensburg
One
of Germany's oldest towns, founded by the Romans in 179 AD,
is the German federal state of Bavaria, at the northernmost
point of the river Danube. Regensburg is a thriving city of
about 137,000 inhabitants, two universities and many landmarks
and little chapels, most dating back to the Middle Ages that
include Cathedral of St. Peter, the Old City Hall, and the Stone
Bridge. Perusing the historic streets of Old Town in Regensburg
offers a unique opportunity to experience the food, style and
rich past of this beautiful destination. The holiday season
brings out the best in tourist activities, fun and cozy food
adventures.
ECK Restaurant
Gourmet
Dining Destination
One of the best gastronomy experience to be enjoyed is Michelin
Star Dining at ECK in the heart of the Old Town of Regensburg.
The vault in the building is from the 16th century and was once
a chapel for salt carriers when the salt trade was an important
source of income for the city in medieval times. "Historisches
Eck" is now the home of Anton Schmaus, who is a member
of "Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe" a renowned culinary
organization. The chef's name "Schmaus" literally
means "feast" and goes back to the 18th century when
his family opened a restaurant in the Bavarian Forest, which
is a restaurant and hotel that is still in operation today.
After having cooked in the famous "F12 in Stockholm, Per
Se Restaurant near Central Park in Manhattan and Talvo in Switzerland,
Anton Schmaus returned to open his own restaurant in Regensburg.
"I enjoy the daily challenge to arrange a great lunch or
dinner for my guests and I love having the possibility to be
creative", says Anton Schmaus. ECK offers a nice synergy
between traditional and modern cuisine that blends perfectly
in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Regensburg.
Lunch
at WurstKuchi (Sausage Kitchen)
A venerable historic stop for lunch near the Old Stone Bridge
is the Wurstkuchi, the oldest sausage tavern in Regensburg,
is not to be missed. This over 500 year-old historical venue
has changed very little since the days in the Middle Ages when
Regensburg stone masons and dockers treated themselves to refreshment
at this tavern. Guests can watch preparation on the charcoal
grill, enjoy homemade sausages, sauerkraut fermented in their
own cellar and the Wurstkuchl mustard, replicated from the original
historical recipe of Elsa Schricker. Guest can dine inside or
on the outside patio, where live music is also on the menu for
special occasions.
Wurst Kuchen
Prinzess
Royal Sweets
For a dessert you should not miss Confiserie Prinzess, which
is Germany's oldest confectioner's shop. As long ago as 1676,
delicious sweets and chocolates were made here and sold to the
ambassadors attending the Perpetual Imperial Diet. And customers
still cannot resist the temptation to buy chocolates with names
like "Barbara's Kisses", "Smart Gloria"
or "Danube Shells" that reflect Regensburg's history.
This shop also supplies sweets and confectionery by appointment
to the House of Thurn und Taxis.
Designer
Hat Shop
Traveling the winding streets you will find an amazing collection
of delightful designer shops that include Der Hutmacher, which
offers original hat designs for men and women. I spent some
time trying on these original designs and taking photos. The
Panama hats for men were exceptional, and the smart ladies hats
for winter or summer were a big hit with travelers.
The
Regensburg Market
Hand made jewelry and gift items can be found in the outdoor
market, featuring specialty jewelry and beautiful hand blown
glass necklaces and earrings that are artistic and colorful.
The Old Town Center has a bevy of booths selling a variety of
gift items, as well as vendors selling delicious pastries fresh,
fruits and vegetables or lovely flowers. I found the business
owners in the market to be very helpful and charming.
Carmelite
Spirit with a History
Try a drop of Regensburg's Karmelitengeist, a type of spirit
distilled from herbs that has been made for centuries in this
area, using a secret recipe by the Carmelite friars. It perports
to not only be excellent for settling the stomach but can also
be applied externally, offering relief from all sorts of aches
and pains. Karmelitengeist could be considered the local digestif
and is sold at the Tourist Information Centre on Rathausplatz.
Locally unique and original spirits like this one are very popular
throughout European cities, where each location has their original
disgestif recipe.
Kneitinger Brewery
Enjoy
a Historic Brew at Kneitinger
In the heart of the historic Old Town of Regensburg, you will
find the brewery Kneitinger at the Arnulfsplatz (Arnulfs Square).
The brewery has been brewing beer here for more than 150 years.
It is a rather small brewery which is conscious of tradition
and works with state of the art equipment. The brewery has a
special offer for its guests. Kneitinger offers tours with beer
tastings in the brewery cellar where guests can learn some secrets
of brewing traditional Bavarian Beer and even earn a Beer Diploma.
Beaufitul German beer mugs are available in shops throughout
Regensburg.
Gothic
Religious Treasure - Cathedral of St. Peter
The Regensburg Cathedral is a magnificent architectural masterpiece.
It is the bishop's church and the principal church of the Regensburg
diocese. It is also the home of the Regensburger Domspatzen
("cathedral sparrows"), a wold renowned choir rich
in tradition. The structure is considered the most significant
Gothic work in southern Germany.
A first bishop's church was built around 700, at the site of
the present-day cathedral parish church Niedermünster tomb).
Around 739, St. Boniface chose the area of the Porta Praetoria
(North Gate of the old Roman fort) for the bishop's seat, and
the site of the cathedral has remained there since.
The
Cathedral is also the burial place of important bishops, including
Johann Michael von Sailerr (1829-1832, memorial built by Konrad
Eberhard in the south chancel), George Michael Wittmann (1832-1833,
memorial also by Konrad Eberhard in the north chancel), and
Archbishop Michael Buchberger (1927-1961, likewise in the north
chancel). In the western part of the central nave stands a bronze
memorial for the Prince-Bishop Cardinal Philipp Wilhelm (d.
1598), the brother of Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria.
Furstliche
Schatzkammer Museum Snuff Boxes
This is a museum containing items from the Thurn and Taxis family
which have been accumulated over hundreds of years. The items
are beautifully displayed and they offer an English audio-guide
available at no extra cost. The snuff box collection is fascinating,
and they offer an amazing array of items unique to the destination
to view.
Getting
Around Regensburg
Bring your walking shoes and an umbrella for a walking tour
of this historic city. Regen means rain in German, and it does
rain there. A large part of the historic city center as well
as the Stone Bridge cannot be accessed by private cars or motorbikes,
and car-parks are quite expensive and rare, that's why it is
recommended to park somewhere outside the center and walk or
use the bus. If you are traveling on a Viking or other river
cruise ship up the Danube, it is a short walk to Old Town from
the designated area where ships are docked. Many tourists arrive
in Regensburg on Viking River Cruise ships and enjoy pre-scheduled
afternoon tours.
A
visit to this charming and rich historic German destination
should be on everyone's bucket list, and I hope you find this
teaser on places to visit helpful. For additional information
go to:www.Germantourism.com,
or http://regensburgtravel.com/
By Bonnie Carroll
About Bonnie Carroll
Bonnie Carroll has been a food/travel/lifestyle writer since
1983. She is the founder & publisher of Bonnie Carroll's
Life Bites News - www.lifebitesnews.com,
does travel and food reporting on KZSB1290 radio, and contributes
to a variety of national and international travel/lifestyle
publications. Her first children's book C.C. Charles was published
in 2002 and she is currently working on a second book. Contact
her at Contact her at writebc@aol.com.