Donaustauf is a market town in

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, east of

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

at the foothills of the

Bavarian Forest image:Zell-bayerischer-wald.jpg, The village of Zell in the Bavarian Forest The Bavarian Forest ( or ''Bayerwald'' ; ) is a wooded, low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany, that is about 100 kilometres long. It runs along the Czech Republic, C ...

. The ruins of a medieval castle, presumably erected between 914 and 930, tower above the small town. Situated nearby on a hill rising from the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

is the imposing Teutonic temple of fame, Walhalla, a costly reproduction of the Parthenon in Athens. The Walhalla was commissioned by

Ludwig I Ludwig I or Louis I (; 25 August 1786 – 29 February 1868) was King of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states. When he was crown prince, he was involved in the Napoleonic Wars. As king, he encouraged Bavaria's ind ...

King of Bavaria The King of Bavaria () was a title held by the hereditary Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria in the state known as the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1805 until 1918, when the kingdom was abolished. It was the second time Bavaria was a kingdom, almost a t ...

, and inaugurated on 18 October 1842. Donaustauf had been a fief in the

Duchy of Bavaria The Duchy of Bavaria () was a frontier region in the southeastern part of the Merovingian kingdom from the sixth through the eighth century. It was settled by Bavarians, Bavarian tribes and ruled by List of rulers of Bavaria, dukes (''duces'') ...

, but in 1710 it was transferred to

Bishopric of Regensburg The Prince-Bishopric of Regensburg () was a small ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire located near the Free Imperial City of Regensburg in Bavaria. It was elevated to the Archbishopric of Regensburg in 1803 after the dissolu ...

. In 1803 it joined the newly formed

Principality of Regensburg The Principality of Regensburg () was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was created in 1803. Its capital was Regensburg. Following the dissolution of the Empire in 1806, the principality became a member state of the Confederation of ...

, but just 7 years later, at the it was returned to Bavaria, which, in turn, endowed it to the princes of

Thurn and Taxis The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis (, ) is a family of German nobility that is part of the '' Briefadel''. It was a key player in the postal services in Europe during the 16th century, until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, and beca ...

. In 1899, the princely house was elevated to a dukedom, receiving the title of Duke of Wörth and Donaustauf. Maximilian Karl, Prince of Thurn and Taxis and his family, who liked the romantic scenery of Donaustauf, moved to the newly constructed

Donaustauf palace Donaustauf Palace () was a summer residence of the princes of Thurn und Taxis in Donaustauf, Bavaria in Germany. The palace was destroyed during a fire in 1880. Today, only the gardens with a Chinese teahouse remain. History In 1812, Karl ...

in 1843, which, however, was completely destroyed during a blaze on 4 March 1880.http://www.feuerwehr-donaustauf.de/page.php?mid=129 Der große Brand von Donaustauf am 4. März 1880

References

Regensburg (district) Populated places on the Danube {{Regensburgdistrict-geo-stub