Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof

The Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof is a well-preserved medieval city centre on the Danube in Bavaria, Germany, inscribed as a World Heritage site. Its urban fabric and major monuments date chiefly from the Middle Ages and display Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

The riverside core is dominated by the 12th-century Stone Bridge (Steinerne Brücke) and the soaring Gothic Regensburg Cathedral (St. Peter), together forming a skyline that reflects the city’s medieval prosperity. Streets within the old town contain churches, merchant houses and public buildings from the 13th to 15th centuries, while the adjacent Stadtamhof district on the east bank preserves its own medieval street plan.

The city’s civic complexes include the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) with medieval council and courtroom spaces, and there are numerous smaller chapels, guild houses and merchant buildings clustered close to the Danube. The compact layout makes most principal monuments reachable on foot, and the Stone Bridge remains a primary viewpoint over the river.

Regensburg has roots as a Roman military camp established in the 2nd century AD and later expanded in the Middle Ages into a major trading and administrative centre of the Holy Roman Empire. The surviving stone bridge and many civic and ecclesiastical buildings date from the 12th to 15th centuries, reflecting the city’s medieval economic and political importance.

The site sits on both banks of the Danube in southeastern Germany; the historic core is in the city of Regensburg in Bavaria. Regensburg lies roughly 100 km northeast of Munich and occupies a strategic position on the Danube where river transport and overland routes historically converged.

• Best viewpoints: Best elevated views are from the south bank of the Danube and the Stone Bridge; early morning and late afternoon light are good for photography of the cathedral and riverfront.
• Getting around: Many principal monuments lie within a compact, walkable medieval street pattern; guided walking tours and boat trips on the Danube give complementary perspectives.

What to See #

• Regensburg Cathedral (St. Peter): Gothic cathedral whose fabric dates from campaigns starting in the late 13th century; the building dominates the old town skyline and contains medieval stained glass and carved stonework.
• Stone Bridge (Steinerne Brücke): A 12th-century stone bridge across the Danube that was a major medieval trade artery and offers panoramic views of the old town core and the river.
• Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus): A medieval civic complex that includes council chambers and a courtroom complex with parts dating from the 14th and 15th centuries; the site records the city's role in imperial administration.
• Stadtamhof (east-bank district): The district on the east bank of the Danube historically linked to Regensburg; it contains medieval streets and churches and forms part of the inscribed area.