Passau
We awoke to a light fog over the Danube, which lifted as we entered the Schlogener Shlinge, the most scenic loop in the Danube in western Austria. Many of us took the opportunity to photograph the beautiful forested slopes on both sides of the river, where the red, gold, orange, and red leaves of the deciduous trees formed a patchwork of color punctuated by the deep green of pines and firs.
As the River Cloud sailed out of this winding stretch of the Danube, we gathered in the lounge for a lecture on “Festivals, Folklore, and Crafts of the Danube Lands,” by Sharon Hudgins, with a tasting of traditional Lebkuchen (gingerbread cookies) from the Bavarian city of Nuernberg. After lunch on board, passengers disembarked for a choice of tours through Passau, the first German city on our itinerary. One group left on a guided historical tour of the city; another followed David Barnes on a hike up to the Baroque pilgrimage church of Maria Hilfe, with a spectacular view of Passau and the rivers surrounding it; and another group joined Sharon Hudgins on a walking tour of the inner city, which included visits to gingerbread shops and chocolate stores. Several people also visited the 13th-century Rathaus (City Hall), to hear the carillon play, as well as the nearby Glass Museum which exhibits 30,000 crystal and blown glass objects from Central Europe, dating from the 1700s to the 1930s.
Passau is an especially scenic city, situated at the confluence of three rivers, the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz. Established in AD 200, Passau developed into an important city on the trade routes of the Middle Ages, when salt from the Alps was shipped to various parts of Europe via the rivers flowing by Passau—and was taxed by the prince-bishops who ruled the city. Towering over Passau is an imposing medieval castle, which houses the city’s very interesting Cultural History Museum. And across the river, the inner city’s Dom (St. Steven’s Cathedral) boasts the largest church organ in the world, with more than 17,000 pipes.
Upon returning to the River Cloud, we had a pre-prandial snack of Bavarian beer and traditional sausages in the lounge, while David Barnes talked about the different language groups along the Danube and Sharon Hudgins gave a short lecture on the history of beer brewing in Bohemia and Bavaria—all in preparation for the next leg of our journey, the optional extension to the Bohemian city of Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Then we adjourned to the dining room, for another fine four-course meal accompanied by a selection of red and white Austrian wines.
We awoke to a light fog over the Danube, which lifted as we entered the Schlogener Shlinge, the most scenic loop in the Danube in western Austria. Many of us took the opportunity to photograph the beautiful forested slopes on both sides of the river, where the red, gold, orange, and red leaves of the deciduous trees formed a patchwork of color punctuated by the deep green of pines and firs.
As the River Cloud sailed out of this winding stretch of the Danube, we gathered in the lounge for a lecture on “Festivals, Folklore, and Crafts of the Danube Lands,” by Sharon Hudgins, with a tasting of traditional Lebkuchen (gingerbread cookies) from the Bavarian city of Nuernberg. After lunch on board, passengers disembarked for a choice of tours through Passau, the first German city on our itinerary. One group left on a guided historical tour of the city; another followed David Barnes on a hike up to the Baroque pilgrimage church of Maria Hilfe, with a spectacular view of Passau and the rivers surrounding it; and another group joined Sharon Hudgins on a walking tour of the inner city, which included visits to gingerbread shops and chocolate stores. Several people also visited the 13th-century Rathaus (City Hall), to hear the carillon play, as well as the nearby Glass Museum which exhibits 30,000 crystal and blown glass objects from Central Europe, dating from the 1700s to the 1930s.
Passau is an especially scenic city, situated at the confluence of three rivers, the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz. Established in AD 200, Passau developed into an important city on the trade routes of the Middle Ages, when salt from the Alps was shipped to various parts of Europe via the rivers flowing by Passau—and was taxed by the prince-bishops who ruled the city. Towering over Passau is an imposing medieval castle, which houses the city’s very interesting Cultural History Museum. And across the river, the inner city’s Dom (St. Steven’s Cathedral) boasts the largest church organ in the world, with more than 17,000 pipes.
Upon returning to the River Cloud, we had a pre-prandial snack of Bavarian beer and traditional sausages in the lounge, while David Barnes talked about the different language groups along the Danube and Sharon Hudgins gave a short lecture on the history of beer brewing in Bohemia and Bavaria—all in preparation for the next leg of our journey, the optional extension to the Bohemian city of Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Then we adjourned to the dining room, for another fine four-course meal accompanied by a selection of red and white Austrian wines.
