Kelheim to Regensburg 8-21-11

Main-Donau canal at Kelheim

Danube river along the trail

Runabouts going thru the locks

Alte rathaus

St Emmeran's.  Thurm und Taxis private church

fresco in St Emmeram's

Organ at St Emmeram's

choir and altar at St. Emmeram's

Hemma, consort of  "Ludwig the German" in St Emmeram's

Statue of St. Dionysius at St Emmeram's

St Francis would preach not only to humans but he would preach to the animals as well

The back of the statue has a fox hiding in the robes and snatching the fattest goose.  I think there is a moral to this story.

Altar at St. Peter's

Organ at St. Peter's

St. Peter's

Tourist

A small chapel nest to St. Peter's

Porta Praetoria.  The only original roman building to have survived above ground in Germany.  179 AD

Sign outside pub called "zum walfisch" shows Jonah be chased by strange shaped Whale

East Gate

The old moat

Konigliche Villa, built by Maximilian II so he would have a fitting residence in Regensburg.  It was only used 6+/- times before monarchy ended.

Steinerne Brucke(stone bridge) a romanesque arch bridge was built between 1135 and 1146. 

Gate into Regensburg from the Steinerne Brucke

The Bruckmandl(little man on the bridge)  According to ledgend this man was the master bridge builder and had made a bet with the cathedral's architect that he would finish the bridge before they finished the church so he was always looking at the progress of the church.

St Peter's for the stone bridge

Furstliche Brauhaus.  The Thurm und Taxis brewery.  We had dinner there.

Tourist headed for gate by the Thurm und Taxis palace.

Thurm und Taxis palace.  This was an old Monestary of St Emmeram.  The Thurm und Taxis bought it in 1812 and renovated it during the 19th century.  It is said to have more rooms then Buckingham Palace.  This the only place where a picture can be taken without taking the tour.  They still use the palace as a residence.  There is a green belt with fence around one egde which is where this pic came from.  Google earth it

We left Kelheim and biked the 30k or so to Regensburg.  Along the way in the town of Metting they were raising the May Pole.  A beer garden had been set up and the was an umpapa band playing.  The pole, a 40' log tapering from 1' dia. to 2" dia, was being raised by hand by a bunch of guys using various length poles.  I took some video of it and will try to get it in a future blog when I have the time to sit and watch 200mb upload.  It was a funny operation and alcohol was involved.
We got to Regensburg in the early afternoon and decided to take the rest of the day to see the city.  The old part of Regensburg is UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It started out as a Roman camp in 90AD.  From 530 to 1245 it was the capital of Bavaria but in 1245 it bacame an imperial free city.  Although the city adopted the protestant reformation in 1542 it remained the seat of the roman Chatholic bishop and several abbys.  From 1663 to 1806 it was the permanent seat of the Reichstag of the Holy Roman Empire.  In 1803 it lost it's status as a free city and was handed over to the Archbishop of Mainz.  In 1810 it was ceded to the Kingdom of Bavaria.  The old part of town sustained very little damage during WWII and was made a UNESCO site in 2006.
The famous family Thurm und Taxis, held a monopoly of the postal service in Europe for hundreds of years.  They have resided in Regensburg since 1746.  They bought the St. Emmeram Monestary in 1812.  They are one of the richest familys in Germany.