Burg Prebrunn

Die Burg Prebrunn once stood as a water fortress on the western edge of Regensburg’s old town, surrounded by the Danube’s waters. Built in the 12th century by Duke Otto I of Bavaria, it marked the Wittelsbachs’ claim over the region amid disputes with the bishop and the city. The settlement grew around potteries and brickworks, its name reflecting the good water supply that once drew craftsmen to the area. Its history reflects Regensburg’s shifting power struggles. After the city expanded its walls in the 13th century, Prebrunn remained outside, caught between Bavarian rule and imperial city authority. The Elsenheimer family later transformed the medieval ruins into a Renaissance-style water castle, only for it to be burned down during the Thirty Years’ War to deny shelter to advancing Swedish troops. By the 18th century, the site had faded into farmland and modest villas. Today, the remains lie beneath a modern guesthouse called Schlössel on Altdorferstraße. Archaeologists still recognise the old moat lines and buried foundations as protected monuments. Visitors pass by without noticing, yet the quiet street and nearby Herzogspark hint at the once-strategic spot where stone and water shaped a contested corner of the city.