The Niedermunster is one of the oldest churches in Regensburg, and it stands on the site of the Roman headquarters building. It was part of a women's abbey, founded in the Middle Ages, and the Romanesque church that stands today is a plain, solid building with a tower. Below it, excavations have revealed the foundations of the Roman building, with floors and walls, and beneath those, early medieval graves. It is one of the few places where you can see the layers of the city in one spot.
The abbey was a rich foundation, and its abbesses were powerful, answering only to the king. The cathedral stands next door, with its twin spires, and the whole district is a quiet corner of the old town, with cobbled lanes and old houses. Roman, Bavarian and medieval Regensburg all meet here, which is why archaeologists have worked on it for decades. The finds include coins, inscriptions and fragments of wall painting, and the story that emerges is of a city that never entirely died after the legion left.
Regensburg itself was listed by UNESCO in 2006, and the Danube Limes in 2021, so there is an official recognition of its importance. The city is a fine place to wander, with squares, towers, and the views of the river. A good bakery or cafe is never far, and the beer is worth tasting. Bavarian cooking here leans on roast pork, dumplings and cabbage, and it suits a cool day among old stones.
If you come on a motorbike, treat the old town as a place to explore on foot. The city has about a hundred and thirty thousand people, so you will find fuel on the ring roads, and Reinhausen, across the river, has stations too. The roads to the east, into the Bavarian Forest, are full of quiet curves, and to the west, the Altmuhl valley is lovely. Autumn is best, and morning is quietest. Light a candle in the cathedral if the mood takes you.