The River Cruise Begins

Our time in Munich is over and our first river cruise adventure is beginning. 

We had a leisurely morning, which we were very happy for.  We  took the train back to the airport to meet up with the Emerald River Cruise for the transfer that would take us from Munich to Passau, Germany - two hours away. 

Passau is known as the Three Rivers City as it lies where three rivers converge - the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz. It is a picturesque town located in southeastern Germany, close to the Austrian border, and is known for its charming baroque architecture.

Two of the rivers join here, the third is off to the left behind the buildings - the dark river is the Danube and the green river is the Inn. You can actually see the dividing line between the two rivers

We made it to the boat in time for a late lunch. Then we had the remainder for the day to get settled in, explore our temporary home, and to try and figure out how everything works. As this is our first river cruise, I think it will take a bit to learn how things are done.  We are used to much larger ships and crowds! (once the cruise is over I will give my thoughts on river cruises.)

The next morning we took an included excursion.  It was a hike up a steep hill to a fortress called the Veste Oberhaus.   It was rather challenging for most who were in our group, us included, but once we made it to the top, the views were incredible.  

The Veste Oberhaus is a medieval fortress that dates back to 1219, and sits on the hillside between the Ilz and the Danube rivers. It served as a stronghold for the bishops of Passau and now houses a museum that showcases the region's history and culture. 

We had some free time to wander around the fortress and explore, and then finished off with a drink at Oberhaus Restaurant overlooking the town of Passau, before starting our hike back down the hillside, the way we came.

In the afternoon the four of us went back off the boat to explore the old town of Passau on our own. We wandered the cobble streets and visited a few of the must-see spots.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's is a beautiful baroque church that was built in the late 1600s. It is located on the highest point of the Alstadt (old town). We were still feeling the effects of our morning hike, so walking up to reach the cathedral was slow, but well worth it. It is known for housing one of the world's largest pipe organs.  Sadly, we were unable to see it as the church is currently under construction and that part of the church was curtained off.

The Dreiflüsseeck

Where the three rivers meet, there is a lovely park and the Innpromenade that took us around the point and along the Inn River.  It was a very scenic walk with the town on both sides of the river and many shops and places to grab a bite along the way.

Photo by Wolfgang Weiser on Unsplash

Old Town Hall

Old Town Hall is a Neo-Gothic building that dates back to the 14th century.  On the facade were a series of murals depicting local legends. The thing I found more interesting was the marks on the corner indicating the high water marks from the floods from the past - dating back to 1060. The flood earlier this year has yet to be added.  It reached to almost 10 meters just below the 2002 mark.

We really enjoyed our time in Passau.  We were tired by the end of the day.  During dinner the boat set sail up the Danube for Linz, Austria.