Ah, such a familiar feeling: 2 hours of strolling in the drizzle feeling slightly underwhelmed by another variation of a European Town, a few hours later I'm rushing for the train feeling like I want to relocate to the city after something intangible suddenly wins me over. Yep, I ended up smitten with yet another small/medium sized European city.

Initially I wasn't really swept away by the main sights. The cathedral was large and grand, but nothing really exceptional for me (though maybe I am just getting a little too blasé about these as I have visited so many). The remains of the roman walls were rather underwhelming and then I was shooed away from sheltering under an awning whilst trying to eat some sausages and order a beer at the famous Wurstkuschl, I was feeling damp and discouraged.

Things picked up in the excellent world heritage museum next to the bridge, which like many other such museums did a great job of explaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the site as well as the history and personalities associated with it. As the rain abated I went for a stroll to Stadtamhof on the other side of the river the crossing was very reminiscent of the Charles Bridge in Prague, just missing the statues and the looming castle. Stadtamhof was pleasant with a few nice cafes and a different feel to the rest of the city. Things really improved for me as I called into one of the city's 3 breweries Spital, the large garden was closed but the charming old school ambiance and service inside helped elevate my spirits for the return to the city centre.

Highlight after highlight surprised me on my return to Regensburg proper. I wasn't expecting to find the Old Town so charming, after being a little underwhelmed earlier on, the winding streets punctuated with tower houses, charming little squares and two rather impressive churches. The crazy rococo decoration in the Alte Kapelle was rather impressive (once I fathomed how to get inside) however my particular favourite was the wonderful Romanesque Scottish Portal at St Jakob's church, this was also next another of the city's breweries where another plate of local sausages and delicious sweet mustard helped cement my new found admiration for the city.

[Site 7: Experience 8]