Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany
The settlements in Regensburg, Germany date from the Stone Age. The Celtic people inhabited the area before the Romans, who conqueered it under Emperor Marcus Aurelius and built the fortress, Castra Regina, of which the eastern tower remains. Its rich history spans the ages from Charlemagne to the Dutchy of Bavaria to its freedom given by the Holy Roman Empire in 1596. The foremost Gothic cathedral (Dom) in Bavaria is in Regensburg, as well as the historical stone bridge on the Blue Danube that connected trade routes from Europe to Venice. The HIstoric Old Town is one of Unesco's World Heritage sites. The Steinerne Bruecke is the oldest working stone bridge in Germany and considered to be a Medieval building miracle.