Through narrow streets, hidden passageways and courtyards, the visitor can stroll on to Kohlenmarkt and Haidplatz, to LUCREZIAMARKT where artists and craftsmen set up stalls laden with wonderful handmade wares such as dolls, pottery, paintings on silk and other materials, marionettes hanging amid a mass of strings, fine-quality toys (often too good to play with) and all sorts of other gifts. The creative people who have made all these objects are happy to explain techniques,and to encourage visitors to make tings themselves. Alongside these stands with their works of art, other booths invite visitors to sample gingerbread and Christmas cookies, all baked, of course, with wholemeal flour and other mouth watering goodies (daily 11am– 7.30pm, Sat. 10am – 7.30 pm).

Furthermore, located in the courtyard of Thurn and Taxis Palace there is the Romantic Christmas Market,a Christmas event like a fairy tale. This romantic Christmas market offers all the bustling atmosphere of a market, traditional Bavarian delicacies, and a varied programme of cultural events like daily entertainment programmes with theme nights, for example “The Night of Choirs”, “Bavarian Style Christmas” and so on. Her Highness Gloria of Thurn und Taxis tells the “Christmas Story” and Regensburg’s “Christkindl” recites poems each day. (Mon– Sat. 12 noon – 11 pm, Sun. 10am – 11pm)

And every year again during Advent there are boat trips along the Danube Valley from Regensburg through the charming winter landscape. These boat trips take place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm during the pre-Christmas period.

Plus don’t miss the Christmas concert of the world famous boys choir, the “Regensburger Domspatzen”.

Some of the city's awesome and breathtaking structures have survived for 2.000 years. Nor are they necessarily
just tourist attractions; some are still functional to this day. The Stone Bridge, for example, built on 16 huge arches in 1146, has been in continuous use for more than 800 years.

Regensburg is a city of churches. Focal points of early Christianity, its ecclesiastical buildings are majestic and typify early Christian architecture. Most famous is St. Peter's Cathedral, inspired by the French Gothic style and built in the 13th century.

One of the most impressive remnants of Roman occupation in Regensburg is the Porta Praetoria behind the cathedral.

Commerce in Regensburg is as old as the town itself. During the Middle Ages the city grew large and famous through the wealth of its merchants. It is still a merchants' town with its modern shopping centres and high quality wares.

Throughout the ages Regensburg's hospitality has been extolled - early documentation comes from a letter Mozart wrote to his family praising the city's fine food and wine. The youthful composer may have visited the ancient Wurstküche (sausage kitchen), one of Germany's oldest
kitchen near the Stone Bridge.