In an old monastery, this museum shelters a rich roman section that would merit a special museum in most cities.

In the past, this city has welcome the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire and seen the current pope. Regensburg was one of the main Roman empire border cities, at the height of Roman expansion in Germania.The town lies at the meeting place of the Danube and Regen rivers. This Dungau valley is the natural path, from Italian Venetia through the Styria cols, to the heart of Germany.

Regensburg - in French Ratisbonne (Ratis-bona)- was first a Celtic town before becoming German. Situated on the Danubian Vindelics border, Ratisbona seems not having been ruled by Rome before AD 80, during the time of Emperor Titus.

The museum "römerzeitliche Abteilung" shows us several large rooms that enlightens, as often in Germany, a clear pedagogical will.

The first room is, with its monumental inscription from the foundation of a legionary camp (Circa AD 179), devoted to military life, with maps, precise lay-outs, steles, coins, uniforms and other soldier (auxiliary or legionary) items of daily life in mint condition.

Another room devoted to the Roman house and cooking gives a beautiful 1/1 scale recreation of a little domus.

The next room, devoted to the religion, shows that in Regensburg (like in Gaul), soldiers and inhabitants honoured both roman and local gods. An important part of this room honors the cult of Mercury with statues, lay-outs and inscriptions.

The last part of the Roman section evokes the cults of the dead with many objects, statues, ex-votos and inscriptions.

The visit of this excellent museum - a couple of hours for the amateur - is highly recommended. It is one of the top five best Roman museums that I have ever visited personally.

Dachauplatz, 2-4, ph. 09.41/5.07.14.20 ou 07.24.48 -
open from Tu. to Sun. 10 am to 4 pm except 1st Jan., Eastern Fr.,
May 1st and Nov., 24-25 and 31st Dec. - 2,20 euros.