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Passau Town Hall
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Monday, 12 June. The ship arrived in Passau at 08:20, and our walking tour started at 09:00. Again we were conveniently docked near the center of the old city. Passau, located right on the border with Austria, is called “The City on Three Rivers.” Here the Danube is joined by the even larger Inn River and the much smaller Ilz River. 
Veste Oberhaus fortress |
The local guide led us along the Danube to the brightly decorated Town Hall (13th century). Directly across the river was the Veste Oberhaus fortress (1219 with many later additions). 
Rezidenz Platz & Wittlesbacher Fountain | 
New Residence & Cathedral choir |
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We then walked to Rezidenz Platz with the Wittlesbacher Fountain in its center. The ornate New Bishop’s Residence (18th century) filled one side of the square. (The Veste Oberhaus fortress was the old residence.) The back (choir) of St. Stephen’s Cathedral (1668-1693) was also on this square. The guide led us around to the front of the Cathedral and took us in to see the beautiful baroque interior, as well as the organ, the world's largest cathedral organ (1928, rebuilt 1981). With 17,974 pipes and 233 stops, it's actually five independent organs located throughout the cathedral, but they can be played from a single electric console. The walking tour ended there at 10:00, but we had to be back by 11:30 for an organ concert at noon. 
St. Stephen’s Cathedral | 
Ceiling of the Cathedral | 
Console & central part of largest organ |
Innstadt & the Mariahilf Church |
At this point Jane decided to go with some of our shipmates to visit the shopping streets to the west, and I headed east to walk through the Altstadt and out to the point of the peninsula where the three rivers met. At first I walked along the Inn River, enjoying the view of the town of Innstadt on the opposite bank. The Mariahilf pilgrim church (1627) above the town had an unusual covered stairway leading down toward the river.
The church at Kloster Niedernburg |
Then I walked inland and through the Altstadt, past St. Michael’s (1677, a former Jesuit church), and visited the Kloster Niedernburg, a convent founded in 740 (buildings rebuilt 1680). There I saw the tomb of Blessed Gisela (Giselle) of Bavaria (985?-1065). She married Stephen I of Hungary in 996 and became the first queen of Hungary. When Stephen died (1038), his successor stripped her of her possessions and forced her to leave Hungary. She came to Passau where she was Abbess of Kloster Niedernburg until her death. Her grave is popular with pilgrims. 
Confluence of three rivers |
Back along the Inn River |
I walked back to the Inn River and followed it to the confluence with the Danube. Just around the tip of the peninsula, the Ilk flowed into the Danube. The color of the water from each river was different and it took them some distance to blend, an interesting phenomenon. I followed the Danube back to the ship before heading back to the Cathedral for the concert. I found a shortcut to the Cathedral and got there exactly at 11:30. With a little help from Katy, I found Jane very quickly. 
The crew show - Dainty Dancers |
As is too often the case with these organ concerts, the music was much too loud to enjoy, but it certainly was a memorable demonstration of the huge organ. Afterwards we took the same shortcut back to the ship, arriving at 12:50. After lunch we did some packing and read a little, trying to finish our books before the cruise ended. The ship sailed at 16:45 and very shortly we were in Austria. There was a debarkation briefing at 17:00, a farewell drink at 18:00 followed by dinner, then a one-hour crew show at 21:00.
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