A medieval city that in winter dressed in white bewitches any traveler, in summer on the banks of the river, groups of young people or families revel in sunbathing near your famous stone bridge and along the Danube and Regen rivers. Regensburg is your name in German and all Spanish speakers call you so; in Latin, you are a lady: Castra Regina.
You are quite a lady
Regensburg is one of the four most important cities in Bavaria, after Munich, Nuremberg, and Augsburg. Thanks to its geographical location, it is very easy to reach from one of the main airports in the region. By train, there are also many direct connections to Salzburg or Prague, by bus you can easily reach Paris or Luxembourg. Its geographical location is within reach of any traveler in Europe.
The University of Regensburg greatly influences the multicultural richness and student life of the city. The academic exchange programs and the experiences of many graduates make it a destination for many young students from all over Germany, Europe, and the world.
Yes, Regensburg is a student city par excellence; but it is also a busy tourist destination. The historic center of the city remained almost intact after the bombings of the Second World War. Its Gothic and Romanesque style gave rise, along with its two great architectural symbols: St. Peter’s Cathedral and the stone bridge over the Danube, to Regensburg being included by UNESCO since 2006 in the list of World Heritage Sites.
The Danube
One of Regensburg’s main connections to other cities in the Danube. Thanks to its long-distance this river connect a huge number of cities and countries making it possible in summer to visit other places of interest in small cruises departing from Regensburg.
In Regensburg, the Danube crosses the river Regen and along its banks, you can enjoy good walks, bike rides, and refreshing beaches in summer.
On the Jahn Insel, a small island under the stone bridge, some grill or picnic lovers and above all beer lovers gather. In the evenings, the lovebirds are attracted by a bottle of wine, a pizza just bought nearby, or simple ice cream.
Very early in the morning, you can observe the fishing enthusiasts, the sportsmen doing their routines or the runners who do not stop even in winter. The Danube is like a garland that crosses giving light and life to this beautiful medieval city.
The University of Regensburg
This illustrious student house is located very close to the historic city center and is accessible from almost anywhere in the city by bicycle or bus. With more than twenty thousand students, 12 faculties, and a large number of academic exchanges with universities all over the world it favors, as mentioned above, a rather extensive cultural exchange.
Here I begin to speak in the first person and tell you how I fell in love with this city. In 2011 I went on an academic exchange, which was very well organized by the nowadays International Office. Before leaving my home city I was oriented and when I arrived I was welcomed with open arms by the ILC (Intensive Language Curse) group of tutors.
A month before the semester started I received an intensive German course and at the same time, the ILC tutors guided me with everything related to immigration procedures, health insurance, and even the delivery and orientation of the rooms in the student residences.
During this month I received a lot of information about the recycling system, the use of means of transportation and above all I got to know not only the city and its surroundings a little bit; we also made excursions to Nuremberg and Munich.
Not far from Regensburg we visited the Walhalla, which is a beautiful neoclassical temple where there are busts of famous people such as Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, etc.; it is a copy, so to speak, of the Pantheon in Athens. We also went to Weltenburg where there are a Benedictine monastery and one of the most famous breweries of Bavaria; in this same excursion, we went by boat on the Daube to Kelheim and visited the Befreiungshalle (Liberation Hall), which was built in commemoration of the victories against Napoleon.
After a month of introduction to student life in Regensburg, I started the semester. I was so amazed at how organized everything was and how good it is to live as a student that I extended another semester and said goodbye to the university and the city with the intention of returning after finishing my bachelor’s degree. And so it was, a year later I was back enrolled in a master’s program.
Student and tutor
Just when I finished the level of German required to start my master’s degree, I was offered to work as a tutor at the International Office, now I was on the other side helping the integration not only of exchange students but also of those foreign students who came to study a career like me. The work environment, the experiences, and the free time to enjoy the city convinced me every day that I was falling in love with Regensburg, that this city would become my city.
My job consisted of planning monthly excursions throughout the semester to Berlin, Salzburg, the famous Neuschwanstein Castle, Prague, and many other destinations; preparing a brochure with all the activities in German and English; collaborating with the Internationale Woche (international week), among other cultural activities.
The international week features activities from all over the world, including the participation of international students and German exchange students from other countries. Within this week there is an Internationaler Tag (international day) is like an international fair, each country has a place where they present their culture, customs, and even gastronomy, it is a day in which all students of the university can take a trip around the world without leaving the city.
Likewise, there is a time when foreign students gather to share a typical barbarian dinner during the Bayerischer Abend (babára night) in the student dining room, the popular Mensa. The tutors and staff of the International Office do their utmost to make this an unforgettable evening for all those foreign students who chose Regensburg as their hometown.
The dult, Regensburg beer festival and the nightlife
This festival is celebrated in September and is very close to the date of the Oktoberfest in Munich, it is very similar, only smaller and with beer from the region generally.
Most visitors show up in the typical Bavarian costume: Dirndl for women and Lederhose for men, although there are Lederhose for women as well.
The attractions are almost the same as a fair or carousel, with the difference that the big tents where Bavarian food and beer are sold gather hundreds of people to enjoy the live music, to dance and jump on the benches, and above all to drink lots of Maß (liter mugs of beer). In May you can also enjoy this fair, but it is called Maidult (May Dult).
You don’t always have to wait for these fairs to enjoy a beer in Regensburg or to go out and have a good time with friends. The nightlife is quite lively, in fact, Regensburg is the city with the most bars and nightclubs in all of Germany in relation to the number of inhabitants.
One of the activities I had to organize at the beginning of each semester was the Kneipenbummel (bar tour) with the international students who had just arrived in the city.
First, we would meet outside the cathedral, go to Picasso, our main bar, where we would distribute ourselves in groups of 10 or so and each tutor would take his group to about three different bars.
At the end we would meet again at the bar at the beginning and there we would finish the party with discounts on cocktails and beer for everyone. This is how the student was introduced to the nightlife in Regensburg.
Life on two wheels
One of the things that I love most about this city is the ease of getting around on a bicycle, shopping, going to work, to university, to a doctor’s appointment, or simply going for a ride is a pleasure with the infrastructure that Regensburg and its surroundings offer.
On the banks of the Danube is the Donauradweg, a bicycle path that connects several cities, including Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest.
Bicycle racing is one of the main sports practiced and of course.
I let myself be infected, the routes are made and marked for more than 100 kilometers around, the tracks on the banks of the Danube and Regen give fairytale views in all seasons, even in winter and with moderate snow you can enjoy this sport.
This is your truth, Regensburg
Here is a dream place to visit at any time of the year. Regensburg, medieval lady.
Many times we find places that captivate us not only for their fascinating architecture, its history, its culture. They captivate us because of the experiences that one adds up day by day. And the city of Regensburg has been doing so with me: it has allowed me to explore its corners, to leave my footprints in its streets, to get to know its people, its multiculturalism, and to fall in love with it more and more every day. Continue to captivate me, medieval lady.
