7 Museums Worth Seeing in Regensburg

The document Reichstag im Alten Rathaus (document Reichstag in the Old City Hall) is a place steeped in history: Dating back to the 13th century, the Old City Hall served as the esteemed venue for the Perpetual Diet between 1663 and 1806, a historic assembly of princes and delegates that convened regularly to address the complex matters of the Holy Roman Empire. The atmosphere of the Imperial Diet can still be felt today in the Imperial Hall and the debating chambers. As you stroll through the historic chambers, you can almost hear the echoes of impassioned speeches and witness the forging of alliances that would shape the course of European history. 

Bavaria is more than sausage, beer and lederhosen. But they are an important part of the country's culture. How the Bavarian monarchy became a republic, what makes the region so special - that's what the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (House of Bavarian History) is all about. The permanent exhibition uses personal objects, media and interactive stations to focus on the people and tells the story of Bavarian history in nine generations from 1800 to the present day. Here you can smell King Ludwig's II. favourite perfume, admire Fanny the fire-breathing robot dragon from Furth im Wald and learn more about the Bavarian Free State.

As the largest art museum in the East Bavarian region, the Kunstforum Ostdeutsche Galerie (Art Forum East German Gallery ) specialises in art from the 19th century to the present day. Its speciality is the presentation and collection focus on the work of visual artists who have a biographical or thematic connection to the historical German settlement areas in Central and South-Eastern Europe. Within the German museum landscape, the museum is the only of its kind that illuminates the history of art from the Romantic period to the present day from this perspective! The red columns, an installation by Czech artist Magdalena Jetelová ("Venceremos/Sale" from 2006) characterise the museum's architecture, so you can't miss it!

2,000 years of history, from a Roman camp to an important settlement in the Middle Ages, to the city of the Imperial Diet as a political world stage and an important trading metropolis with its location on the river, all these facets of the city's changing history are presented in the Regensburg World Heritage Visitor Centre. The everyday life of the people in the different periods is illuminated here as well as the impressive buildings that have survived the ages.
Highlights of the exhibition include an interactive city model, which brings the city to life through the centuries, and the World Heritage globe, which provides an overview of all World Heritage sites worldwide. Located directly on the Stone Bridge, the World Heritage Centre is the perfect starting point for your visit to Regensburg!

Tip: Walk across the Stone Bridge to reach the Brückturm-Museum (Bridge Tower Museum) and enjoy the view of the old town and river. The Stone Bridge is one of Regensburg's landmarks and should definitely be crossed. Its history comes to life in the bridge's last remaining tower.

Snuff ("Schmai" in Bavarian) has almost disappeared from everyday life today, but in the 19th century it was all the rage throughout Europe. The snuff sold under the brand name "Schmalzler Franzl" ("Fatty Francis") was so popular that Regensburger Bernard AG became the largest snuff factory in Germany before the Second World War, employing around 350 people. The special feature of the Bavarian "Schmalzler" snuff was the addition of clarified butter or lard, which made the tobacco particularly pleasant. The rooms of the document Schnupftabakfabrik (document snuff factory) in the former factory were deliberately left in their original state, including the lighting conditions and, above all, the unrivalled tobacco smell. This makes the visit a very special experience.

Regensburg without the Thurn and Taxis family? Unthinkable! The former Bendictine Abbey of St Emmeram has been the residence of the princely Thurn and Taxis family since the middle of the 19th century. The way Gloria von Thurn und Taxis lives today is private, but the 19th century living and state rooms are open to the public as the Castle Museum. With the valuable furnishings from the older residences, princely living culture is on display in a way that is now rarely seen. The monastic spirit can still be felt today when walking through the cloisters. The treasury displays marvellous objects from the art collections of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis. These include exquisite furniture, the finest porcelain, exclusive gold and silver works, as well as a unique collection of valuable snuff boxes!

The magnificent cathedral characterises the image of the city and, with its Domschatz Regensburg (Regensburg Cathedral Treasury) is an absolute must when visiting Regensburg. The museum in the historic rooms of the former episcopal residence displays treasures from the Middle Ages and modern times. The treasures bear witness to Regensburg as an outstanding centre of goldsmithing until the 18th century. Particularly worth seeing are the famous enamel casket, which was probably made around 1400 in one of the workshops of the French royal courts: with 11,000 melted gold stars and fantastic mythical creatures painted in enamel, as well as the unique butterfly reliquary which was made in Paris around 1310/20.

Just outside the city the Walhalla (Valhalla) appears like a lost Greek temple high above the Danube. King Ludwig I had it modelled on the Parthenon in Athens by artist Leo von Klenze - as a monument to the greatest personalities of German descent. After the triumphant march of Napoleon's armies and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, deserving German-speaking men and women were to be immortalised here in the form of busts. The series of greats begins with Hermann the Cheruscan and ends for the time being with Käthe Kollwitz, as new busts are added every year.