Rastibonne in French or Regensburg in German, with 142,000 inhabitants is the fourth largest city in Bavaria. The city has a great cultural and architectural richness due to its location on the Danube not far from Northern Italy or Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic). When you stroll through the old town of Rastibonne, you will feel like you are in Italy, Austria, or the Czech Republic! Personally, this city reminds me of a small Prague!
The old city of Regensburg has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006.
Regensburg Old Town
Rastibonne is today a relatively tourist city with the arrival of barges along the Danube, but not as much as a city like Prague for example. It is therefore easy to walk around without being (still) invaded by a crowd of international tourists. I obviously took my pictures early in the morning or in the evening. So there was nobody there!
Bucolic walk along the Danube
Regensburg seems to be a very pleasant city to live in with lots of green spaces. It is also a young city compared to the German average: you can meet a lot of families and students here.
The Stone Bridge
Built in 1146, this bridge is reminiscent of the famous St. Charles Bridge in Prague, which spans the same river. On the other hand, you will be much more quiet to cross it, although during the day, there can also be quite a few tourists! The picture is taken on an early Sunday morning… there is nobody around!
The churches of Rastibonne
The two most important religious buildings to visit are:
- St. Peter’s Cathedral of Rastibonne (Gothic architecture): it is the most imposing building in the old town.
- The Basilica of Our Lady of the Nativity of Rastibonne (rococo architecture).
Rastibonne is the city of the former Pope Benedict XVI.
Bavarian History Museum
Brand new, its design architecture is interesting to take a picture of the interior. To visit, it is rather well presented and I learned quite a lot. For example, there was a battle between Napoleon and Austria in Rastibonne in 1809. Austria then wanted to invade Bavaria allied to Napoleon. But Napoleon defeated them at Rastibonne.
Photo Tips
Best times to take pictures in Regensburg
- Just after sunrise: it’s the best time to take pictures of the city with the best light and without the tourists.
- Just before sunset or “golden hour”: this is the hour before sunset. If the conditions allow it, the lights are softer and warmer. The brick for example will appear glowing.
- Twilight or “blue hour”: this is the moment after sunset when the night has not yet completely fallen, but the city lights are on. This moment is very short (about fifteen minutes). The sky can take on pinkish to blue hues before turning black. The same thing happens before sunrise (dawn) but there are often no illuminations on the buildings.
Material to take
- Lenses: wide angle, standard, telephoto according to your desires.
- Tripod: at night for long exposures
Spots to be photographed
- Along the Danube River crossing the stone bridge
- The alleys of the old town
To get there (from Paris)
Train: 9h
Car: 9h
Plane: 2 hours (Munich) + 1 hour by car