Regen

Regen lies on the Schwarzer Regen River in the Bavarian Forest. A bridge was recorded here in 1207, and the settlement developed as a crossing and frontier market. Originally associated with the religious house at Rinchnach, Regen became a ducal market in 1270. Duke Albrecht IV confirmed its market rights in 1468, including lower jurisdiction and authority over local matters.

Swedish troops plundered and burned the market in 1633, 1641 and 1648 during the Thirty Years' War. Cattle and general goods markets had been held since the late sixteenth century, linking the town with its rural surroundings. Above the valley, Weißenstein Castle stood on the prominent Pfahl ridge; its ruins remain a reminder of the region's fortified landscape.