Regensburg stands where three rivers meet. The Regen comes in from the north and the Naab arrives just upstream, and together they join the Danube at the city. The Danube itself reaches its northernmost point here, after flowing northeast from its source in the Black Forest, before it turns southeast towards Vienna and the Black Sea. A town on a bend, with a crossing and a confluence, was always going to matter, and the Romans noticed it.
The legionary camp of Castra Regina was placed on a gravel terrace above the south bank, safe from floods, with the river at its back and the northern frontier before it. Behind it ran the road south to the Alpine passes and Italy. The river was a highway for boats carrying grain, wine and military supplies, and a ford and bridge crossed the Danube here. In the Middle Ages, merchants took over the tradition, and the city grew rich on the salt trade and on the long stone bridge.
Today the confluence is a pleasant place to walk. You can follow the Danube bank from the old town to the point where the Regen joins, watching the green water of one river merge with the brown of another. Cycle paths run along both banks, and boats leave from the quays for trips along the river and through the gorge at Weltenburg. The old town and the Roman remains are on the UNESCO list, along with the old town since 2006 and the Danube Limes since 2021.
For riders, Regensburg is a convenient and relaxed city. It has about a hundred and thirty thousand people, and fuel, food and workshops are easy to find, with Reinhausen across the river for a quieter option. The roads north follow the Regen into the Bavarian Forest, with quiet curves through spruce woods, and south the Danube plain is flat and fast. Early morning on the riverbank, with mist on the water, is the best moment.