Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Up early and boarded a bus to Kelheim. Firstly we drove up Mount Michaelsberg to visit the Brefreiungshalle which King Ludwig I of Bavaria ordered to be built to commemorate the victories against Napoleon during the Wars of Liberation that lasted from 1813 to 1815. The construction was started in 1842 by Friedrich von Gärtner in a mixture of classical and Christian styles. At the behest of the King, Leo von Klenze altered the plans and completed the building in 1863. The ceremonial opening took place on October 18, 1863 - the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Nations (Völkerschlacht) near Leipzig. This building was amazing. The 10 feet tall angels that surround the rotunda area are huge and great symbols of dignity and elegance. The marble floor has super designs and sayings to describe the sacrifice in staying free and war is a necessity at times. The views of the Danube were magnificent.
Then we went to Weltenburg Abbey by bus. Inside the Abbey is a brewery. Weltenburg Abbey brewery is by some reckonings the oldest monastery brewery in the world, having been in operation since 1050. Their ″Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel″ was given the World Beer Cup award in 2004, 2008 and 2012 as the best Dunkel beer in the world. The wing of the monastery that faces the Danube River houses a large restaurant on the ground floor operated by a tenant. The traditional Bavarian menu includes the monastery's cheese and beer, and guests are also served in the monastery courtyard, which houses a large open-air biergarten. We had a local beer and a pretzel before heading up the hill to see the small chapel. It was very ornate. Then back down to the Abbey, snuck in whilst the priest was doing some confirmations. Then we walked down past a canal and boarded a boat which took us down the Danube.
Off the boat at Kelheim. Kelheim was celebrating their 150 year anniversary and there were a lot of local people dressed in traditional costumes waiting for their afternoon parade. There were a lot of street stalls including beer, pretzels and sausages. Kelheim was very relaxed and the buildings were very old but quaint. There were three entrances into the city. Donautor is the main gate from the Donau river side. It was built in 13th century and has coat of arms of Kelheim. Almuhltor is the gate leading to Atmuhl river, and it come from 1410 construction. Mittertor is from the 13th century and was used as a Customs House to collect taxes. We all wanted to stay here and celebrate because the atmostphere was fantastic. Back to the bus and we travelled to Regensburg where we boarded our boat for lunch. After lunch went on a guided walking tour of Regensburg.Regensburg was home to both a Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft factory and an oil refinery, and they were bombed by the Allies on August 17, 1943 on February 5, 1945, during the Oil Campaign of WW11. Although both targets were badly damaged, Regensburg itself suffered little damage from the Allied strategic bombing campaign, and the nearly intact medieval city centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also, Regensburg's slow economic recovery after the war ensured that historic buildings were not torn down, to be replaced by newer ones.
Between 1945 and 1949 Regensburg was the site of the largest Displaced Persons Camp in Germany. At its peak in 1946 -47, the workers district of Ganghofersiedlung housed almost 5000 Ukrainian and 1000 non Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons.
Regensburg is a well preserved Medieval town. The Stone bridge was built in 1135 and is a beautiful landmark. Entering Regensburg we passed under the old Clock Tower and saw the remains of an old Roman tower and a remaining part of the Roman fortress Castra Regina which is one of the best-preserved Roman buildings is the Porta Praetoria at the Bischofshof. There was also a building with a mural of David and Goliath. We visited St Peters Cathedral which was had magnificent gothic architecture and stunning stained glass windows. There were many small cobbled lanes and streets that had ancient Roman, Romanesque and Gothic buildings. We had a beer and the local sausages on the waterfront near the stone bridge. It was truly a beautiful place to visit.
Tonight local Bavarian music on board and easy listening music with Roman and Karoly.- comments