On our last morning in Prague, we did a final walk around the Old Town, had some fantastic street crepes, and then hopped on Viking’s bus bound for Germany.  We had a pleasant little three-hour drive, with a charming guide who was quite enthusiastic to welcome us to Bavaria, and at the end of it we found ourselves at last on board the Viking Prestige in Passau!

I do plan to devote an entire post to that good ship and our time aboard, so fear not if I jump straight ahead here to the city itself.

We spent less than 24 hours in Passau’s charming Old Town, but it doesn’t take even that long of a visit to know that the heart of Passau is the river.  In truth, the city sits at the confluence of three rivers, the Blue Danube, the Black Ilz, and the Green Inn, and I can’t imagine a more spectacular place to begin a cruise.  Looking out at the water, you can actually see the three separate rivers flowing side by side before they converge and the Danube heads off into Austria.  Incidentally, you can see Austria from Passau as well!  On a map it sits right on the border.

One of the things that continually struck me as we traveled through Central Europe is just how recently things have come together there.  I suppose, as a student of history, I shouldn’t be surprised at the impermanence of borders, but perhaps it’s just one of those things that dawns on one slowly.  Passau didn’t become part of Germany until 1803,  for 600 years before that it was an ‘independent prince bishopric’ (a prince-bishop is in charge of both the church and the state in a place, though that doesn’t necessarily mean that the state and the church are joined…this one’s a tad confusing), and before that, it was part of the Roman Empire.  Today it is just charming, that’s really the best word for it.  I would happily return to Passau if I found myself in want of a few days of leisurely wandering and quiet reading, but I found the time we had on our trip perfect for exploring the highlights.

We began those explorations in earnest in the rain.  It was a fairly welcome change for the residents, as they had been having an unusually dry summer in a town more commonly known for its floods, though not exactly what you hope for on a site-seeing vacation.  I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it at the time, but looking back now, that rain links our journey even more forcibly in my mind with one of my absolute favorite books,* and that makes the experience almost magical.

Viking is certainly efficient when it comes to their shore excursions.  They include a guided walking tour at every port, and each morning, when you arrive for the tour, they give you a card telling you which group you are in and a shore card that you must return when getting back on the ship so they can keep track of who is where and hopefully not leave anyone behind.  The hotel manager is also present at each departure offering bottles of water and, on rainy days, those snazzy red Viking umbrellas.

This is certainly a point to consider as you are selecting your cruise vacation. I know the Viking price tag can be intimidating, but when I was doing my preliminary planning for my Italy trip next year (I originally considered a Mediterranean cruise, but then decided I would prefer to do more in depth visits at just a couple of stops) I did the math. If you are a traveler like me who will want to do a tour in every port (and who is not a big drinker and thus content with the surplus of wine they provide at lunch and dinner) Viking’s all inclusive price will actually come out less than a budget cruise line like Carnival or Norwegian where you have to pay as you go for each and every step you take off the ship.

But back to our tour of Passau.  Our guide, as they all were, was very good, and we got lots of history in a couple of hours.  This was our introduction to the Habsburgs who would dominate the rest of our travels down the Danube.  I came away from that trip terribly excited to read more about them, but I haven’t done it yet…so many books on my shelves!  Despite my lack of retention, we did wander the tiny cobbled passageways with our guide for about two hours and learned about floods and prince bishops, and Empress Sissi (who we’ll meet again later).

After the tour we had a bit of time to explore on our own, and then we culminated the whole thing with a magnificent organ concert played on the world’s largest Catholic pipe organ.  (I’ll be seeing a larger organ next month in Philadelphia, so stay tuned!)  I didn’t take any photos during the concert, but I do remember sitting, listening, and contemplating some very gruesome paintings and carvings in the chapel niche nearest me.  Religion can certainly be very dark sometimes.

But then again it can also be quite charming.  Since reading “The Children of Green Knowe” as a child, I have searched for St. Christophers whenever I travel.  He is the patron saint of travelers and most commonly associated with rivers.  I found a St. Christopher in a garden at Mont Saint Michel in France, and I found another spectacular one here in Passau on a wall near the oldest surviving door in town.  “You know the story?  He carried the infant Jesus across [a river] in a storm thinking it would be easy, but halfway across he began to feel the child as heavy as the sorrow of the whole world.”*

So I shall leave St. Christopher here to watch over Passau and its three beautiful rivers.  For us it is time to set sail!  So long Passau, so long Germany, welcome next to Austria and our cruise down the Danube!!

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*RECOMMENDED READING: The Children of Green Knowe: Lucy M. Boston

“A little boy was sitting in the corner of a railway carriage looking out at the rain, which was splashing against the windows and blotching downward in an ugly dirty way.”

Thus begins “The Children of Green Knowe,” a little boy in the rain heading to a place firmly colored by its floods.  This is one of my lifelong favorites, it is cozy, it is magical, and it is a must.  It also inspired a pilgrimage of mine which should probably have an entire post dedicated to it soon…