20240820 Viking European Sojourn River Cruise Day 19/27 - Regensburg, Germany to Munich - Beer?

Viking European Sojourn River Cruise Day 19/27 - Docking in Regensburg, Germany and touring in Munich

We docked this morning in Regensburg, Germany. We chose the optional tour today that took us to Munich.

Before we get into that, here is a photo, as promised, of the new baubles that Arlona picked up yesterday in Salzburg.

While waiting for our tour, we looked at some of the old walls near the port in Regensburg.

The Stone Bridge in Regensburg

Our tour today only had six participants. This meant that rather than the typical tour bus, we had this Mercedes Sprinter. 

It was more comfortable, more nimble through traffic, and allowed our guide to talk with the six of us directly rather than over a loudspeaker. It was terrific.

We departed Regensburg and headed southwest toward Munich. Munich is about 125km, or roughly 70 miles from Regensburg. 

Allianz Arena

We passed so many turnoffs for this town - well, until I figured out that Ausfahrt is German for "Exit"...duh

We made a comfort stop at what our guide described as the most expensive rest stop in Germany - the BMW Welt exhibition center. Beyond using it as a rest stop, we were given some free time to explore the displays.

BWM Headquarters Bavarian Motor Werks - they originally made aircraft engines but were forced to stop by the Treaty of Versailles so they started making cars and motorcycles

BMW One factory

BMW Headquarters and Museum

BMW Isetta 300

BMW owns Rolls Royce

We were going to place an order for two of these but we didn't have enough time on the tour ;-)

You can customize everything on a Rolls

1800ccs of two-wheel goodness

BMW also owns Mini

A robotic guide was cruising around

After some BMW fun, we continued on the tour.

The Olympic Park from 1972

Löwenbräukeller - Das Original

The Propylaea is a city gate in Munich on the west side of Königsplatz

Staatliche Antikensammlungen museum

Glyptothek - Munich's oldest public museum

Führer building, where the Führer's offices were located - it is now a music and theater school

Present Continuous sculpture - in German is is called Bent Man Looking Down

Obelisk on Karolinenplatz

 It was erected in 1833 by King Ludwig I for the 30,000 Bavarian soldiers who fell in Napoleon's Russian campaign in 1812

St. Markus

Field Marshals' Hall

Prinz Carl Palais - the Prime Minister's residence

Prime Minister's office

Museum Five Continents

Regierung von Oberbayern - Bavarian government building

Marstall - former stables, now storage for the opera

Maximilianeum -  Bavarian State Parliament

A typical Italian merchant's home

Hofbräuhaus München - we came back here later

Beer culture is big here - there are six breweries in town and the beer-drinking age is 16

Zerwirkgewölbe - the second oldest building in the city and dates from the end of the 13th century

St. Peter's

We continued on to Marienplatz - Munich's main square since 1158

Mariensäule - Mary's Column is in the center of the square

New Town Hall - built about 100 years ago

The glockenspiel sounds each day at noon. The video finally uploaded to YouTube overnight over the somewhat slow ship wifi.

Old Town Hall

New Town Hall

Fischbrunnen - a fountain in the square

Entering the New Town Hall

The courtyard in New Town Hall

Ratskeller - our lunch venue

Beer? Yes, please

Cabbage roll stuffed with veal sausage and mashed potatoes

Apple strudel with vanilla sauce

We were given a couple of hours of free time to wander.

Frauenkirche - the women's church

Beautiful planters on each window

New Town Hall

St. Peter's

This was a little creepy

Holy Spirit Church - we didn't go in this one

Stadtsparkasse München - one of the oldest banks in Germany founded in 1824

Sausages were everywhere!

St. Peter's

Back at Hofbrau Haus

A nice weiss

After people-watching at Haufbrau Haus, we headed back to the Fish Fountain to meet our guide and group.

Restaurant Alois - Dallmayr Fine Dining - an establishment that has been serving kings and emperors for centuries

Theatine Church

Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria

National Theater

Siegestor - The Victory Gate

Walking Man - a sculpture outside Munich RE - a huge reinsurance company

We departed Munich for the ride to Kelheim, where our ship would be meeting us.

The hops fields were enormous

We had time to kill before our ship would be in Kelheim so we made a brief stop at an old Roman fortification.

We arrived in Kelheim.

 Gate Donautor was built in the 13th century

Gate Mittertor was built in the 13th century and refashioned in the 1800s

A canal off the Danube - there is an old wooden lock in the distance

Liberation Hall

Back at the ship

We sailed into an extremely narrow lock

How close is that wall?

This close - we were not stretching our arms

Tomorrow, we'll arrive in Nuremberg, Germany.