5 Best Hotels in Regensburg, Franconia and the German Danube

This historic hotel's central location—sandwiched between the Alte Kapelle and Dom St. Peter, attached to the city's best beer garden, and within 10 minutes' walk of all Regensburg's other big-ticket attractions—is what makes it such a draw. But that's far from all it has to offer. The simply but smartly decorated rooms are comfortable and spacious, with marble bathrooms and Nespresso coffee machines. One of them—the vast Presidential Suite, with its large lounge and dining room, multiple bathrooms with rain showers and baths, preserved historic features, and stunning cathedral views—may be the best hotel room in Regensburg. The breakfast buffet will set you up well for a day of sightseeing, while evening meals of traditional Bavarian food can be enjoyed in the attached Weltenburger am Dom beer garden.

Bringing a touch of French flair to the heart of Bavaria, this beautiful grand hotel is set within a former baroque palazzo. It wears its history well, whether in the attic rooms with their large wooden beams or in the elegant first-floor rooms with their stucco ceilings; expect antique furnishings, chandeliers, and four-poster beds throughout. The French bistro–style restaurant prepares a selection of French classics (like coq au vin and bouillabaisse), along with best-in-the-city crepes. In case they're full, two sister properties are nearby: the Petit Hotel Orphée on the next street, and Andreasstadel on the other side of the river.

This is one of Germany's most historic hostelries, a former bishop's palace where you can sleep in a suite that includes part of a Roman gateway. Other rooms are only slightly less historic, and some have seen emperors and princes as guests, though you wouldn't know from the (mostly) modern and stylish design.

Renaissance windows punctuate the green facade of this historic city mansion, but the rooms are 20th-century modern. Try for one with a view of the cathedral, which stands directly across the street. Breakfast is served beneath the high-vaulted ceiling of a 14th-century chapel.

This small and stylish side-street hotel provides top service at a good price, right around the corner from the Neupfarrplatz and at the heart of the AltstadtQuartier. The individually decorated rooms, which vary all the way from singles up to four-bed family rooms, skilfully combine historic features (like original arches and medieval wooden beams) with unapologetically modern art and bold colors. If the Münchener Hof is full, ask the staff to book you at their sister hotel, the nearby Dependance Blauer Turm.