Speyer

A pleasant 15-minute stroll through the gardens behind the cathedral will bring you to the oldest beer garden in Speyer, opened in 1919, where the portions of rustic, regional fare are enormous. Try the regional specialty Maultaschen (ground-beef ravioli) or their special (but not entirely traditional) "WuPo,", Wurstsalat mit Pommes, a salad made from strips of bologna sausage, onions, and gherkins, dressed with oil and vinegar and served with fries. Service is quick and friendly, and, in summer, the popular, leafy riverside beer garden is a pleasant spot to pass the afternoon.

Friendly service and fresh seasonal dishes make for an enjoyable dining experience in the town hall's vaulted cellar (1578). The frequently changing menu offers creative soups and other starters (pretzel soup, Tuscan bread soup) and entrées such as Sauerbraten nach Grossmutters Art (sour beef pot roast the way grandma used to make it) or Bachsaibling (brook trout) in a red-wine-butter sauce. Wines from the Pfalz predominate, with many available by the glass. Small plates and drinks are served in the courtyard May through September.

It's small and often packed with local families, but the rustic cooking in this cozy restaurant is worth the wait. Hearty portions of regional specialties will delight both your mouth and your wallet. The Leberknoedel (liver dumplings) and Rumpsteak (rump steak) are both excellent, and there's also a nice selection of fresh salads. In the summer months, the patio seating is great for people-watching.

This 200-year-old vaulted brick cellar has rustic wood furnishings and cozy niches. Seasonal dishes made from local ingredients supplement the large selection of Pfälzer and Alsatian specialties, such as Maultaschen (large ravioli), Blutwurst (blood sausage), and the Winzerteller ("vintner's dish," a platter of bratwurst, Saumagen, and Leberknödel with sauerkraut and home-fried potatoes). The drinks menu features a large collection of Pfälzer, European, and New World wines plus a selection of fruit brandies and German liqueurs

Ascend the Altpörtel, the impressive town gate, for a grand view of Maximilianstrasse, the now busy shopping street that once led kings and emperors straight to the cathedral.

From March to November, boat tours depart from just outside the Sea Life Aquarium at noon, 2, and 4. The trip lasts about 1½ hours and offers a unique look at Speyer's old harbor and its fascinating network of rivers.

Opposite the cathedral, the museum houses the Domschatz (Cathedral Treasury). Other collections chronicle the art and cultural history of Speyer and the Pfalz from the Stone Age to modern times. Don't miss the "Golden Hat of Schifferstadt," a Bronze Age headdress used in religious ceremonies dating back to approximately 1300 BC. The Wine Museum houses the world's oldest bottle of wine, which is still liquid and dates to circa AD 300. The giant 35-foot-long wooden winepress from 1727 is also worth a look.

Speyer was an important medieval Jewish cultural center. Behind the Palatinate Historical Museum is the Jewish quarter, where you'll find synagogue remains from 1104; Germany's oldest (circa 1126) ritual baths, the 33-foot-deep Mikwe; and the Museum SchPIRA, which displays objects such as gravestones and coins from the Middle Ages.

The Kaiserdom, one of the finest Romanesque cathedrals in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site, conveys the pomp and majesty of the early Holy Roman emperors. It was built between 1030 and 1061 by the emperors Konrad II, Henry III, and Henry IV. The last replaced the flat ceiling with groin vaults in the late 11th century, an innovative feat in its day. A restoration program in the 1950s returned the building to almost exactly its original condition. There's a fine view of the east end of the structure from the park by the Rhine. Much of the architectural detail, including the dwarf galleries and ornamental capitals, was inspired and executed by stonemasons from Lombardy, which belonged to the German Empire at the time. The four towers symbolize the four seasons and the idea that the power of the empire extends in all four directions. Look up as you enter the nearly 100-foot-high portal; it's richly carved with mythical creatures. In contrast to Gothic cathedrals, whose walls are supported externally by flying buttresses, allowing for a minimum of masonry and a maximum of light, at Speyer the columns supporting the roof are massive. The Krypta (crypt, €3.50, audio guide available) lies beneath the chancel. It's the largest crypt in Germany and is strikingly beautiful in its simplicity. Four emperors, four kings, and three empresses are buried here.

Walk into the town-hall courtyard to enter the Kulturhof Flachsgasse, home of the city's art collection and special exhibitions.

Enjoy a peaceful tour of the Speyer harbor and its surrounding river network on a ship built for 200 passengers. Homemade cakes and drinks are available on board. Tuesday through Friday, 1½-hour tours depart at 1 and 3, on Saturday at 1:30, 3, and 5 and on Sunday at 1, 3, and 5. The pickup and drop-off point is on the Leinpfad.

Built on the site of a former aircraft works just outside the city center (about a 10-minute walk from the Kaiserdom), the Technik Museum houses 300 exhibits including space suits, a landing capsule, and an original Russian BURAN space shuttle as part of Europe's largest aerospace exhibition. In addition, there are walk-in exhibits including a Boeing 747 and a 46-meter-long U9 submarine; and there's also a collection of vintage cars, ships, locomotives, and motorcycles. While you're here, don't miss one of the world's biggest collections of mechanical musical instruments at the Wilhelmsbau Museum (entry included in ticket price) or a movie on the curved screen of the IMAX DOME theater. Allow at least three hours to visit this extensive museum, which covers several large buildings.