Showing 1-13 of 13 results
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Dom St Stephan
The green onion domes of Passau's Dom St Stephan float serenely above the town's silhouette. There's been a church in this spot since the late 5th century, but what you see today is much younger thanks to the Great Fire of 1662, which ravaged much of the medieval town, including the ancient cathedral.
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Domschatz und Diözesanmuseum
Domschatz und Diözesanmuseum . The museum is accessed from inside the Dom except during the organ concerts when entry is via Residenzplatz.
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Dreiflüsseeck
The tip of the Altstadt peninsula is known as the Dreiflüsseeck and is the only place from which you can actually see the Danube, Ilz and Inn all at once (except from above, that is). Benches and a small patch of grass make it a peaceful place to take time out from sightseeing, and kids can burn off some energy on the playground equipment.
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Glasmuseum
A splendid collection of more than 30,000 examples of Bohemian glasswork and crystal from over 250 years. If that doesn't do it for the transparently inclined, there's 36 rooms of baroque, classical, Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces. Sneak a peek at the luxury chamber let to visiting VIPs of the Hotel Wilder Mann. And pick up a floor plan or you'll get lost.
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Grosser Rathaus Saal
Inside, the Great Assembly Room has wonderful murals by local artist Ferdinand Wagner, showing scenes from Passau's history with a melodramatic flourish. If it's not being used for a wedding, slide into the adjacent Small Assembly Room for a look at the ceiling fresco showing buxom beauties and a fierce-looking man - meant as allegories of the three rivers.
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Heilig-Geist-Ausstellungsraum
There may be no vineyards in this neck of the woods but - with a little divine intervention - the Heilig-Geist-Stift-Schenke (Holy Spirit Foundation) has been producing its own wine for centuries. Passau's most historic restaurant is actually part of a former Franciscan monastery. In 1358, a wealthy local family created a foundation here for the poor, where residents lived for free on the condition that they prayed for the family in the adjoining chapel.
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Museum Moderner Kunst
Gothic architecture contrasts with cutting-edge 20th- and 21st-century artworks displayed during rotating exhibitions at the Museum Moderner Kunst . Some spotlight a single practitioner, including crowd-pleasers such as Salvador Dalí or Gustav Klimt, while others focus on themes as varied as football (soccer) or women. The museum was set up by a resident of the Heilig-Geist-Stift-Schenke.
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Neue Bischöfliche Residenz
Pride of place on this showy square belongs to the 18th-century Neue Bischöfliche Residenz (New Bishop's Residence). Melchior Hefele, a student of Balthasar Neumann, drafted the stucco-draped façade, as well as the rococo staircase, which winds towards a wonderfully over-the-top ceiling fresco entitled The Gods of Olympus Protecting Immortal Passau .
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Passauer Glasmuseum
Allow at least an hour to take in the warren of rooms filled with some 30,000 priceless pieces of glass and crystal from the baroque, classical, Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods at the Passauer Glasmuseum . Be sure to pick up a floor plan as it's easy to get lost. Kids accompanied by parents are free (perhaps in the hope that parents will keep a close eye on their charges, given the fragile collections).
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Rathaus
A short walk north of Residenzplatz, via Schrottgasse, is Passau's Rathaus , a grand Gothic building topped by its 19th-century landmark painted tower. A carillon chimes several times daily (hours are listed on the wall, alongside historical flood-level markers). The entrance on Schrottgasse takes you to the Grosser Rathaussaal (Great Assembly Room) where large-scale paintings by 19th-century local artist Ferdinand Wagner show scenes from Passau's history with melodramatic flourish.
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Residenzplatz
Pride of place on this showy square belongs to the 18th-century Neue Bischöfliche Residenz (New Bishop's Residence). Melchior Hefele, a student of Balthasar Neumann, drafted the stucco-draped façade, as well as the rococo staircase, which winds towards a wonderfully over-the-top ceiling fresco entitled The Gods of Olympus Protecting Immortal Passau .
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Römermuseum
Roman Passau can be viewed from the ground up at the Römermuseum . Ruins from the Roman fort, the Kastell Boitro, which stood here from AD 250 to 400, are still in situ. The museum itself displays civilian and military artefacts unearthed here and elsewhere in Eastern Bavaria.
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Veste Oberhaus
A 13th-century defensive fortress, built by the prince-bishops, Veste Oberhaus towers over Passau with patriarchal pomp. Not surprisingly, views of the city and into Austria are superb from up here. Inside the bastion is the Oberhausmuseum, a regional history museum where you can uncover the mysteries of medieval cathedral building, learn what it took to become a knight and explore Passau's period as a centre of the salt trade. Displays are labelled in English.
Showing 1-13 of 13 results
