Things to do in Regensburg
Medieval stones, abbey beer, and the bars locals actually go to.
This is Regensburg at its most honest: cathedral squares and Danube riverbanks in the morning, proper Bavarian cooking at lunch, one dinner worth dressing up for, and cocktail bars that don't smell like a tourist map. It suits anyone who wants to move at a human pace through a small city that quietly earns its UNESCO status without making a fuss about it.
Day 1: Old Town from the cathedral out
Pretzels and Gothic stained glass set the tone, a terrace lunch on the cathedral square keeps it grounded, and the evening swings between Heuport's refined dining room and a proper late-night cocktail at Marple and Stringer.
- 9:30 AM
Bäckerei Schifferl
Kick off with pretzels, pastries and Linzer biscuits from Regensburg's best-loved Old Town bakery.
Map - 10:15 AM
Dom St. Peter
French-Gothic cathedral with medieval stained glass and the famous Smiling Angel, a proper Old Town opener.
Map - 12:30 PM
Weltenburger am Dom
Weltenburg abbey beer on tap, Bavarian tavern cooking and a cathedral-square terrace, the classic local lunch.
Map - 2:15 PM
Alte Kapelle
Plain outside, riotously Rococo inside, usually near-empty and a connoisseur's quiet stop.
Map - 7:30 PM
Wirtshaus im Heuport
Facing the cathedral with refined à la carte dining and upstairs room with the money view.
Map - 9:30 PM
Marple & Stringer
Proper cocktail bar, the locals' pick for a nightcap without the tourist bustle.
Map
Day 2: Bridges, sausages, and the Danube
Walk the 12th-century stone bridge, eat charcoal-grilled pork sausages at the river's edge, spend the afternoon inside 2,500 square metres of Bavarian history, then end the day in a chestnut-shaded beer garden with the cathedral on the horizon.
- 9:30 AM
Café Prinzess
Opened in 1686 and billed as Germany's oldest café; coffee and a handmade praline by the Altes Rathaus.
Map - 10:15 AM
Steinerne Brücke
Walk the 12th-century 16-arch Danube crossing, the engineering model for Prague and Avignon bridges.
Map - 12:30 PM
Historische Wurstkuchl
Family-run since 1806, charcoal-grilled pork sausages with sauerkraut and Händlmaier mustard, right on the Danube.
Map - 2:00 PM
Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte
2,500 sq m of interactive Bavarian history from kingdom to Free State, genuinely engaging and locally loved.
Map - 7:30 PM
Spitalgarten
Spital brewery beer garden under old chestnuts with the cathedral skyline, memorable, casual, and right on budget.
Map - 9:15 PM
Day 3: Danube Gorge and Weltenburg Abbey
A six-kilometre boat ride through 80-metre limestone cliffs to a seventh-century abbey, with dark beer brewed on site and lunch in its courtyard.
- 11:00 AM
Danube Gorge boat to Weltenburg Abbey
Upstream between 80-metre limestone cliffs to Weltenburg Abbey; boats run mid-March to early November.
Map - 12:30 PM
Klosterschenke Weltenburg
Lunch in the abbey courtyard where the boat lands: Barock Dunkel brewed here since 1050. Closed in winter.
Map - 7:30 PM
ROTER HAHN
Fine-casual dinner in an old Old Town house; modern Bavarian plates and a good German wine list. Book ahead.
Map
Where to stay
Hotel Bischofshof am Dom
Right on the cathedral square, mid-range price, and within walking distance of every stop on all three days.
Orphée Großes Haus
Orphée's larger house delivers the same good-value Old Town address with a bit more room to breathe, and the price sits squarely in the moderate bracket.
Make Regensburg your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Altes Rathaus: a few days ahead
- Schloss St. Emmeram: a few days ahead
- document Neupfarrplatz: a few days ahead
- Stadtmaus: a few days ahead
- Bad Abbach Canoe Circuit: a few days ahead
- Golf- und Country-Club Regensburg: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Ice cream and drinks on the Stone Bridge strip at peak hour cost more. Walk two lanes south for the same thing.
- Skip paid panorama upsells. The best views are free from the Stone Bridge, Stadtamhof bank and Walhalla.
- Buy Händlmaier's mustard at its own shop or a supermarket, not in gift sets at gift shop prices.
- Carry about 40 EUR cash per tavern evening, as small Bavarian houses still prefer cash or EC cards.
The full Regensburg travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around