The Walhalla at Regensburg: Sunset in illustrious company

Occupying a majestic position overlooking the Danube Valley of Regensburg: The Walhalla monument. This impressive building is one of the most popular destinations in the Upper Palatinate, attracting up to 200,000 visitors a year. Locals and visitors of all ages come and marvel at the immortal glamour of days gone by and immerse themselves in Bavarian mythology.

Walhalla: Back to Bavaria’s imperial past

Living history – that is what the Walhalla is all about. This hall of fame is named after Walhall, the resting place of fallen warriors in Nordic mythology. The classicist architect Leo von Klenze built it on the orders of King Ludwig I. On 18 October 1830 he laid the foundation stone – twelve years later the memorial site for key figures of the German language was opened with a grand ceremony. Modelled on the Greek Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, the Walhalla has reigned majestically over the Danube valley ever since, radiating its mythical flair since 1842. On 21 October 2017, this magnificent building will celebrate its 175th anniversary.

358 steps lead up to the imposing entrance portal. This opens into a wide hall, clad in elegant marble. Visitors find themselves eye to eye with 130 busts and 65 memorial tablets alluding to personages such as the medieval minstrel Walther von der Vogelweide and Arnulph I, Duke of Bavaria. A visit to the Walhalla is a whirlwind tour through German history, which has not yet come to an end: New busts have been continually added since 1962.

On the steps of the Walhalla: A time-honoured meeting place

For the people of Regensburg and their guests, the Walhalla in Donaustauf is a historic meeting point: They spend days and evenings here and with a glass of wine or a guitar in hand they enjoy the views across the idyllic valley. Below them, the Danube meanders gently through fertile green floodplains. Cornfields reach to the river’s edge, alongside lush meadows and the red-brown rooftops of tiny hamlets. The memorial site is a place that connects people and reminds them of the glory days of old – just as Bavaria’s King Ludwig hoped it would do