Romans buried their dead outside the city walls, along the roads, so that travellers would pass the tombs and remember the names. West of the fortress of Castra Regina, beside the road that led towards Augsburg, lay a very large cemetery, and the burial field has been found and excavated bit by bit as the modern city expanded. Thousands of graves have been recorded, with both cremation and burial, and the finds include pottery, glass, coins, jewellery and tombstones that tell us who lived and died here.
The inscriptions are the best part. Many of the stones record soldiers of the Third Italic Legion, with their age at death, their length of service and the name of the heir who paid for the stone. Other stones belong to merchants, freedmen and women. They have simple names and simple wishes, and they come from many parts of the empire. Regensburg's museums hold a good collection, and the pieces make a surprisingly human link to the people who lived on this stretch of the Danube.
Today the cemetery lies under streets and gardens, and there is little to see on the surface. It is a place for the imagination. The district is now part of the busy western side of the city, close to the main station and the ring roads, so the ride in is through modern suburbs. Once you reach the old town, a short walk leads to the Roman wall remains and to the museums.
Regensburg has about a hundred and thirty thousand people, and fuel, food and parking are easy on the edge of the centre. Reinhausen, across the river, is a quieter district with small cafes. The Danube here runs wide and green, and the cycle path along the bank draws walkers and cyclists in summer. If you have time, ride out to the Danube gorge at Weltenburg, a short way upstream, where the river cuts through a wall of limestone, and a monastery sits at the bend. Autumn is the best time, with clear light and mellow colour.