Passau In the Summer, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and a Lovely River Cruise (Passau, Germany)

July 29

Wilder Mann Hotel

Unless you stay in a higher end hotel it is unlikely that you will have air conditioning which during a normal European Summer is not big deal.  This summer is an absolute scorcher in Europe.  I am sleeping on top of the blankets and just praying for a breeze to run through the open window.  Thankfully at some point in the night it cooled off a bit.

The breakfast room at the Wilder Mann is on the top floor and a total maze to get to.  They even have signs pointing out the path to food.  The room itself is an old Victorian style set up with ceiling to floor windows covering two full walls which makes for spectacular views of the city.

The food was decent but not as good as the amazing setups I have gotten use to at the last two places.  That being said it was worth the 7 Euros I paid.  After a long breakfast and coffee I took advantage of the wrap around balcony on the breakfast floor and soaked up the views. 

I wandered the city’s narrow, cobblestone streets which are shadowed by the pastel washed building.  Passau is  on the top of my ‘beautiful cities’ list to be sure.  It is difficult to take a bad picture here. 

Walking Passau, Germany

I took my first walk break at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which is said to have the world’s largest organ.  St. Stephen's Cathedral is a baroque church built in 1688.  The church is said to have the largest organ outside the United States.  got there 30 minutes before the afternoon concert. There are two organ concerts a day and it was packed out by the time it began.  Many river cruises stop here and St. Steven’s Cathedral is high on the tourist list.  I had plenty of time to take in the beautiful architecture and baroque paintings.   There is no need to worry about where you sit here; the acoustics are incredible throughout.    

St. Stephen's Cathedral

I only had a half hour before my 2-hour cruise of the Danube so I wiggle my way to the waterfront along whatever cobblestone path is heading down to the river.   Yesterday, when I arrived, it was insanely quiet in Passau.  Apparently it was due to the time I arrived and because it was Sunday.  Today, there are tourist groups everywhere with a flag holding tour guide at the head.  It appears that Passau gets a lot of its tourist from the river cruising that is so popular here. 

Decided to do the Kristallschiff River Cruise which last two hours.  Got my ticket (13.80 Euro) and boarded.  What the hell, this thing looks straight out of a movie.  It is the most opulent boat I have ever seen.  There are chandeliers everywhere and the floors are inlayed with crystals.  I decide to sit inside, as I really need a break from the heat.   The cruise will go from Passau to Kasten, Austria to Obernezell and back again. 

I had a beer and watch the view out the gigantic windows.  This mini cruise on the Danube was well worth it. 

Along the Danube on a river cruise

I spent the rest of the day wandering around and ended up coming back to the hotel a bit early, as the rains are a coming.  I plan to get an early start tomorrow to see more sights and grab a ticket to Vienna. 

Marriage Carousel, Paussau or Bust, Another Late Train (Nuremberg, Germany)

Last Meal in Nuremberg

The family doesn’t leave until early evening and my train to Passau leaves at 14:00ish so we head off in search of the Marriage Fountain.  It’s actually called the Marriage Carousel or Ehekarussell in German.  This amazing piece was created by Jurgen Weber and erected in 1984.  It refers to a poem by Hans Sachs entitled ‘Bitter-Sweet Married Life’.  I spent 30 minutes walking around this fascinating piece checking out all the incredible details.  If you like sculptures then I would hunt this one down while in Nuremberg.  

Marriage Carousel

Marriage Carousel

ICE Goodies

Kissed the family goodbye until the next port and heading out on my five-minute walk to the train station.  As it turns out my train is running 40 minutes late.  The ICE staff brought us poor waiting souls water and popsicles to tide us over.  It did the trick.  I was so happy with my goodies on this hot day that I didn’t care my train was late.

The passing landscape was a combination of forests, countryside and small towns.  Well worth the four Euro extra for an assigned seat next to a window. 

Arrived in Passau an hour late and the taxi stand had more people than taxis.  It took about 15 minutes to grab one and as it turned out the couple waiting next to me were also going to the Hotel Wilder Mann…. love when you can share a cab.

Arrived at the Wilder Mann in less than 10 minutes.  Most things in the tiny town are moments away.  Just that short trip and the brief moment out of the cab I can tell Passau is a very special place.  Picture perfect at every turn. 

The Hotel Wilder Mann shares space with the Glass Museum, which adds to its castle like feel.  The hotel is very quaint.  My single room is on the fourth floor and up the cement-winding staircase I go.  It is a bit of a maze trying to get around this hotel, which I adore.  My room is very small but super adorable with a big window and decent bathroom.  It feels very ‘Passauie’ in this room.  Like the others the breakfast is included and I can’t wait to see what it’s like. 

One additional thing I noticed off the bat about this hotel and will see all over the city in days to come is the extensive flood damage sustained just months ago.  It was the worst in History, which dates back to the 1500 round these parts.

It’s getting late so I head out in search of dinner after a long walk along the waterfront.  The whitewashed buildings with pastel trim are absolutely adorable.  I want to decorate my next place like Passau feels.  I stop at a restaurant on the water for dinner.  Pork schnitzel for me and of courses a good sturdy German beer.  My extremely tall, blond server was particularly nice.  A thing I never knew back home is that schnitzel should be doused in with a good squeeze of a lemon to set off the flavors.  Delish!  (10.8 Euro)

Enjoyed the rest of my beer as the sunset and headed back to my cozy room for a good but hot nights sleep.