About 10:00 am our ship arrived in Passau and rafted up to another Viking ship. A short time later the Viking Delling rafted up to us so we were now three-abreast on the dock.
Passau
Passau
Located at the confluence of 3 rivers (Danube, Inn, and Liz), the city originated as a Celtic settlement and later a Roman fort. It became an important medieval center for the salt trade and later became famous for the quality of swords and knives manufactured here. Twice burned in the 1700’s, the city was rebuilt in the Baroque style such that it has somewhat the appearance of an Italian city.
Our tour guide, Rudy, led us on a very interesting tour around town explaining the history of the city. As we walked along the riverfront we could see the extent of the damage from last June’s flood. Many businesses were still under renovation repairing the damage.
High water marks
Passau
Our tour concluded at St. Stephen’s Cathedral where we were treated to a 30 minute recital on the largest cathedral pipe organ in the world. With nearly 18,000 pipes it is a beauty to behold and the sound is truly amazing.
Pipe Organ, St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Following the concert we headed back to the boat for lunch. While we had several hours free time in the afternoon to further explore town, in deference to my cold I opted to go for a snooze in our cabin.
Wind At Your Back 