Walhalla Memorial, Donaustauf, Germany

The Walhalla is a hall of fame that honors laudable and distinguished people in German history. The hall is a neo-classical building above the Danube River. The Walhalla is named for the Valhalla of Norse mythology. It was conceived in 1807 by Crown Prince Ludwig in order to support the then-gathering momentum for the unification of the many German states. Following his accession to the throne of Bavaria, construction took place between 1830 and 1842 under the supervision of the architect Leo von Klenze.

The memorial displays some 65 plaques and 130 busts covering 2,000 years of history, beginning with Arminius, victor at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Arpit Jain (15 months ago)
Wasn't expecting the awesome view. Be very careful with your kids, the stairs can be dangerous. If planning to go by public transport and walk to top, avoid the baby stroller/kinderwagen else carry a lock for it so that you can lock it below close to bus stop.

Olive Elwell (15 months ago)
Very beautiful monument. It is particularly striking from the outside. However, it is quite expensive (4,50) to go inside just a single room...

Rod King (15 months ago)
Very nice place to hike, cool monument, and great views.

Lex Universe (18 months ago)
Just outside, about 10 km down the Danube, in a town Donaustauf, there is an amazing piece of architecture that you just have to visit. The Wallhala is the most grandious memorial to the German nation and history. This reproduction of the Parthenon rising on the hill high above the river will let you gasp for your breath. If you wanna go inside and look at hundreds of busts of German worthies, or just walk around and enjoy the view, it is certainly a must when visiting Regensburg. Just take the bus to Donaustauf or board one of the ships that will take you there on the waves of the Danube.

Elena Gromova (18 months ago)
Beautiful location, but the hall itself is closed due to the lockdown (20.03.2021), though Google maps told us it is open.

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Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

The broch continued to be inhabited while it began to collapse and the original structures were altered. The cistern was filled in and the interior was repartitioned. The ruin visible today reflects this secondary phase of the broch's use.

The site is surrounded by three ditches cut out of the rock with stone ramparts, encircling an area of around 45 metres diameter. The remains of numerous small stone dwellings with small yards and sheds can be found between the inner ditch and the tower. These were built after the tower, but were a part of the settlement's initial conception. A 'main street' connects the outer entrance to the broch. The settlement is the best-preserved of all broch villages.

Pieces of a Roman amphora dating to before 60 AD were found here, lending weight to the record that a 'King of Orkney' submitted to Emperor Claudius at Colchester in 43 AD.

At some point after 100 AD the broch was abandoned and the ditches filled in. It is thought that settlement at the broch continued into the 5th century AD, the period known as Pictish times. By that time the broch was not used anymore and some of its stones were reused to build smaller dwellings on top of the earlier buildings. Until about the 8th century, the site was just a single farmstead.

In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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