They say Bavaria is a different world. The language, the climate, the holidays, the traditions. They even differentiate themselves by creating a political sub-party of one of the major parties in Germany: For them it's CSU and for the rest of Germany it's CDU.
My brother and his family moved to Regensburg about three to four years ago. It is a beautiful little city at the Danube River in Bavaria, known for its well-preserved medieval core, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also known as a "Studentenstadt", a university town. More than 31,000 matriculated students in a city with a population of 142, 292 in total. Demographic statistics show that the average age is 41.
The first thing you inevitably notice is that everyone greets you with "Grüß Gott", which translates to "God bless", a small, but important indication that religion plays a major role in everyday life here. The state Bavaria also has one of the most legal holidays in Germany in a year, and a lot of them are religious holidays. People are friendly here, especially in comparison to Berlin - or in comparison to New York -, which are known for their not-so-subtle attitude.
The medieval old city in Regensburg is made up of churches, old houses, cute little shops, and cafés. You can book a guided tour to learn who lived here and there and the historical background of some of the buildings. My favorite part was the house, whose owner had beef with his neighbor, so he added an adorable little stone figure above one of its doors, showing its bum to the neighbor's house. After the tour takes a break in one of many restaurants and cafes. Sitting outside, surrounded by historical buildings, sipping on an Aperol Spritz - now that's bliss.
The best part is to leave the city and drive through the landscape of Bavaria. It is straight gorgeous. The fields, the hills, and nature are picture-perfect. I went to see neoclassical monuments like Walhalla and the Befreiungshalle. The former has magnificent views of the Danube River and its surroundings. I 'highly' recommend it (pun intended!).
To live in Bavaria comes with a certain price tag and it is not cheap. Statistics show that Munich is the most expensive city to live in in Germany. And Regensburg is not too far off. It is worth mentioning though that some of the biggest companies - BMW, Osram, Allianz, MAN Truck & Bus (just to name a few) - have their headquarters in Bavaria and that salaries are usually higher. Yet both aspects are no guarantee for a good living standard.
I went to Regensburg a couple of times, mainly to visit my family. Booking a non-stop trip with a bus from Berlin takes about six hours. In the end, it rewards me with its calmness and beautiful surroundings. It feels like a staycation.