When searching for what to do in Regensburg, Germany, you’ll love knowing there are all kinds of interesting and quirky things to do here. I visit Regensburg regularly and always love spending time in this perfectly preserved medieval city, and I’m sure you will too.
What makes Regensburg so great is its ancient Roman history, medieval architecture, and the fact that it survived World War II virtually unscathed so everything you see is original. It’s located right on the banks of the Danube River, is more or less a “college town,” and its Old Town actually has the highest concentration of bars and pubs in all of Germany. (I told you it’s fun!)
When looking for what to do in Regensburg, Germany, as well as where to eat, where to stay, and how to fit it all in, this post has everything you need. Enjoy!
Map of what to do in Regensburg
This map contains all the things to do in Regensburg I mention in this post (plus restaurants, hotels, and logistical concerns). To save this map: Click on the star ⭑ next to the map’s title to save in your Google Maps. To use this map: When you get here, open Google Maps on your phone, click “Saved” at the bottom, then click “Maps.”
Tips for visiting Regensburg
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Getting to Regensburg
Regensburg is conveniently located just an hour and 15 minutes north of Munich which makes it an excellent day trip or the perfect way to unwind after Oktoberfest. It’s seriously well-connected and you can get here easily by train, car, or bus. (Or river cruise, as it may be.)
Driving to Regensburg
You can drive from Munich to Regensburg in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. When you get here, there are parking areas all around the perimeter of the Old Town (just not within the Old Town). For this reason, I always recommend staying on the outer edge of the Old Town so you’ll have quick access to your vehicle. See the Where to Stay section below for my recommendations.
If you haven’t done so yet, check out the best Germany rental car deals here. (This is the rental company I always use and I’ve always had great experiences with them.)
Taking the bus to Regensburg
Getting to Regensburg from Munich by bus is super easy and Flixbus offers several trips per day (and for less than the price of a beer, mind you). This is a direct Munich to Regensburg bus route with zero stops in between that takes around 1 hour 40 minutes.
You can also get to Regensburg via the Flixbus from:
- Frankfurt – Between 4-5 hours depending on the time of day
- Stuttgart – 4 hours 45 minutes
- Salzburg, Austria – 5 hours 20 minutes
- Berlin – 7 hours
- Zurich, Switzerland – 8 hours
See all Flixbus schedules, routes, and rates here.
Taking the train to Regensburg
Taking the train from Munich to Regensburg takes just a little bit longer than driving, but is obviously the easiest and most cost-effective way to get here. You can take the direct Regional-Express (RE) train from Munich to Regensburg in 1.5 hours. Trains leave once per hour.
You can travel direct from Frankfurt to Regensburg on the InterCity Express (ICE) in about 3 hours. From Stuttgart, you’ll need to take a combination of RE and ICE trains but the trip can take as little as 3 hours 15 minutes. From Berlin, you can take either the ICE direct or a combination of RE and ICE trains and all will take just about 4 hours.
Check out the official train schedules, routes, and rates here
Getting around Regensburg
Once you’ve made it to Regensburg, that’s it. There’s no more need for transportation at this point. All of the best things to do in Regensburg are within the Old Town and just a short walking distance from each other. (With the exception of one, but there’s a workaround.) Even the main train station is just a short walk from the Old Town.
Also check out: How to Spend a Day in Magical Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Where to stay in Regensburg
I visit Regensburg every year and always stay at the ACHAT Regensburg Herzog am Dom (that name’s too long, I know). I love it here – it’s right across the street from the city’s famous cathedral, I can walk everywhere I need to go, the rooms are comfortable, the breakfast is decent, and the staff is friendly. There’s also a really good restaurant here too.
If you’re driving to Regensburg, this place is perfect. It’s on the edges of the Old Town so you can pull right up to it and park right next to it. It’s also a direct shot to the train station.
Book your room at the ACHAT Regensburg am Dom here
If that’s all booked up, here are a few other hotels I’d consider next: (These are all on the map at the top of this page too so you can see where they are.)
- Hotel David an der Donau – Great location on the Danube, in a historic building that makes you feel like you’re staying in a castle + excellent reviews
- Hotel Orphée – Charming hotel in the Old Town with some uniquely decorated rooms, its own on-site restaurant + terrace
- Bohemian Hotel – Another great option in a historic Old Town building with great views, its own bar, and comfy rooms
Check out all Regensburg hotel options here
Where to eat and drink in Regensburg
Because many of the things on this list of what to do in Regensburg involve eating and drinking, I’ll just go ahead and sum up all of my favorite Regensburg restaurants and bars here.
Bavarian cuisine
Non-Bavarian cuisine
Strictly bars
What to do in Regensburg
This list of what to do in Regensburg contains all the best things to see and do, where to find the best views, the best tours and experiences, and much more.
1. Walking tour of the Old Town
Start your time in Regensburg with a brief walking tour around the city, if only to get oriented. Whether you do this guided or self-guided, you’re sure to see lots of interesting stuff. This city is super old but also colorful and vibrant. Two quick city tours to check out are:
- Express Walk with a Local in 60 Minutes
- 60-min Regensburg Rickshaw City Tour (if you’d just rather not walk)
you’ll see things like:
2. Old Stone Bridge – A very old, very important historic bridge
3. Porta Praetoria – Regensburg was once a major Roman city, and the Porta Praetoria is the remains of a gateway from around 179 AD. You can actually see Roman ruins of sorts in several places around Regensburg.
4. Goliath House Mural – Mural of David slaying Goliath on the side of a building that was painted in the 1500s (though obviously retouched at some point).
5. The Baumburger Turm – A pink, Venetian-style looking tower from the 13th century; one of the tallest and oldest towers in the city
6. Pop into St. Peter’s Cathedral
St. Peter’s Cathedral is the huge gothic cathedral you can see from just about anywhere. (This will be the easiest way to keep yourself oriented during your time in Regensburg.) It was built between the years of 1280 and 1520. It’s worth a quick visit, even if you just pop in to see what it looks like inside.
7. Climb the tower at Trinity Church
Now, head over to a different church where you can climb up the towers for incredible views over Regensburg. This one’s a relative baby (it opened in 1621) and it has a really pretty ceiling inside. But it’s out on the tower terrace where you want to be.
The tower is typically open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 6pm (but definitely check anyway if you visit on a Monday/Tuesday). It costs €3 to climb the tower. More information here.
8. Take a river cruise on the Danube
I’m not talking about the Viking River Cruise that probably brought you here, but a quick sightseeing cruise for those of us who arrived by car, train, or bus.
From April to December, you can cruise the Danube around Regensburg with two different boat companies who both offer tours between 45 minutes and two hours. One has boats designed by Swarovski, and they both offer something called a “Strudel” trip which sounds promising. Check this page for more information on the Regensburg boat trips.
The Danube River is called the Donau in Germany.
9. Visit Walhalla
One of the more *interesting* things to do in Regensburg is a visit to Walhalla, the absolutely massive German “Hall of Fame.”
This seriously huge monument structure is right on the banks of the Danube and contains marble busts of all the most important and influential “Germans.” (The term “German” being used loosely here because they’ve pretty much claimed ownership of anyone who has ever spoken a Germanic-derived language, but I digress.)
You’ll see busts of holy Roman emperors, painters, inventors, scientists, philosophers and more. You’ll see people like Copernicus, Mozart, Beethoven, Catherine the Great, Martin Luther, and many more. But my absolute favorite is Albert Einstein who was clearly sculpted after some serious budget cuts.
Walhalla is one of only two things on this list of what to do in Regensburg that you can’t walk to from the city center. It’s about a 20-minute drive away if you have access to a car (or want to take a taxi). Or, you can get here the most popular way–by boat. Both of the cruise companies mentioned above offer rides to the Walhalla monument. (But note that you’ll have to climb a lot of steps once you get here.)
Walhalla is open year-round and costs €5 to enter. More information here.
10. Eat at the historic sausage kitchen
The Historische Wurstkuchl has long been considered the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. Whether that’s true or not, it’s certainly one of the most interesting and most popular. (And the brats are delicious.)
This little green building sits right next to the Danube and the Stone Bridge and almost always has a long line coming from it. There is seating, but most people just grab their brats and go. They serve typical grilled Nürnberger sausages in 6, 8, or 10, marinated sausages, and my favorite, weißwürstl. They also have salads, potatoes, and fish dishes.
There’s always a line, but the line moves fast. Don’t pass up the chance to eat here—it’s pretty much the poster child for Regensburg.
11. Visit the Dachshund Museum
One thing you’ll pick up on pretty quickly is that Regensburg is obsessed with dachshunds. Or, as Germans call them, Dackel. You’ll see dachshund stuff everywhere, and everyone will be walking one. (In 2024, Regensburg also had a massive dachshund parade and festival!) The German side of my family had dachshunds, so I automatically love it here.
So, I was very excited to visit Regensburg’s Dackel Museum. This museum is fairly small, size-wise, and is pretty much just one family’s private collection of dachshund memorabilia. I mean, they have everything you can think of that has a dachshund on it or is shaped like one. It’s quirky as hell.
My favorite part of visiting this museum though is the staff, which includes three dapper dachshunds. The chance that someone visiting the museum at the same time as you having a dachshund is also pretty high. I was GIDDY.
Also, the gift shop is it in terms of dachshund merchandise. So, if you have a love of dachshunds or know someone who does, you must visit this place. (You can visit the gift shop without having to visit the museum.) Museum information here.
12. Drink lots of beer
At the beginning of this post, I mentioned how Regensburg has the highest concentration of bars and pubs in all of Germany. Take advantage of that! There are big ones, small ones, underground ones, or you can just grab a beer and drink it on the street.
Regensburg doesn’t have its own signature beer style (like kölsch in Cologne, helles in Munich, or rauschbier in Bamberg), but it makes up for that by just having the most bars that sell the others. There are still plenty of places in Regensburg that brew their own though.
I mentioned these in the section above on where to eat and drink, but here are my favorite places to drink beer in Regensburg:
- Weißbräuhaus – Specializing in wheat beers (but all their stuff is good)
- Spitalgarten – Serving delicious Upper Palatinate beer (the region of Germany that includes Regensburg and stretches over to the Czech border)
- Weltenburger am Dom – One of my favorite restaurants, but the Weltenburger beer comes from the nearby monastery which is the (second) oldest monastery brewery in the world. They’ve been brewing beer since 1050, so you know it’s good! If the weather is nice, head out back to their beer garden.
- Bischofshof – Great local brewery in a historic building with a large beer garden
13. Visit the Weltenburg monastery
In fact, you can actually take a tour over to the Weltenburg monastery and drink the beer at the source. This half-day tour takes you over to the Weltenburg Abbey (about 30 minutes away) where you’ll get a guided tour of the super old monastery, lunch, and the opportunity to try some beer. I haven’t taken this tour yet but I will be soon!
14. Browse the House of Bavarian History
If you’re looking to visit one museum while in Regensburg (that’s not dog-related), make it the House of Bavarian History. This huge museum covers all of Bavaria’s history (including all the World War II stuff of course).
It has some pretty cool artifacts too, like a reproduction of Levi Strauss’s first pair of jeans (he was from Bavaria, you know) and King Ludwig II’s death mask (the guy responsible for Neuschwanstein Castle).
This museum just opened in 2019 and it’s conveniently located in the Old Town just a short stroll from the Sausage Kitchen. Get your visitor information here.
15. See some World War II sites
If you’re into World War II history, you’re in luck (and you’re also my people!). Besides the museum exhibits mentioned above, there are also tons of memorials around town and even the house that Oskar Schindler lived in after fleeing Poland at the end of the war. Get info on all the WWII sites in Regensburg here.
16. Visit the Johannes Kepler Museum
If you have even the slightest interest in astronomy and such, you’ll probably love a visit to the Document Kepler House (Kepler-Gedächtnishaus). I was incredibly lost the entire time I was here, but I still found the artifacts and exhibits interesting.
The building that holds the museum is actually the house that Kepler was living in when he died. It was turned into a museum in 1962 and renovated in 2024. It probably won’t take you more than hour to visit and it only costs €5. (It’s free on the 1st Sunday of every month, which is when I just so happened to visit.) The displays are in both English and German.
I didn’t know anything about Johannes Kepler before I visited and feel like I learned a lot here. Mostly, how relatable this guy’s existential crises and petty rivalries are. I lol’ed a lot. Visitor information here.
17. Hit up the Golf Museum
Another on the quirky list of what to do in Regensburg is the Golf Museum. Located in the medieval basement vaults of an antiques shop is where “the history of golf comes alive.” The website says it includes more than 1200 rare golf artifacts, including the world’s oldest golf club and golf ball. (What it doesn’t say is what Regensburg has to do with golf, but maybe I’m asking too many questions.)
I’ve walked past this museum tons of times but have never gone in. I’ll remedy that on my visit this year, for sure. I’ve loved Regensburg’s other quirky museums so I’m sure this one holds up as well. If you’re a golf fanatic, you can’t miss this. Visitor information here.
18. Do some shopping
There’s so much good shopping in Regensburg—a town that excellently mixes the old with the new. I prefer to stick to the Old Town though, and here a few of my favorite shops + some others:
- Gusti Leather – Fantastic leather shop with great products and reasonable prices
- Moser Trachtenwelt – Of course I’m going to recommend you shop for some dirndls and/or lederhosen while you’re here. Moser is my favorite.
- Hutkönig – If you want an authentic Bavarian hat, this is the place. It’s apparently world famous.
- Artisan craft shops – There are tons of small artisan craft shops throughout Regensburg’s Old Town. This is the place to pick up some unique gifts (for yourself).
Sample Regensburg itineraries
Now that you know what to do in Regensburg, here are a few sample itineraries to show you how you can fit some of it in, whether you’re visiting on a day trip from Munich, on a river cruise excursion, or just looking to keep it brief.
1-day Regensburg itinerary (A)
- Coffee and pastries at Bäckerei Schifferl
- Slow walk around the Old Town
- Walk over the Old Stone Bridge
- Pop into St. Peter’s
- See some Roman ruins
- Spot some WWII sites
- Mix in some shopping as the mood strikes
- Climb up the Trinity Church tower
- Lunch at the Historische Wurstkuchl
- House of Bavarian History museum
- (And then maybe the Dackel Museum if that interests you)
- Have a beer along the river at the Spitalgarten’s beer garden
- Dinner
1-day Regensburg itinerary (B)
- Coffee and pastries at Bäckerei Schifferl
- Slow walk around the Old Town
- Walk over the Old Stone Bridge
- Pop into St. Peter’s
- See some Roman ruins
- Spot some WWII sites
- Mix in some shopping when the mood strikes
- Climb up the Trinity Church tower
- Lunch at the Historische Wurstkuchl
- Take the 2-hour river cruise to the Walhalla Memorial and back
- Have a beer along the river at the Spitalgarten’s beer garden
- Dinner
2-day Regensburg itinerary
Day 1
- Coffee and pastries at Bäckerei Schifferl
- Slow walk around the Old Town
- Walk over the Old Stone Bridge
- Pop into St. Peter’s
- See some Roman ruins
- Spot some WWII sites
- Mix in some shopping when the mood strikes
- Climb up the Trinity Church tower
- Lunch at the Historische Wurstkuchl
- Take the 2-hour river cruise to the Walhalla Memorial and back
- Have a beer along the river at the Spitalgarten’s beer garden
- Dinner
Day 2
- Have breakfast at your hotel
- Take the half-day tour out to the Weltenburger Abbey
- Lunch at the abbey
- Return to Regensburg around 3pm
- Visit one of Regensburg’s museums
- Either the House of Bavarian History or the Dackelmuseum, whichever interests you more
- Relax with a beer at the Bischofshof beer garden
- Dinner at Weltenburger am Dom to bookend the day
More info for your trip to Germany
Like this post? Have more questions about what to do in Regensburg? Let me know in the comments below. Have fun in Germany!
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