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Sydney to Bavaria's medieval towns: Regensburg and Bamberg

Sydney → Regensburg → Bamberg

Regensburg
"Regensburg 08 2006 2.jpg" by No machine-readable author provided. Grizurgbg assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Nürnberger Burg im Herbst 2013 (Nuremberg)
Photo: DALIBRI, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Danube stone bridge & a town of timber houses and smoked beer Best season (general guide): May–Sep

Northern Bavaria has some of the best-preserved old towns in Germany, and frequent trains link Nuremberg, Regensburg and Bamberg. This route spends three nights in each of the two towns. From Sydney you'll connect through a European hub to Nuremberg, then take the train.

How to pace it: Regensburg, historically Ratisbon in English, began as a Roman river fort where the Naab and the Regen meet the Danube, and its old town with Stadtamhof is listed by UNESCO. After arriving, give day two to the twelfth-century Stone Bridge, a model for later bridges across Europe, and the Gothic St Peter's Cathedral, home of the Regensburger Domspatzen, one of the oldest boys' choirs in the world. On day three, take the boat downriver to the Walhalla, a hall of fame in the style of a Greek temple above the Danube. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the fourth-largest city in Bavaria.

On day four, take the train to Bamberg, on the Regnitz near the Main, a UNESCO site since 1993 with around 2,400 timber houses. Start at the Old Town Hall, which stands on an island in the river. Day five is for cathedral hill: Bamberg Cathedral holds the tomb of Emperor Henry II and his wife Cunigunde and the stone Bamberg Horseman. Keep day six for the brewery taverns and Rauchbier, the smoked beer made with malt dried over beechwood fires. The town's name derives from the nearby Babenberch castle.

Practical notes: May to September is the warm, light season. With frequent trains, you won't need a car.

Safety: Canada asks travellers to Germany to take a high degree of caution (updated 11 Aug 2026), and the US rates Germany Level 2 (13 May 2025).

Suggested outline

  1. Sydney

    Start

  2. Regensburg

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    A Roman-founded city on the Danube with a medieval stone bridge.

  3. Bamberg

    By train · 3 nights suggested

    A town of timber houses and smoked beer.

    Bamberg Altes Rathaus
    "Bamberg Altes Rathaus BW 1.JPG" by Berthold Werner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Regensburg — Arrive; train from Nuremberg· Sydney → Nuremberg (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day, then Nuremberg → Regensburg (overland)
  2. Day 2 · Regensburg — Stone Bridge and the cathedral
  3. Day 3 · Regensburg — Boat to Walhalla
  4. Day 4 · Bamberg — Train to Bamberg; the old town hall· Regensburg → Bamberg (by train)
  5. Day 5 · Bamberg — Cathedral hill
  6. Day 6 · Bamberg — Brewery taverns
  7. Day 7 · Bamberg — Travel home from Bamberg· Bamberg → Nuremberg (by train), then Nuremberg → Sydney (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Regensburg

Nearest airport: Nuremberg Search fares · Nuremberg ↗

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