Heading to Passau Germany

Thursday, June 13, 2019
Passau, Bavaria, Germany
This morning we arrived in Passau, Germany, the “City of Three Rivers” situated at the confluence of the rivers Ilz, Inn and Danube. As we sailed toward our dock, we needed to go under two low bridges.  It was an impressive show, as our crew lowered all the upper deck chairs and umbrellas, then the mast with flags and radar antennas, and finally the entire ship’s bridge (where the Captain steers the ship) was lowered and we fit beneath the lowest bridge with a couple inches to spare!
The water level is higher than normal and the Danube is swift due to the heavy rains that occurred about a week before our trip.  Combined with melting snow from the nearby Alps, the water level is expected to remain high for some time to come.  This also explains why we have seen no trace of a “Blue” Danube due to the fast moving water stirring up silt and dirt from the banks along with floating tree branches. Fortunately we where able to see an arial photo that shows the Blue Danube before it mergers with the Ilz (which looks gray due to runoff from melting glaciers upstream.) We now at least know there is a real Blue Danube!
Speaking of rain, we have not experienced any at all so far.  The temperatures though have been in the 80’s about 10-15 degrees higher than we expected, so we are rolling up our sleeves and drinking cold beverages - perfect in the land of many beers!
As we approach the narrow peninsula where Passau sits, we pass a fortress called Veste Oberhausen on the Danube and the Pilgrimage Church Mariahilf on the Inn side.   Our walking tour explored the town of Passau (50,000 inhabitants today) that was founded on the site of a Roman camp.  The area has been a trading point over the centuries due to the rivers coming together here. As you can imagine being at the confluence of three rivers it has seen some pretty major floods - you can see the high water marks in some of the photos.
It’s a pretty town today with Baroque architecture created by Italian architects after the town was destroyed by fire twice in the 1600s. St. Stephen’s cathedral is beautiful and has Europe’s largest pipe organ.  The narrow streets converge in a public square.  Several streets lead toward the river, with steps that usually lead down to a grassy bank, but now the swift waters come right up to the stairs.
We returned to our ship for a Bavaria Lunch, sausages, brats, pork, and sauerkraut served as we cruised to nearby Vilshoven.  We explored this little town, finding very few people since few cruise ships dock here.  AmaWaterways, our cruise line, worked with the City to develop this docking facility. It was new and nicely organized. We returned to AmaLea for the Vilshoven Beer Festival.  Beer and pretzels were served in a large tent on the dock as a band played Bavarian music for a performance of folk dancing by local children.  A delightful final evening on our cruise. We are off to pack and be ready to disembark in the morning.
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Comments

Brad Willis
2019-06-19

Again, so fabulous! Keep these wonderful reports coming!

Val
2019-06-19

So happy to be enjoying this voyage through your eyes. Everything looks so

2025-02-10

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