A legionary in Castra Regina had a life of drill, labour and waiting. He served for twenty-five years, was paid in coin, was fed on bread, porridge and a little meat and wine, and he could not marry legally while in service. The soldiers of the Third Italic Legion spent much of their time building: roads, bridges, brick kilns and the camp itself. Their stamps appear on tiles and bricks all around the area, which is how historians know where they went. When there was no war, there was always another ditch to dig.
The camp was laid out in the standard way, with a main street from gate to gate, a headquarters building at the centre, barracks in long rows, granaries, a hospital and a bathhouse. Sixty centuries of eighty men each made up a legion, give or take, though the real figures changed over time. The north gate, the Porta Praetoria, faced the Danube and the barbarian lands beyond, and its massive masonry is one of the few Roman structures you can still see standing in Bavaria.
Today the old town has covered all this, but the shapes survive. Streets follow the old lines, and walls rise on old foundations. UNESCO listed the old town in 2006 and the Danube Limes in 2021, and the city's Roman museum tells the story of the legion with finds from the area. It is a fine place to spend an hour on a wet day.
For riders, the Altmuhl valley to the west is a great reward. The river winds through a limestone gorge with cliffs and old towns, and the road follows it, with easy bends and good views. Regensburg has about a hundred and thirty thousand people, and fuel stations are on all the main roads. Reinhausen is a smaller district across the river. Try the local Bavarian roast pork and beer, then sleep well. Autumn is the best time, with soft light and few tourists.