The first impression is wrong: what you see in a photo is not the wonderful Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens, but Valhalla above the banks of the Danube at Regensburg. The similarities are striking and quite intentional: Architect Leo von Klenze was inspired by the ancient model when building this monument and set a truly impressive marble structure in the landscape with the Valhalla: 125 meters long, 55 meters high.
It was commissioned by King Ludwig I. The temple, which was opened in 1842, does not honor gods, but some of the most famous Germans, from Albrecht Dürer to Sophie Scholl. They are represented in the form of marble busts and memorial plaques. Strikingly, of the 131 busts and 65 commemorative plaques in the collection, only 13 exhibits are dedicated to women. But that may yet change. Recommendation on our part: Go up the 479 steps to Valhalla before the sun goes to rest: We mere mortals can hardly imagine a more sublime sunset.
