monastic voyage and other Regensburg, Germany Off The Beaten Path Tips

This is a bit of a sad story in more than one way. I have wanted to visit this monastic beer paradise for many years but it’s not the easiest place to get to. It’s on a narrow bend of the Danube River that is most easily (and scenically) reached via a cruise from Kelheim, a city most Germans visit while biking in the Altmuhltal region. With a car it’s also not hard to get to but if you are without one you’re only option is by bus, at least from Regensburg. The boat trip is fantastic and worth the excursion in and of itself, passing through narrow gorges that in autumn were aglow with fall foliage. I must excuse my use of a scanned magazine photo but I have good reason. The week after our trip, I met Lou Bess at a Munich beer garden with camera in tow. I guess we had one too many as we left the camera (with the film from the boat trip!) there. We never got it back so not only the camera but the photos are history. I do have great memories and guess that will have to suffice as the recent floods in Bavaria have left the monastery in ruin. I’m sure they will restore it but it will take some time. It’s worth checking to see the progress and making the trip if you can. Though you can see how easily the area might flood, on a nice day, you can also understand why the monks settled there in the 7th century. It’s just a beautiful spot. There is evidence that brewing was performed here as early as 1050. Most people come to see the Baroque chapel from the Asam brothers, notorious for their outlandish and extreme décor in the 18th century. Sadly, they were finishing up restoration while I was there. I guess they will have to start all over again. For those less religiously inclined, there is a fantastic beer hall/garden that serves up Bavarian specialties and house brewed beer.

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