Hansa Apart-Hotel, WorldHotels Distinctive

Near Regensburg's old town, the Hansa Apart-Hotel, Regensburg, Germany, is a comfortable base close to the autobahn and the main railway station, with four air-conditioned meeting rooms, an Italian restaurant, a winter-garden terrace for breakfast, a bar with live music, free Wi-Fi, and rooms in sleek cherry wood with marble bathrooms. A short walk leads to the twelfth-century Stone Bridge and the lanes of the old centre, with quick routes into the city and out to the countryside. The Danube runs through the middle of town close by, lined with paddle-steamer quays and beer gardens. Regensburg is one of Germany's best-preserved old cities, its centre and the Stadtamhof district together a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Stone Bridge has crossed the Danube since the twelfth century, the tall towers of St Peter's Cathedral mark the skyline, and stone towers and riverside taverns recall the days when this was a wealthy trading city. Hidden courtyards dot the lanes, and a riverside sausage kitchen by the bridge is said to be among the oldest eating houses in the world. Boats set off from the quay for cruises along the Danube, and the Bavarian Forest and the river's wine country lie within easy reach.