This morning, we entered Germany stopping just over the border in Passau. Known as the Three Rivers City, this town sits at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz. It was an important center for trade for much of its history, especially for the salt trade from Bohemia. During the Renaissance and early modern period, Passau was one of the most prolific centers of sword and bladed weapon manufacture in Germany. Below was our first view of the city dominated by the spires of St. Stephens Cathedral.
Below is a photo of Veste Oberhaus, a fortress that was founded in 1219, which served as the stronghold of the Bishop of Passau. It is currently the site of a museum, a youth hostel, and a restaurant, as well as an open-air theatre dating to 1934. Many of the windows you see in the photograph are simply painted on to make the building appear like a residence rather than a fortress.
If you look in the lower right corner of this photo, you can see the wedding taking place at the Passau Rathaus, (City Hall).
St. Stephen's Cathedral is a baroque church built from 1668 to 1693 dedicated to Saint Stephen who is venerated as the first martyr of Christianity. The onion topped spire is a baroque design element in this area of Western Europe. This church houses the largest cathedral organ in the world with 17,774 pipes and 233 registers. This afternoon, we attended a 30 minute concert inside the cathedral where we were treated to a variety of music from very dramatic to lighter classical.
Cathedral Alter
Cathedral Organ
Bonnie and I are standing outside the Hotel Wilder Mann and Glass Museum.
Again we have set sail with Regensburg our destination tomorrow morning.
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