Walhalla

Ludwig I commissioned Leo von Klenze to build a hall of fame for German-speaking people, completed in 1842 on a bluff above the Danube and modelled closely on the Parthenon, with a flight of about three hundred and fifty steps climbing to it from the river. Inside are marble busts and inscribed plaques for figures from across the German-speaking world, chosen for achievement in any field, and additions continue at intervals; recent inductions have included scientists and artists. Klenze's building sits on a massive substructure of vaults that carry it out from the hillside. Boats from Regensburg run to a landing below the steps.

What you actually see

• The Parthenon copy - a Doric temple in marble above the Danube.
• The busts - marble portraits of figures from the German-speaking world.
• The staircase - about 350 steps climbing from the river landing.
• The substructure - vaulted terraces carrying the temple from the slope.

When to go

April to October; boats from Regensburg run in season. The interior is a single hall and the visit is short. Winter hours are reduced.

Honest expectations

It is one room of busts, seen in half an hour. The stair from the boat landing is long and steep. Boats are seasonal.

Nearby

Regensburg lies west; Weltenburg is upriver.