Regensburg

The largest Bavarian Medieval Town unfazed in World War 2; so it's Germany's best preserved medieval cities. 

Regensburg has at least 1,300 listed buildings of historic interest.
It was also the first Bavarian capital before Munich.

                

Behind is the 12th Century Steinerne Brucke (Stone Bridge), the oldest of its kind in Germany.

Under the bridge, it looks as though there are whirlpools. Legend has it that it was competing with St Peter's Cathedral for its completion and that "evil" could help it on the condition that there would be 3 sacrifices of blood. King Ludwig cleverly sent a hen, a dog and a cock  across the bridge to the anger of "evil" thereby causing the waters to swirl as when the the hen flattered its wings!

 Dad walked over to the other side of the bridge and found a pretty sight.

Picturesque Regensburg.

Before touring the Medieval city, the tourist guide showed us a overall view .

As we walked around , stories of the past related to kings and rulers were told and this pictorial representation of David and Goliath had something to do with approaching the constant threat of enemies with courage. Believe me when I say I have forgotten much.

 The  Altes Rathaus is the old town hall built in the 13th century and today still functions as one.

We saw a wedding going on but the bride is already on the way to be a mama.

On the right is the entrance to a part of the town hall and the 2 two bars had a story but I have forgotten what it was.

Teachers accompanied their students on a summer trip.

 Gift shops offering toys and souvenirs were a common sight.

 On the left is one of the many towers built by rich merchants and traders; the taller the building the richer the builder. It was a symbol of wealth and status in the Middle ages.

It is a fact that Regensburg is a city of lanes, alleys and high towers.

 Towers on the left and right. Another juicy story revealed was that the local merchants copied buildings from Italy. Buildings may be of a few levels but only the ground floor is used. Apparently there are no stairs leading to the higher levels and that the tower is just for show. Again, the height of each building will reflect the wealth of the owner.

The tour guide told us besides tall towers, the existence of a well in the court yard of a building also means the owner is very rich in those days as they had the privilege of drawing water from it and not having to carry it from the Danube.

Cobbled lanes and stones were common and we strolled through miles of them while being given accounts of the city.

 This was the entrance to the fort that protected the city from its enemies int he old days and today still under maintenance and care.

 We had beer and sausage at the Historiche Wurstkuche (Old Sausage Kitchen).

It was out of the world.

That's the everlasting Historiche Wurstkuche where no tourist in Regensburg can miss. If you miss the sausage here, you have indeed miss something.

St Peter's Cathedral is the eye catcher and is under renovation. The guide confessed that she has never seen it really completed. The whole building has to be constantly repaired.

 In Europe it is always seeing castles and cathedrals.

The rich architecture of the Renaissance days are also apparent.

 Regensburg is pretty and historical.

On an optional tour, we went by coach to Kelheim where we boarded a Danube Gorge Ship which took us through the gorgeous Danube Gorge to the Weltenburg Abbey.

Danube Gorge; Unesco site.



Cruising along the gorge was a peaceful ride and you admire the works of creation. It also reminded me of Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam.
 

We went through a stretch of waters that was crystal clear and unpolluted.
It is just beautiful landscape and we thank God for an opportunity like this.

 

This is the exterior facade of Weltenburg Abbey.

Inside the Abbey there were statues of saints and stories interpreted from the bible. It is a good way of depicting information for those who do not read nor write; like a chronology.

Outside the Abbey, is a Bavarian Lounge where all of us were given a treat to Bavarian beers.

In the hot afternoon, a glass of cool beer is the best quenching solution.

This part of Germany is not spared from floods.
The readings on the pillar record the occurrence of such floods.

 There was hardly any shade and the hat saved me.
Yet, locals enjoyed the heat and took small boat rides along the Danube.

Then ends our memory of Regensburg.

Roth

From Prague a coach took us over a 3 hour journey to Nuremberg where we docked at Roth. We were also given a choice on sightseeing;

 to see Nuremberg or Roth.

Since we had seen in the Nuremberg in 2006, we opted for the latter.

Docked at Roth pronounced as "Rote" by the locals, it has 19 villages of only 25,000 people. Subang Jaya , a suburban town has more than 500,000 residents. So you can imagine how quiet and sweet Roth is; how sleepy too. Not many can survive here for lack of excitement.

 Big patches of green; the meadows must be like the ones of "Anne of Green Gables". Life is exactly as peaceful as seen above.

So, what do tourists see here?

We were brought to an old museum which was once a mill and then turned into a blacksmith enterprise; producing iron products for the use of olden days. It was owned and operated by a family; the Schaffs. The enterprise passed down a few generations and the technology applied then can still function today; so typical of German products as they last forever. People die but the technology still stays.

Before anything else, we were first informed that the source of energy was from this mechanism.  Water power. What else back then? Coal?

We were curious to see what was inside the building.

Leather belts to get the machine rolling.

This guy was employed to run the place and keep tourism alive here.

He first demonstrated how he would make a hook using the old way; how a piece of steel was cut and  bent by inserting in fire and later to shape it accordingly.

 "See, I am going to bend this piece of metal"

 So, this is one little hook still used by farmers in vineyards to support grape plants.

 These are other parts produced through this workshop in better times; 

for war and peace.

A history of the family who owned and made good business of the operations.

So many generations; the photo intrigued me.

She was apparently the good wife of the enterpriser.
I said good because she was so missed by her loved ones after her untimely death.

 The guide told us that she was so missed that the husband would rest in the afternoons in the family toilet in the afternoons as she was associated with the room. Men seldom love their wives in this manner in modern times.

We took the liberty to see around the home and got a glimpse of life back then.

The kitchen sink.

 The stove; observe the kettles.

 The oven.

Out of no where and not in sync with the rest of utilities, a handsome Siemens product stood out; it reminded me of my sister's husband; a Dutch.

The little plot of garden was an unforgettable sight.

Next, we saw an ancient building , built in the 16th century .

It has a huge courtyard which could have been the spot for a hive of activities and parties.

Notice the barricade at the balcony; intricately built for its function then.

This was the owner; a rich merchant with no blue blood but became a noble by marriage; that was a way one can turn important I guess.

The activities then if not written can be depicted through paintings.
 It was a period of art, music and culture.

There were good artisans and architecture. Back then with little technology, people could still built in such a majestic style.
Come to think of it, they are even more creative than present day builders.

 Look at the intricately tiled floor. It stayed good till this day.

Dining days are seriously done.

 Another story depicted on the wall.

A ceiling of love expressed. So much time spent on relationships and love.

A part of the history of medieval times recorded on the wall.

Well tainted glass windows; all pieces of art.

Tourists refer this information board when in Roth; though not much to offer.

The building with its prominent steeple could be the town council .

 A pretty town with its quaint outlook; so typical of Europe.

 The square was also the market place where trading is done. The nearby shops offer household items, clothing and food items for local consumption.

 You only need to see Roth once in your lifetime; plain and nothing of much excitement.

Looking forward to the next city.