The Scots Monastery (Schottenkirche) is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Germany, hidden in plain sight among Regensburg's medieval lanes. It was founded in 1111 as part of the network of "Schottenklöster" — Irish Benedictine monasteries scattered across southern Germany in the early medieval period. The church's north portal, decorated in the 1180s with a dense programme of carved figures — interwoven beasts, apostles, and biblical scenes — is one of the most extraordinary pieces of Romanesque carving in Bavaria.
The interior is unexpectedly stark: whitewashed walls, a low Romanesque vault, and the feeling of a very old, very serious church that has not been much improved since it was built. This austerity is in striking contrast to the baroque exuberance of most Bavarian churches. Worth seeking out specifically for the portal, which rewards close attention — every column has its own carving, and the iconographic programme is still not fully decoded.