Leo von Klenze designed Walhalla as a neoclassical temple. Its form deliberately recalls the Parthenon, using columns, pediments, marble, and a strict order of space to turn historical memory into a ceremonial setting.
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The building stands on the Bräuberg above Donaustauf, near Regensburg. The climb, terraces, long stairways, and view over the Danube are part of the experience. Visitors approach the hall slowly, almost as if entering a monument landscape before entering the monument itself.
Construction began with the foundation stone in 1830 and the hall opened in 1842. The long development matters: the busts, the candidate lists, the architectural plans, and the political meaning of the project grew together over decades.