Today I'm exploring the
Bavarian city of Regensburg, a medieval town with 2000 years of history. The Old town with its historic
buildings survivedthe bombs of World War II. It has a connection to the devil. And is a great spot to get into
German sausage. Doesn't it look like something
straight out of a fairytale? The cathedral spires, the river, the red roofs – it's giving medieval core to the max. And it's also close to one of Germany's most
important national monuments – the Walhalla. So, let's go and explore! Regensburg lies on the Danube river. It's an easy train ride from
Munich, Nuremberg or Frankfurt. The city is located in Germany's south. And here's why it needs to be on your bucket-list! Firstly, the whole Old town is listed as
a UNESCO World Heritage site! I'm starting my day here in the
old town, at the St. Peter's Cathedral. Which is under construction. Okay, but we'll working with it! It wouldn't be a travel report without
some kind of a construction site. At least this one we get to use to our advantage! VIP access! Christian Brunner is an architect
working on the upkeep of the cathedral. When he suggested we take the elevator to
the top, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Not going to lie, I never thought of myself
as being afraid of heights, but this is pretty scary! At least the view is a good distraction. So this is quite a hughe
and impressive cathedral for a fairly small city. Can you tell me a little about the history of it? The cathedral as you see it
today started its work in 1273. Before then there was a Romanesque
cathedral, but it burned down. And you are right, the cathedral
is pretty big for Regensburg. But it's not so big. The Cathedral is around 90 meters long. Inside are around 38 metres of height. And the towers are around 105 metres. So compared to the city, the Cathedral is big. Compared to other cathedrals, to other
gothic cathedrals, it's average or small. I heard that the cathedral is inspired
by the likes of Notre Dame in Paris or the Cologne Cathedral. Is that true? It is connected for sure with
the Kölner Dom and Notre Dame. That's for sure. And Strasbourg. So Gothic wasn't invented in Regensburg. It comes from France and like you said
it was inspired by these cathedrals. Americans, for example, love these kind of
old style European cathedrals and medieval cities. Do you have any particular countries that
stand out to you where you're surprised that maybe people are coming to Regensburg? No. There would be no surprise. They come from Australia,
New Zealand, South America, Africa, Asia. I'd like to chat more to Christian Brunner
about this amazing building, but the height is honestly becoming difficult! I think I'm ready to go back down. I feel like I'm on a boat or something. Shall we take a look inside? Look at all of the stained
glass, isn't it beautiful? Most of these valuable stained glass windows
were installed in the 13th and 14th centuries. They were all taken out during
the Second World War for protection. So what you see here today are still originals. Just around the corner from the cathedral
is another one of Regensburg's main attractions: the Stone Bridge. Which is around 900 years old. And is the oldest preserved
bridge in Germany. Legend has it that the bridge builder made
a pact with the devil to finish the bridge. The devil said he would help in exchange for
the first three souls to cross the bridge. When the bridge was finished, the bridge builder
sent a dog, a hen and a rooster. And the devil was so enraged that he tried to smash the
bridge apart, and that's why it's bent. Indeed, it does look somewhat crooked. Across the bridge, there's
the tiny island of Stadtamhof. It was once a separate medieval village
and now all of these colourful buildings are protected by UNESCO. Cute! I know it doesn't look like much from here, but see that tiny little spot
behind the construction site? It's supposed to have the best
Bavarian sausages in town. So let's go and get some food. The Historische Wurstküche or Kuchl
directly translates into historical sausage kitchen. And is basically old-school fast food. This place has been around for 500 years. This is where the stonemasons and dockworkers
of Regensburg would come to have their lunch. The place has barely
changed over the centuries. It still has the same open charcoal grill, homemade pork ham sausages and
sauerkraut from their fermentation cellar. Good vibes all round! I'm diving straight into the Bavarian
cuisine with sausages, sauerkraut, beer and mustard, of course! FYI, it has to be sweet mustard. I feel like the more time I spend
in Germany, the more into sausages I get. They're actually really, really good! Let's go for a wander through the
narrow lanes of Regensburg's old town. There's so many historical details,
like clocks, murals, doors and signs. This whole town feels so steeped in history. Unlike many places in Germany, Regensburg
survived WWII with almost no damage. And you can really tell
everything is so beautiful. There are also lots of beautiful
artisan shops with handcrafted items. Fun fact: this hat shop actually made the
Mad Hatter's hat for the Alice in Wonderland movie! For the end of my trip here in Regensburg,
I'm headed somewhere pretty special. Just a 20 minute drive away,
or in summer, a boat ride is one of Germany's most
important national landmarks. Walhalla. Conceived in 1807 by Crown Prince Ludwig of
Bavaria, this memorial is a hall of fame honoring distinguished German-speaking
politicians, sovereigns, scientists and artists. Like Mozart, Beethoven, Rubens and Goethe for example. Incidentally, it is mainly men
who are represented here – as it has often been in history. Walhalla was built to make the Germans
more German, to celebrate the German nation. So, to find out more, let's head inside! I'm meeting Dr. Thorsten Marr
to find out why Walhalla was so important to the Bavarian prince. Crown Prince Ludwig thought we should
stick together if there are external dangers. And if there is external danger, we should stand and fight together. And with this monument he hoped to strengthen
the patriotism and the national consciousness among the Germans. You can not only see busts, even memorial
plaques, and both together are commemorating notable figures who together
embody the greatness of Germany. That was the idea. Where did the name Walhalla come from? I mean, that's a Nordic name, right? Why does it relate to, or how
does it relate to Germany? In Norse mythology, the Walhalla
was the hall of the heroes. And in the hall are these brave
or the bravest warriors fallen in battle, they were coming together. And all these fallen warriors who are here
are immortal because of their personal merit. Ludwig took these
characteristics for his own Valhalla. So how does Walhalla hold a valid place in
German thinking in society nowadays, with Germany's history? After 1945, it wasn't possible to think about
German greatness or something like this. After the Holocaust and Nazi barbarism,
it was definitely impossible. And so they were thinking
of looking for another meaning. Another aspect became more important, in fact. The memory of the eventful German history. Sophie Scholl opposed the Nazi regime. She was captured by the Gestapo
and finally murdered in 1943. With her, all the people
who resisted will be honored here. In memory of all the brave people
who resisted against violence, injustice, and terror of the Third Reich. Which includes all people and individuals who are not known by name yet,
or we don't know the name. But that's very strong. That means everybody who resisted. And so we get politics into
the Hall of Fame, or the Walhalla. And it's not a Hall of Fame. It's a hall of memory. And so that's what it is today. Wow. Well, that was quite the experience,
a real slice of German history. And to top it all off, the view
from up here is absolutely incredible. What a way to end my trip here in Regensburg. Tell us, what was your
favorite part about my trip here? Let us know in the comments.