Germany
Passau
Passau: Three Rivers, a Cathedral Organ and a Prince-Bishops' Fortress
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Good to know
What to Expect
Most river ships in Passau berth along the Danube quay at the old town, but some are sent to Lindau, 3 km downstream, or to Racklau, about 2 km upstream.
- The port's weekly berth plan uses A for the old-town quay and L for Lindau, followed by the berth number. Your cruise line confirms the berth.
- The old-town quay has an information point and public toilets, with shops and restaurants close by.
- Lindau has an information point, public toilets and a bus stop with services to the old town. Racklau has no toilets and nowhere to buy food.
- Passau is in Bavaria, Germany. German is the language, and English is widely spoken.
Getting Around
A single ride on Passau's city buses was €2.50 for an adult and a day ticket €6.20 in October 2026, and both can be bought on the bus.
- For berths A1 to A5 at the old-town quay the CityBus stop is Römerplatz, and for A13 and A14 it is Nagelschmiedgasse.
- Bus line 3, toward Bäckerholz, is the shortest route to the Lindau berths. Get off at the Lindau stop.
- For Racklau, take line 8/9 or line 11 to Stelzhammer Straße. From there it is a walk of about 500 meters.
- A shuttle bus runs every half hour between Rathausplatz and Veste Oberhaus during the museum's opening hours. Tickets are bought from the driver, in cash only. Check bus fares before you go.
What to Eat
The dishes most visitors think of as Bavarian are Weißwurst, bratwurst and Schweinshaxe, which is ham hock, served with sauerkraut.
- Leberkäse is a meat loaf, eaten warm.
- A Maß is a one-liter measure of beer.
- Brotzeit is a cold snack of bread with sausage and pickles.
- In Bavarian beer gardens you are allowed to bring your own food and buy only the drinks.
Tipping and Currency
Restaurant bills in Germany include tax and service, and a tip of about 10 percent is common.
- Germany's currency is the euro, and cash machines are found across the country.
- Carry some cash in Passau. The shuttle bus to Veste Oberhaus takes cash only.
The Cathedral, Its Organ and Veste Oberhaus
St. Stephen's Cathedral holds an organ of 17,974 pipes and 233 registers, all of which can be played from one console.
- From May 2 to October 31 the cathedral organ is played in a half-hour concert at noon every day except Sundays and public holidays. Tickets were €6 in October 2026 and are sold that morning, from 10 am, at the box office in the cathedral courtyard. Check before you go.
- The organ has been under restoration, section by section, since 2023.
- The cathedral is open daily from 6:30 am, until 7 pm from April to October and until 6 pm in winter.
- Veste Oberhaus, the fortress on the left bank of the Danube, houses the Oberhausmuseum. The museum is open from mid-March to mid-November, from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 6 pm on weekends and holidays, and adult admission was €7.
- The Roman Museum Kastell Boiotro stands on the foundations of a fort built around AD 300. It is open from March to mid-November and closed on Mondays.
History
Passau became a bishopric in 739, and its bishops ruled the city as princes from about 1200 until 1803, when Passau became part of Bavaria.
- Celts settled the old-town hill around 100 BC. From the middle of the 1st century AD Passau was a Roman provincial town with two border forts, and it stayed one for some 400 years.
- In 999 Emperor Otto III transferred secular authority over Passau to its bishop.
- Veste Oberhaus, on the left bank, was built in 1219.
- After a fire in 1662 the cathedral was rebuilt by the Italian architect Carlo Lurago, and Giovanni Battista Carlone decorated the interior in stucco.
- The western section of the Roman frontier along the Danube joined the UNESCO World Heritage list on July 30, 2021. Passau has three sites on it, among them the late Roman fort of Boiotro.
Traveling with Family
A family ticket to Veste Oberhaus was €14 for two adults with children and €7 for one adult with children in October 2026, and children under 6 were free.
- The fortress has a viewing tower over the three rivers. The tower is open from late March to early November and closes in bad weather.
- The Roman Museum Kastell Boiotro had a family card at €10 for two adults and €5 for one. Check prices before you go.
- The Dreiflüsseeck, at the Ortspitze, is the point where the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz meet.
Accessibility
Passau's old town is only partly suited to wheelchairs: expect cobblestones, steps, narrow sidewalks and slopes.
- Smooth-cut paving strips and lowered curbs make Steinweg, Domplatz and Pfaffengasse, as far as Große Messergasse, passable by wheelchair.
- The cathedral's main entrance has small thresholds. Its Steinweg entrance is barrier-free with a mobile ramp.
- The Ortspitze, where the three rivers meet, is barrier-free for wheelchair users.
- The shuttle bus to Veste Oberhaus has steps at the door and is not accessible.
- Most of Passau's city buses are low-floor with a wheelchair ramp, and every platform at the main station can be reached by lift.
Shopping
Shops in Bavaria are closed all day on Sundays and public holidays.
- From Monday to Saturday, Bavarian shops may open from 6 am to 8 pm, and bakeries may start earlier.
- Bakeries and gas stations are among the few exceptions to Sunday closing in Germany.
- Passau has a long tradition of arts and crafts. Handmade hats, shoes and chocolates are among the things made and sold in the town.
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