Regensburg is becoming a model city for barrier-free travel!

Regensburg is becoming a model city for barrier-free travel!

Regensburg is known for its historical beauty and impressive world cultural heritage. Particular attention is paid to accessibility in order to enable all citizens and visitors to have a great time in the city. December 3, 2025 marks an important day for the city, when the latest version of the “Barrier-free through Regensburg” guide comes into the spotlight. The guide, which has been in its third edition since 2019, contains more than 550 entries and offers valuable information for people with different needs.

What is special about this guide is an innovative pictogram system that allows places and services to be categorized in terms of their accessibility. Whether barrier-free, partially accessible or non-barrier-free offers – everyone will find what they are looking for here. There are also helpful tips in plain language as well as information for blind or visually impaired people. This initiative is supported by the smart city project R_NEXT and is part of the “Inclusion Focus Action Plan of the City of Regensburg”.

A pioneer in inclusion

Inclusion officer Frank Reinel emphasizes that there is currently no comparable project in Germany. The mayor of Regensburg, Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, would like to thank everyone involved who contributed to this important project. The aim of this offer is to make travel more attractive for tourists and people with disabilities and at the same time to increase the quality of life for these groups of people.

Regensburg, picturesquely located on the Danube, not only attracts visitors with its historical cultural monuments, but also ensures that many of these highlights are barrier-free accessible. Recent developments include barrier-free access to the Reichssaal of the Perpetual Reichstag and the introduction of several new toilets for everyone. In addition, information about barrier-free offers is available on the website in both easy language and German Sign Language (DGS).

Tourism for everyone

The city has taken on the challenges of barrier-free tourism and was the first Bavarian city to be awarded the “Travel for All” certificate. The certified facilities include the tourist information at Rathausplatz and Schwanenplatz, as well as various city tours such as “Regensburg – experience a historic city” and “Regensburg InSight”. The offer is supported by short films known as “Regensburg erl(i)eben”.

The importance of accessibility in tourism is not only manifested in Regensburg: over a billion people with disabilities live worldwide, which makes up around 15 percent of the world's population. This group has diverse needs and often encounters barriers that limit their participation in social life. Accessible travel is not only a moral obligation, but also economically beneficial, with people with disabilities spending almost 100 billion euros on travel every year.

When companies ignore barriers, they risk losing potential guests and their companions. Accessible tourism should therefore be seen as an opportunity to improve infrastructure and create new employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Inclusion in tourism also means making access easier for parents with strollers and older people - a win for everyone.

For further information about the diverse offerings in Regensburg, it is worth taking a look at the regional websites. If you want to explore the city, you will find numerous options that are worth seeing - without any obstacles! Discover Regensburg in a new way that is accessible to everyone! You can find out more about this topic on the Regensburg pages Regensburg, Travel for all and Tourism Watch.