Passau

The "City of Three Rivers" where the Danube, Inn and Ilz meet, with a Baroque old town, one of the world's largest church organs, and the Bavarian Forest National Park within easy reach.

Passau sits in the far southeastern corner of Bavaria, Germany, right on the Austrian border. The Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers converge here, earning it the name "City of Three Rivers". The old town occupies a narrow peninsula between the Danube and the Inn; rebuilt by Italian architects after a 17th-century fire, it has a distinctly Italian Baroque look, and it is one of the most important ports of call for Danube river cruises.

Sightseeing centres on the old town. St. Stephen's Cathedral on the hilltop houses one of the world's largest church organs, and its midday organ concerts (May–Oct) are a must. Head east past the Town Hall, the Glass Museum and Höllgasse to the Dreiflüsseeck at the tip of the peninsula to see the three differently coloured rivers merge. Cross the Danube up to Veste Oberhaus, or cross the Inn up to Mariahilf pilgrimage church, for views over the whole city. A roughly 45-minute Three Rivers cruise shows off the old town from the water.

Day trips: about 40 km north lies the Bavarian Forest National Park, with its treetop walkway, wildlife enclosures and Lusen mountain. Heading east along the Danube into Austria, you can reach Engelszell Trappist Abbey and the Schlögen Loop; the Passau–Linz stretch of the Danube Cycle Path is one of Europe's most popular bike routes. To the south, Neuburg Castle stands above the Inn Gorge.

The best time to visit is May–Oct, when cruises run frequently and organ concerts are held daily; autumn brings fall foliage to the forest, and December has a Christmas market. Passau is low-lying and occasionally floods during spring and summer high water, which can close riverside sights. By train it is about 2 hours from Munich, 1 hour from Regensburg and 2.5 hours from Vienna. The old town can be explored on foot; allow 1–2 days, or 3 days if adding the Bavarian Forest or a Danube bike ride.

Top sights

• St. Stephen's Cathedral & Organ – An Italian Baroque cathedral with one of the world's largest church organs. The midday organ concert is a must-hear.
• Dreiflüsseeck (Ortspitze) – The eastern tip of the Old Town peninsula, where the greenish Inn, the blue Danube and the dark Ilz meet before your eyes.
• Passau Old Town – A narrow peninsula between the Danube and the Inn, with Italian-style Baroque lanes, arcades and colourful houses.
• Veste Oberhaus – A prince-bishop's castle begun in 1219, perched on a hilltop on the north bank of the Danube, with a history museum and the best lookout ov…
• Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) – A Gothic town hall on the Danube, its clock tower marked with past flood levels, and a grand hall with magnificent murals.
• Glass Museum Passau – Holds about 30,000 pieces of Bohemian, Bavarian, and Austrian glass, said to be the world's largest collection of European glass.
• Mariahilf Pilgrimage Church – A 17th-century pilgrimage church on a hilltop south of the Inn, reached by a covered staircase of 321 steps, with views over the Old Town a…
• New Bishop's Residence & Cathedral Treasury – A Rococo bishop's palace beside the cathedral that houses the cathedral treasury, with a magnificent staircase hall of stucco and murals.
• Höllgasse – An artists' lane in the heart of the Old Town, lined with galleries, craft shops, and old houses, with flood marks visible in many places.
• Inn Promenade & Schaiblingsturm – A tree-lined promenade along the Inn, where colorful riverside houses and a 14th-century round defensive tower form one of Passau's classic…
• Roman Museum Kastell Boiotro – A late Roman fort site and museum on the south bank of the Inn, telling the story of Passau as a Roman frontier town.
• Danube Three Rivers Cruise – An approximately 45-minute sightseeing cruise from the town hall landing, offering views of the three rivers' confluence and the Old Town s…
• Schlögener Schlinge – A dramatic near-U-turn of the Danube in an Austrian gorge, with the Schlögen viewpoint offering a panoramic overview.
• Engelszell Abbey – Austria's only Trappist abbey, with an exquisite Rococo church, and beers and liqueurs brewed by its monks that are highly regarded.
• Neuburg am Inn Castle – A medieval castle on a cliff in the Inn gorge, with a Renaissance arcaded courtyard and gardens open to visitors and views over the Inn.
• Aldersbach Abbey & Brewery – A Baroque abbey church decorated by the Asam brothers, next to a centuries-old abbey brewery.

Where to eat

• Heilig-Geist-Stiftschenke – A historic Passau tavern dating to 1358, with a vaulted cellar and a grapevine courtyard, famous for Danube catfish and…
• Hacklberger Bräustüberl – A brewery tavern beside the Hacklberg brewery. Its chestnut-shaded beer garden is one of Passau's loveliest, and it is…
• Weingut Passau – A trendy restaurant and bar listed in the Michelin Guide, offering steaks, signature dishes and a weekly changing menu…
• Marcel von Winckelmann – A Michelin one-star restaurant in Passau built around an open kitchen and a horseshoe-shaped chef's counter, serving fi…

Itineraries

• Danube Historic Towns & Bavarian Forest – Explore the historic Danube cities of Regensburg and Passau, then venture into Germany's oldest national park.