Passau
GermanyCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
"Stadt der drei Flüsse" | "City of three rivers"
Why visit
Passau rewards travelers with one of Germany's prettiest river settings, walk the narrow Old Town between cathedral and rivers, climb to the Veste Oberhaus fortress for sweeping views over all three waterways, attend a noon organ concert at St. Stephen's, and board a Danube riverboat upstream toward Regensburg or downstream into Austria. May to September is the best stretch. The Three Rivers Festival in July fills the Old Town with wine and music.
When to avoid
Major Danube floods (most recently 2002 and 2013) have submerged the Old Town up to the second floor, check river levels in spring and early summer. Cruise ships can fill the Old Town in midday surges. Arrive early or stay late to dodge them. Many shops close Sundays. Driving inside the Old Town is impractical. Park outside and walk.
