The second stop on our river cruise down the Danube was Regensburg, Germany. Regensburg is a beautiful city in the southeast part of Germany. The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts a settlement on the site as early as the Stone Age. It is now one of the largest medieval old towns north of the Alps and has been called “Italy’s northernmost city”. The city is also very well preserved.
St. Peter’s Cathedral
St. Peter’s Cathedral sits in the center of the town. This is also where one of the Christmas Markets is located. The church was completed in the mid 17th century and is an example of Gothic architecture in Bavaria. The church is also the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Regensburg.
St. Peter’s Cathedral Advent Wreath Inside St. Peter’s
Thurn and Taxis Palace Market
In addition to the market in the city, there is a lovely market to visit at the Thurn and Taxis palace. This market is a bit more exclusive and there is a charge for entrance. The market sits on the grounds of Thurn and Taxis palace, surrounding the palace as well as within the courtyard of the palace. This was a wonderful market!
The smells at this market were just wonderful. Between the wood burning and the gluhwein and the strudel it was a mash up of scents that were just tantalizing. The artisans at this market were also wonderful. My sister bought a gorgeous wood carving of an angel. She had the opportunity to converse with the artist – as he was manning his booth!
In the courtyard center were many food stalls surrounding a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Here again, the smells were just overwhelming – in a wonderful way! People were milling about, drinking Gluhwein, sipping cocoa, enjoying gingerbread and snacking on sausages.
Stop and Taste the Gluhwein!
I loved Regensburg. The church was beautiful and the market at Thurn and Taxis Palace was not to be missed. Of course I also enjoyed a little Gluhwein myself before boarding the ship to continue our voyage on the Danube.
See my other posts on Christmas Market Cruising: Nuremberg, Passau, Salzburg, Melk Abbey and Vienna.
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