Day 1
We started the next day in our hometown of Regensburg with a walk across the Stone Bridge.
Regensburg’s Old Town, including Stadtamhof, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was once a medieval trading city and political centre.
As usual, there was a street musician on the bridge, either early in the morning or late in the evening, and today it was a harpist. We also saw many tourists from cruise ships.
After that, we walked all over the city, stopping by some of our favourite places along the way. We spoke to lots of people passing by at the Old Town Hall, Neupfarrplatz and Bismarckplatz to find out about their favourite places and what they thought about living in Regensburg. Initially, this proved more difficult than expected, as a significant proportion of the young people we approached were not actually residents of Regensburg, but were visiting the city.
We then went to Obermünsterplatz, one of our favourite places in Regensburg, where we saw lots of people either picking up lunch or sitting on the benches.
Local perspective: The Danube, a youthful city and bustling squares in the Old Town
We met Manu and his girlfriend, who are both students, while they were on their lunch break and chatted with them. They told us that they especially like how youthful and vibrant the city is, thanks to the many students. They also appreciate how everything is within easy reach, and how friendly and open-minded the people are. Both of them also value the rich cultural offerings and the abundance of nature. They specifically mentioned the banks of the Danube near the Stone Bridge and the Old Town as their favourite spots.
Continuing on our way, we met Linh and Simon at a Café in Apollonia’s Garden. They have both lived in Regensburg their entire lives. For Linh, the Danube is an important part of the city, and the fact that everything is close together. Simon also appreciates the many young people and the short distances in the Old Town. For him, Haidplatz is a great meeting spot and a place to linger, as are the Danube’s banks. Linh especially enjoys spending her free time there, too, where she can let her legs dangle and relax.
After that, we continued walking down Obere Bachgasse towards the city centre, where we talked to Theresa. She moved to Regensburg to study and deliberately chose this city. She likes that it’s a small city and enjoys spending time in the Old Town, by the Danube and drinking an Aperol in Stadtamhof in particular.
We met Helene later at the Grieser Spitz. She also moved to Regensburg for her studies and likes that it’s a young, student-friendly city where you can always meet people. She also enjoys visiting the Stone Bridge, the Danube and the Grieser Spitz in her free time.
Exploring together
Our walk then took us to Stadtamhof via the Stone Bridge once again, where the harpist was still performing. From there, we could see people swinging on the Grieser Steg over the Danube, so we made our way over there. At the Grieser Spitz, there were lots of people swimming or relaxing in hammocks or on towels. It is this, along with the peace and quiet, that makes this one of our favourite places. After resting on a bench for a while, we made our way to the visitor centre.
When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by Bernhard, Moni and Janina! After sharing our impressions of Bamberg and Regensburg so far, they treated us to ice cream. Standing on the stone bridge, we chatted about their favourite places in Regensburg. Moni likes to unwind in Stadtamhof in the evening, while Janina spoke about Bismarckplatz, which comes alive in the evening, especially with students.
Sketch and watch: Danube promenade next to the Stone Bridge
Once again, we ended our day by the Danube. As most locals had recommended the riverbank as their favourite spot, we decided to hold our ‘sketch and watch’ session there, right next to the Stone Bridge — a place we love too and visit often.
Regensburg’s shared living room
1. We’re sitting on a bench on the Danube Promenade, right by the Stone Bridge. We often find ourselves drawn here for an evening snack or to enjoy the lovely sunset. Although we are familiar with this situation, today it feels quite special to consciously take in our favourite spot in Regensburg.
2. Many people pass us by – walkers, joggers and bottle collectors. But it’s mainly the small groups of people sitting at the water’s edge, letting the evening draw to a close – they fill the banks of the Danube as far as the eye can see. It’s amazing how, somehow, everyone manages to snag a spot on the packed promenade. At times it looks like a choreographed routine: no sooner has one group left than the next sits down. And if there’s no space left, you squeeze in between two groups. This close proximity to people who are essentially strangers doesn’t seem to bother anyone – they simply linger together.
3. Lively conversations, the rustling of food and mobile phone videos dominate the background noise. Yet if you listen more closely, a subtle, relaxed soundscape emerges: the flow of the Danube, the plucking of a street musician’s cello on the Stone Bridge, or the occasional chirping of birds from the nearby ‘Jahninsel’.
4. Right at the start, two female students walk down to the banks of the Danube. They are carrying two plastic bags and scanning the promenade. Other female students wave them over – they have already spread out on a large picnic blanket on the riverbank and taken off their shoes. They greet each other warmly; it’s clearly one of the students’ birthdays – she receives their congratulations. The birthday feast is laid out: a pizza box is already waiting, the new arrivals have brought Asian takeaway food, and the birthday girl presents the group more snacks and drinks. They share the food, take photos of each other in front of the spread and the panoramic view of the Danube, and chat animatedly about one student’s crush, whom she simply describes as a ‘topless guy’. A birthday party on the Danube!
5. I’m watching a young man who’s the only one sitting alone on the riverbank, he’s suddenly startled by a friend who has just arrived – I’m a little startled myself. They greet each other in Spanish, and a little later another couple of friends join them. Canned beer, grapes and some homemade couscous in a thermal container are now laid out on a large beach towel. Once they have finished eating, their lively conversations gradually die down. Both men lie down, using their girlfriends’ thighs as pillows – I think one of them even falls asleep, while the others continue to chat sporadically or scroll through social media.
6. Right between these two groups, four female students are sitting cross-legged on a picnic blanket. Their shoes are neatly placed at the edge of the blanket and their pizza box is already empty. They are having a nostalgic conversation; it has a melancholic tone: they are talking about a mutual friend who is now travelling to Vietnam with her boyfriend and will then be moving to Portugal. The students emphasise: “Portugal isn’t exactly the end of the world, after all.” Yet it is clear to see that they are sad that their friend is moving abroad. They then laugh as they recall how, at the age of 18, they naively moved to Regensburg to study. Now, uncertainties about the future dominate their thoughts. Has the group of friends grown close during their studies? Are they sad to be leaving Regensburg and seeing their paths diverge? Before leaving the banks of the Danube, they throw away their rubbish and even pick up small bits of food from the cobblestones – they want to leave their favourite spot clean for those who will come after them.
7. In fact, it isn’t long before two female students take their seats. They have no blanket, one of them is having trouble sitting down on the promenade in her short skirt and the other has forgotten to bring a spoon. So, laughing, they share a spoon whilst eating from their identical bowls, which they’ve picked up from a nearby restaurant. It was clearly a spur-of-the-moment idea to have their dinner together on the banks of the Danube.
8. A young woman struggles to reach the banks of the Danube with her walking frame, but her friend helps her. They sit down together and one of the women takes two kebab boxes out of her rucksack. Before they start eating, they tuck a handkerchief into their collars – fine dining. They are by far the quietest; they chat to one another but also take the time to gaze at the seemingly endless Stone Bridge.
9. There’s plenty going on at our bench, too: to begin with, we share it with two men who sit there together and, every now and then, show each other Arabic music videos at full volume. Their spot is then taken by an elderly man – he significantly raises the average age on the banks of the Danube. After resting for a moment and examining Mia’s drawing, he moves on. We also share the bench with wasps that are constantly buzzing around a nearby bin. The other visitors have to protect their food from the insects – some wave their arms about frantically, others dodge them skilfully.
10. Sometimes, visitors’ gazes turn briefly towards the Danube: a group of canoeists appears beneath the Stone Bridge. In their colourful canoes and garish helmets, they chug along at varying speeds against the current, chatting amongst themselves. At one point, I also notice a man in a speedboat briefly slowing down to speak to two women on the Danube banks – yet his boat carries him slowly but surely onwards.
Conviviality, exuberance and tranquillity: people sit shoulder to shoulder, regardless of occasion, cultural background or food. Mostly young (female) student have come with their blankets and food to linger – it all feels familiar, like an evening ritual. You can tell that they are finding a soothing end to their day on the banks of the Danube – the flowing river and the tranquillity of the bridge help you unwind. Yet lively conversations take place, too: people laugh, they eat, and no personal topic is off limits – whether the neighbour hears it or the whole city, and nobody minds. The Danube promenade becomes a shared living room and Regensburg’s biggest picnic.
Day 2
Regensburg lives up to its name! It rained a lot on our second day. We made the most of the sunny breaks, though, and first went to another one of our favourite spots along the Danube. There is a beautiful view of the city, so we sat down and took a little break to read. Later, we walked down to the riverbank, where we saw a man and his dog who wanted to play in the water. Every now and then, a few boats passed by and there were also a few ducks swimming around.
After that, we went to the Dult Parade at the cathedral and walked with the crowd for a while until we reached the Stone Bridge. The Dult is a folk festival held in Regensburg, which started on that very day.
In the evening, we went to the ‘Ciao’ festival in Stadtamhof. Held in a meadow next to the Danube, the area was heavily decorated with lanterns and string lights. There were quite a few people sitting at tables or standing at bar tables, enjoying a drink and a chat. After a while, it started raining lightly again.
Based on our conversations with locals and our own impressions, we can say that Regensburg is a very livable city for young people. Thanks to the compact layout of the Old Town, its young and open-minded inhabitants, and above all the Danube, it offers plenty of places to meet up and relax!