The Cathedral of St Peter is the most important Gothic building in Bavaria and dominates the Regensburg skyline with its twin spires. Construction began in 1273 on the ruins of an earlier Romanesque cathedral and stretched across more than two centuries, so the building carries a full cross-section of Gothic invention. The western facade — with its delicate stonework, medieval figures, and the "laughing angel" (a carved figure of Gabriel whose expression changes from stern to joyful as you walk past) — is among the finest in Germany.
Inside, the glory is the stained glass. The 14th-century windows in the south transept and nave are exceptional — rich blues and reds that flood the stone interior with colour on a sunny morning. The treasury, accessible separately, houses golden reliquaries and vestments spanning a thousand years. The Sunday High Mass with the Domspatzen choir singing fills the cathedral with sound in a way that makes the architecture feel alive.