TYPICAL REGENSBURG!

Now it’s high time to find a gift for dad, grandma or that nice neighbor! We have once again rummaged through the traditional stores in Regensburg and found some specialists and even more unusual specialties. Have fun visiting the interesting stores and finding gifts somewhere completely different!

10 Even more “real Rengschburga” with tradition:

1) Over 190 years of experience with a sharp blade

Actually, you shouldn’t give knives as gifts – they say it’s bad luck! But you can collect a symbolic donation for it, perhaps a penny or a euro? Then you can make men’s eyes sparkle with the fine hand-crafted blades from Messer Birzer. It’s quality from a master craftsman and every passionate amateur chef and of course every female chef will appreciate it. Anyone with a particular passion for the Middle Ages or who has always dreamed of a samurai sword in damascus is well advised to contact August Birzer, because his passion is sharp blades. Birzer also has a comprehensive selection of knives from renowned manufacturers for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts in his small store in Taubengässchen. Why not give a high-quality Swiss Army knife as a gift for your next camping vacation or planned hike? And should the good piece no longer do its job perfectly, the Regensburg master cutler is also on hand with a comprehensive sharpening service, because a knife like this is an investment for life.

2) Carmelite spirit

The Regensburg Carmelites have been guarding a secret recipe for three centuries. In 1721, a priest in Regensburg created the spirit from the bottle, a powerful herbal extract with long-term effects. The bestseller from the time when the fountain on Neupfarrplatz, today next to the Karavan monument, was created, is still a tried and tested remedy today and still bears the name Geist. A good spirit that can also be produced according to the old, closely guarded monastery recipes. There is still such a spirit factory in Regensburg today at the Alter Kornmarkt. The herbal distillate, also known as “Extraordinäres Schlagwasser”, is still sold at the monastery gate of St. Joseph’s and has been appreciated by many generations. The natural remedy with the power of over a dozen medicinal plants was an integral part of Regensburg households, and hardly any other traditional herbal medicine is as well-known as the “Aechte Regensburger Karmelitengeist”.

3) Rich spirits and sweet cathedral sparrows

A master confectioner has captured this spirit in a sweet. The monks of the “Discalced Carmelites” in Regensburg have been cooperating with the Pernsteiner confectionery for more than 25 years. The friars provide the “Original Regensburg Carmelite Spirit” exclusively for the production of Carmelite truffles. This transforms the prized remedy into a unique and equally healing sweet. The fine taste of medicinal herbs blends with white chocolate in the pralines and gives them a mildly spicy flavor. This praline has been the best-selling praline at Pernsteiner for more than 20 years. In addition, the Regensburger Domspatzen chirp exclusively as a sweet delicacy in the confectioner’s display. It was also created in collaboration with the world-famous Regensburger Domspatzen and is made from delicious milk chocolate with a core of Piedmontese nougat. Two originals from the cathedral city that you won’t find anywhere else.

4) Of master shoemakers and their lasts

Now in its third generation, the Brosi shoe workshop in Stadtamhof is a true Regensburg institution. The motto here is to produce as much as possible in-house, because quality is what counts for customers. If you want to do something good for your feet, you can have handmade shoes made here. This is also a good opportunity to treat your loved ones to custom-made welted shoes. The handmade models are timelessly elegant, such as the legendary Budapester, or classically simple. Depending on taste, the shoe underlines the wearer’s personal style. Hisin Bajrami‘s Schuhwerk Regensburg in the lower Bachgasse also cultivates the craft of shoemaking. You can choose the colors and uppers, leather soles or different types of rubber soles to suit your taste, or simply ask for advice without obligation. A good shoe gives the wearer a completely different appearance. In terms of the ecological footprint, too, it is of course better and ultimately more profitable than buying shoes again and again from discount stores, whose half-life is anything but environmentally friendly. After all, we know that old shoes are thrown away faster than old habits.

5) And the golden Bruckmandl goes to….

The Kunsthof Weichmann, originally located in the café of the same name in Gesandtenstraße, has given the legendary Regensburg Bruckmandl, which looks anxiously over to the cathedral, a shiny form – in silver and gold. The Golden Bruckmandl – one of the most famous artifacts – and many other works by Franz and Rudi Weichmann have shaped the cityscape of Regensburg. In numerous alleyways and buildings you will find well-known works of art on buildings, wind chimes, fountain figures and weather goblins from this long-established workshop. The Bruckmandl is now also available in a stately 22 cm brass figure and, as a representative of the city and its legendary past, is probably one of the most beautiful gifts for any Regensburg lover.

6) From wiry to delicate – you’ll find everything here

Another Regensburg institution with cult status is Bürsten Ernst in Glockengasse. It is said that a comparable range of brooms and brushes, paintbrushes and combs can no longer be found anywhere else in Germany. That could easily be true, but housework, sweeping, scrubbing and dusting is certainly no longer so difficult with the well-made brushes from this company. The special little helpers made from the best materials are produced directly behind the store in a small workshop, just as they were a hundred years ago. There is probably nothing in brushes and brooms that you would not find here; from the dishwashing brush for the wheat beer glass to the robust hand brush. The family business has been supplying handmade quality products for generations, far beyond the borders of Regensburg. Natural, durable raw materials with the best workmanship ensure that you can work with them for a long time and are not forced to throw them away. Waltraud Ernst and her daughter Caroline are continuing what their great-grandfather Peter founded in 1894 – a true brush-making dynasty. The interior of this unusual store is worth seeing and you are sure to find a surprising gift here – be it a brush for shoes or a filigree feather duster.

7) For future rock stars and budding virtuosos

It’s hard to imagine Haidplatz without Musikhaus Wittl. With almost 40 years of experience, it’s well worth a visit – whether you’re looking for your first touring guitar or an accordion under the tree. From synthesizers to sacred organs, the store really does have everything to make a musician’s heart beat faster. The music store Sound Aktuell Guitar at Dr.-Gessler-Str. 10 also offers a large selection of instruments of all kinds and competent advice. If you have fallen in love with the guitar and your first guitar is no longer up to scratch, guitar maker Matthias Fischer has been offering his individual skills as a master guitar maker in Auweg since 2021. There are several places to go in Regensburg for passionate string players: Geigenbau Goldfuss, now in its third generation on Schwanenplatz, has a long tradition and is highly recommended. They have long since made a name for themselves with their individual violin making as well as the reproduction of old masters. Master violin maker Helmut Pöser has had another workshop for over 30 years, right behind the Café Goldenes Kreuz, in the courtyard next door, a place where the sky is full of violins. His specialty: baroque instruments, the production of baroque tailpieces and fingerboards, which are sold worldwide. Perhaps there will be a successor to Ann-Sophie Mutter or David Garrett in Regensburg.

8) A modern interpretation of old craftsmanship

Anyone who has ever made it as far as Obere Bachgasse while strolling through the city will probably have discovered the particularly attractive display of hand-printed cards and paper goods. Susanne Kauth has revived the traditional art of hand-press printing on handmade paper and opened her store in Regensburg in 2010. Lovingly and individually designed hand-printed and letterpress cards. With ever-changing motifs and ideas, she creates very personal gifts tailored to the personality of the recipient. There are also special Blinkfüers daily and weekly calendars and writing books with meaningful titles such as Give your ideas a home! or witty titles such as Freigeist, Flausen or Querulatorium with pen flap and note pocket. The beautiful handmade wallets with paper and envelope and the cute motifs make you want to write a letter by hand again. The idea of the “Kummersteinen” is particularly touching: a hand-picked, particularly beautiful Danube pebble is provided with a suitable saying in the handmade manufacture and thus becomes a message of love and remembrance. According to your personal wishes or design. Let stones speak!

Susanne Kauth, Blinkfüer Handdruck Regensburg

9) People are wearing hats again

The family business has set itself the great goal of protecting every head – just like in the old days. The “Royal Byeric Purveyor to the Court” founded the hat factory in Waaggässchen, near the Old Town Hall, in 1919. In the meantime, the Hutkönig has been an institution among hat lovers from all over the world for generations, because men are wearing hats again – and so are women. The aim of the family business is to protect every head – just like in the old days. As soon as you enter the “Hutkönigreich” at Krauterermarkt, you are surrounded by a special flair, because here the customer is still king. Andreas Nuslan, the hatter from the cathedral, is happy to keep everyone warm. Royal and princely houses, presidents with their wives, aristocrats from all over Europe and many well-known personalities from film, radio and television as well as from art and music, “from the Pope to Playboy”, know about the quality of the house at the cathedral. “From Pope to Playboy”, as it says. Everyone is sure to be looking for something special at the “Hutkönig” and is sure to find something unique. So why not give it as an exclusive gift? It doesn’t have to be the hat of the “Mad Hatter” from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland movie with Johnny Depp – because that also came from the workshop in Regensburg. It makes you feel like royalty.

10) Cult and memories in vinyl, on tape or reel

“Where words leave off, music begins” is the guiding theme of Shadilac in Kramgasse. The iconic record store is an experience in itself. Browsing for dad’s favorite record from the 60s or 1980s or the legendary single from your favorite star is a real adventure. You can also go on a musical treasure hunt in the T-Recs Recordstore in Malergasse. Classics and hot records can also be found here. If you don’t have to search for treasures first, but want to save them, i.e. if you still have music cassettes, old video cassettes with precious memories or Super 8 reels or slides that you have recorded yourself with hours of loving devotion, you can have them digitized at Copylab in Silberne Fischgasse 10 and thus save your memories for modern times. And memories are the best gift for our loved ones!

(unpaid and uncommissioned advertising due to naming)

Many thanks to our author Marion Lanzl for this article!

Marion Lanzl is a freelance writer and loves to stroll around her second home Regensburg and meet up with her friends in one of the wonderful cafés. Here on RegensburgNow she writes about her favorite city.

Your city – your blog!

Let’s connect! RegensburgNow is also on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

(unpaid advertising due to naming and shaming)

Our excursion tips on Facebook:

Do you already know our Facebook group “Excursion tips in and around Regensburg plus Upper Palatinate” with more than 22,000 members? Click here for the group.