ALL IT TAKES IS A GOOD IDEA

The Wurstkuchl sausage kitchen goes into high gear to feed the waiting crowds

The oldest “sausage tavern” in the world - the 500 year old Wurstkuchl of Regensburg sits on the banks of the Danube next to another Regensburg landmark, the 12th Century stone bridge.

The charcoal grills inside the tiny cramped kitchen sizzled and smoked with homemade bratwurst that are stuffed into crispy rolls, served with sweet mustard and sauerkraut fermented in wooden barrels in the kitchen‘s cellar.

The lines outside the sausage kitchen
were long despite the cold drizzle

A popular place, it was worth the wait to “eat street’ in Regensburg while we admired Germany's oldest surviving stone bridge and its 16 arches.

Once one of the most powerful and wealthy cities in Germany, Regensburg is picturesque and well heeled.  It survived the World Wars and its medieval centre and winding cobbled streets remain intact.  

The town’s history though dates back to the Romans and one tower from the 179 AD fort is still standing.

Regensburg Wedding party

Wedding guests enjoy a libation

Several weddings were in progress at the Old Town Hall, a beautiful Gothic structure dating back to the 13^th Century. 

The brides were dressed for Fall, one wearing a short white cape edged with fur.  

Wedding guests were having what could only be described as a tailgate party.  Some dressed in traditional Bavarian outfits, the bridal party enjoyed beer and wine that flowed generously from a car trunk as the strains of ten o’clock rang out from the nearby clock tower.

Attractive Gothic town hall was busy with weddings

The highlight of the day was a visit to the Palace of St. Emmeram, the home of the Thurn und Taxis family, that is, when they are not enjoying their other homes around the world. Princess Gloria oversees the Thurn und Taxis family businesses these days which had their financial beginnings from Franz von Taxis’ establishment of the first European postal system in the 15^th Century. 

The family received the former Imperial Abbey of St. Emmeram as compensation when the postal monopoly ended four centuries later, turning the Abbey into a modern, stylish 500 room palace.   

Before she became a successful businesswoman working to mitigate the family fortune from death duties after her husband’s demise, Princess Gloria had earned a bit of a reputation from her past antics and wild parties, dubbed in the society magazines as “the dynamite socialite, Princess TNT“. Calmer times prevail these days although the heir to the family fortune enjoys fast cars and is reputed to be one of Europe's most eligible bachelors.  A page out of "Lifestyles of the rich and famous" for the rest of us lesser mortals.

Thurn und Taxis Palace - Proudly claimed by our palace guide to be 
bigger and grander than Buckingham Palace

The Palace rooms on view to the public were certainly elaborate, colourful and stylish. There were also examples of Gloria's penchant for modern art on display - the giant fried egg a bit of a puzzle to us. 

A magnificent Murano chandelier hanging above the dining table weighs about the size of a small car. Brought from Italy back in the day in a vat of hardened butter to protect the glass, we could only imagine what it had taken to assemble and clean. 

Our guide advised that some of the public rooms can be rented for private events (for a generous fee) and the gift shop should not be missed - it was doing a roaring trade as we exited the premises.  The family fortune today is estimated at well over a billion Euro thanks to all its successful enterprises which undoubtedly include a little tourism and curiosity. 

Amazing what can happen when one of your ancestors has a really good idea.