Bavaria finds: Walhalla, mead and beer

Today, gloomy clouds are piling up in the sky, and heavy raindrops are occasionally slapping on the cobblestones of the narrow old town street. “That was clear,” we think to ourselves on the way to the ship’s mooring. Rain in Regensburg! Couldn’t be more fitting, right? The town owes its name not to frequent rainfall, but to the river Regen, which flows into the Danube east of Stadtamhof. Since the Danube is too long to be used as a place name, the rain had to hold out for it.

After discovering the most beautiful corners of Regensburg the day before and falling in love with the Jahn Island, today we venture into the wild Bavarian countryside. After a short stop at the World Heritage Visitor Centre, which is located in an old salt barn right next to the Stone Bridge, we board the ship. But not just any ship, but the Crystal Princess, dressed with thousands of sparkling Swarovski stones (which are actually “simply” exclusively cut glass). The Crystal Princess is part of the Crystal Fleet Regensburg, which offers, among other things, adventure tours to Walhalla. You’ve never heard of Valhalla? Don’t worry, I felt the same way. A Hall of the Fallen high above the Danube? In the form of a perfectly imitated Greek temple? Sounds kind of like Disneyland, doesn’t it?

Thanks to the gloomy weather, we have practically the whole ship to ourselves and are even allowed to visit the captain for a short time. We get a quick bleach in shipping and learn that there is also right-hand traffic in shipping (after he has first explained to us full of conviction that there is left-hand traffic here), that he is only allowed to sail with his license in the dammed Danube area (his license would therefore not be allowed in the Wachau) and that we sail at 20 km/h almost full steam ahead.

After we have passed Donaustauf on the left side, the Bräuberg appears in front of us with the columned front of the Walhalla, which can be seen from afar. The white stone stands out strongly against the dark green of the forest and the gray clouds. Disneyland and kitsch are quickly forgotten – this sight is simply gigantic and I am already very impressed. It’s hard to imagine that we are only 12 kilometers away from Regensburg – it seems more like an exotic jungle world to me.

The temple is now only separated by 358 steps that have to be climbed. Following the example of the Parthenon on the Acropolis, the Walhalla was opened in 1842 as a hall of fame in honour of important personalities of the “German tongue” (Swiss and Austrians are also admitted). It was built by architect Leo von Klenze at the instigation of the Bavarian King Ludwig I.

Inside, we are faced with 130 marble busts. Starting with Henry I “the Finkler” – German king from 919 to 936 – to Heinrich Heine, who was the latest bust to be admitted to this illustrious circle in 2010. Twelve of the honorees are women, including Sophie Scholl and Edith Stein. Some personalities, like Albert Einstein, I recognize right away. Others are not familiar to me at all. Contrary to my fears, I am absolutely fascinated. The room is an impressive size and we have a lot of fun finding the important Swiss.

Afterwards we treat ourselves to a sip of mead (honey wine) and enjoy the view over the cloudy Regensburg Danube Valley. Luckily, I rarely let myself be guided by prejudices when traveling, but still take a look at the places – it was definitely worth it here.

Two hours later we drive back to Regensburg with the Crystal Princess and treat ourselves to an apple strudel as a refreshment. We spend the afternoon in Stadtamhof. The formerly independent city is now a district of Regensburg and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An absolutely delightful place that attracts many artists and young people and borders on an idyllic local recreation area.

On this side is also the Katharinenspital, which is now only used as a retirement home, but is still home to the oldest brewery in the city of Regensburg. According to old tradition, but with a young team, innovative beer creations are brewed here. After a sip, my enthusiasm for the hospital Pale Ale is awakened. On sunny days, the beer garden in front of the brewery is a popular meeting place for young and old.

Note: My stay in Regensburg was supported by Regensburg Tourism. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.