Passau, Germany and beautiful music. . . . . . .

Passau, known as the "City of Three Rivers" lies at the confluence of the Inn, Danube 

and Itz - and is the last major German city on the Danube at the border of Austria. 

 St. Stephen's - a magnificent baroque cathedral located on the highest point in 

Old Town. Home to the largest cathedral organ in the world with 17,974 organ pipes, 

all five parts of the organ can be played from the main keyboard offering an 

unforgettable acoustical delight.

We attended the noon concert. . . . . . along with around perhaps another thousand

visitors. It was an awesome sound!

 Interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral. 

Devastated by a fire in 1662, it was rebuilt by the famous baroque architect 

Carlo Lurago, its beautiful stucco works done by Giovanni Batista Carlone, 

and the gorgeous frescoes painted by Carpoforo Tencalla.

Breathtaking in every way!

Passau's pretty riverfront gardens.

A city of just 50,000, the Old Town with baroque churches and patrician 

houses is crowded onto the narrow tongue of land separating the Inn and 

Danube rivers. Flooding often occurs and markers on the buildings noted the 

high water levels over the years.
Once a medieval center for the salt trade known as "White Gold", then famous during 

the Renaissance for making high quality knife and sword blades. Local smiths 

stamped their blades with the Passau wolf to grant their owners invulnerability, this 

became known as "Passau Art".

 Passau has now become the economic, cultural and communications center of 

southeastern Bavaria.

Next stop along the Danube, Regensburg, where shipboard life changed!

Sailing the Danube to Passau, Germany. . . . . . .

The second longest river in Europe, the Danube begins its journey in 

Germany's Black Forest and runs through 10 countries to the Black Sea. 

It remains one of Europe's most significant and historic waterways, passing

 through some of the most breathtaking regions,  as seen in these photos as we 

sailed on our northerly course through Austria's picturesque Wachau Valley toward 

Passau, Germany.

Early morning mist enveloped the countryside as we sailed up river - the silence 

was so peaceful early on a Monday morning. 

All pix taken from our cabin which had a floor to ceiling sliding window 

(called a French Balcony in case you want to book a river cruise).

I loved the countryside along the river. Being early Spring there were still 

blossoms. The freshly leafed out trees, all so lush and brilliant, along with fresh 

grass and new crops in the fields, made the landscape truly beautiful.

The cleanliness of the small towns, villages, and around the farms was noted, 

everywhere pristine, tidy, and so well-cared for.

 Docking in Passau - somewhat cloudy but perfect temperatures for going 
ashore for sightseeing.

More on the history of Passau next time.