The city of Passau, Germany is located at the conjunction where the River Ilz and the River Inn meet up with the Danube. Given its location, it has been dubbed the City of Three Rivers. It is a beautiful town with around 50,000 residents, including 10,000 students. The original inhabitants of the area were the Celts, followed by the Romans, who built a fortress in the area. Over time, it developed into a full town that’s rich with history.

Passau features a popular university, but the river cruisers who make their way to the city often come for the great architecture and historic buildings. The location is also a great feature, and that’s why the majority of the tourists who visit the city come from river cruises. It’s a multicultural city with a number of people from Austria and Czechoslovakia who work in the area or who come into the town for shopping.

The town has a number of great things to see and do, and river cruisers will have a great time exploring this quaint town. Walk along the streets and soak in the culture and gorgeous buildings, shop, grab something to eat, and check out some of the historic areas.

Most of the areas that river cruisers will want to visit are within walking distance, but it is also possible to take busses and taxis around the area if needed.

Your Cruise Ship Docks …

When your river cruise comes to Passau, it will generally dock at one of two locations – Donaustrasse or the Fritz-Shafer Promenade. Those who are arriving at a nearby airport and who will be starting their cruise in Passau will usually arrive at the airport, which is about two hours away. They can then take a bus or a taxi to the cruise ship location.

When in Passau …

Even though it is a relatively small town, it does not mean you will ever be at a loss for things to see and do while you are in Passau.

• The Glass Museum – The glass museum is far more interesting than you might think at first. It features thousands of pieces of glass on display of all types. The museum has four floors and hundreds of cabinets of unique and beautiful glass pieces. The museum features English translations on their exhibits.
• Oberhaus Museum – In this old castle, you will find a wide range of different types of exhibits that show off life in the area during the medieval age. There are a number of different types of crafts, armor, and much more. The texts for the exhibits are available in several languages including Czech, German, and English.
• Romer Museum Kastell Boiotro – This museum features the remains of a Roman site. It has many fascinating artifacts from the age, and plenty of information about the area’s history. Like many museums in the area, it features exhibit text and audio guides in English.
• Museum Modern Kunst – While the museum might be set in a gothic-style building, it features some fantastic modern art. It has some excellent permanent exhibits.
• The Bavarian Forest – You might want to spend a little bit of time visiting the Bavarian Forest, which is just a short distance away by car and should still be accessible to river cruisers. Get out and enjoy the woods and the national park where you can see a number of different types of animals.

These are only some of the great places you can visit and things you can do when you are in Passau. You’ll always be able to keep nice and busy in town.

In addition, you can locate some great shops and eateries in the town.

• Shopping Mall – There is a central shopping mall that will feature many large stores that have all manner of goods, many of which you can find in most other shopping malls.
• Little Shops – Keep in mind that you can also find some great smaller shops throughout the town that might have some unique and interesting treasures for you to bring home.
• Hacklberg Brewery – This restaurant offers a number of Bavarian restaurants with authentic food, not to mention a beer garden that you can enjoy if you visit during the summer.
• The Pubs – Visitors to Passau will be able to grab a drink at Shamrock (an Irish style pub), Hossi’s Bar, Colors, Joe’s Garage, Camera, and Bluenotes.

When you are in town, keep an eye out for all of the interesting places where you can grab a bite to eat or a souvenir.

What Do River Cruisers Need to Know?

Passau is a friendly and beautiful town that you are sure to love. You will find that most of the people in the town know English. Of course, you should make sure that you know at least a little bit of German to help you get by and to make talking with some of the older locals much easier. They will certainly appreciate it.

As with other parts of Germany, the main currency is the Euro. You can exchange your currency in local banks throughout the region.

As mentioned, it is a friendly place, and that means crime is not generally going to be a problem. Of course, as any traveler knows, it is important to keep your wits about you just to stay safe.