It might seem strange to come across a majestic Doric temple, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, touring the countryside around the German city of Regensburg. Instead, this majestic building is full of stairs, columns, capitals and architectural elements that recall the ancient Greece exists and is called Valhalla. Its architecture completely out of context is hard to reconcile with half-timbered houses and medieval buildings of many small towns in the area.
The idea of building the Walhalla, which in Norse mythology is the abode of the heroes who died in battle, has matured in the then Crown Prince Ludwig in 1807 when Napoleon defeated the Prussian army. The origins of the neoclassical temple dates back to the mid-800, when King Ludwig I commend the architect Leo von Klenze the design of a temple that celebrates the great German men. Inside, there are in fact 129 busts and 65 commemorative plaques that refer to men and women who have distinguished themselves in politics, religion, art, science and music.
Among these are: Barbarossa, Bismarck, Erasmus, Luther, Copernicus, Röntgen, Gutenberg, Einstein, Goethe, Mozart, Wagner, Sophie Scholl, heroine of the White Rose anti-Nazi movement, and the same Ludwig I.
Walhalla in Regensburg is open from 9 am to 17:45 from April to September. Up to 16.45 in October, while from November to March is open from 10 am to 11:45 am and from 13:00 to 15.45.
How to get there:
By Angela B
Photos:Allie Caulfield
