REGENSBURG – CROSSROADS OF EARLY TRADE ROUTES

Regensburg, a riverside medieval town, is at the crossroads of the significant trade routes between the Baltic and the Mediterranean and between France and Eastern Europe. Today, there is a different kind of trade – seen as we shared a lock with a barge transporting cars up the river. Regensburg’s multiple arched, Romanesque bridge, connecting north and south, is still in use for pedestrians. Before the modern age of refrigeration, salt was a crucial commodity for preserving food. Regensburg, like Salzburg, was a center for the salt trade. Local burghers made their fortunes in the salt trade. Wanting to show off their wealth, they built homes imitating the Italian architecture of this period -- large palazzos (palaces) with tall rectangular towers. Of course, the higher the tower, the wealthier its owner.

A medieval Gothic cathedral dominates the skyline – with an intricately carved portico. Also, the remains of a pre-14th century Jewish ghetto are commemorated with an unusual monument that traces the foundation of the original synagogue, including the bimah where the Torah was read.