Last Updated: May 2026
Passau is nestled in southeastern Bavaria at one of Europe’s most dramatic geographic intersections. Known as the “City of Three Rivers” (Dreflüssestadt), Passau sits at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers near the Austrian border — a location that has shaped its history as a powerful trade hub, an episcopal capital, and one of the most distinctively beautiful Baroque cities in Germany. Sandy and I sailed aboard the River Duchess from Regensburg as the Danube grew wider and the countryside more dramatic, arriving at Passau with its pastel-colored buildings tumbling down to the water’s edge and the twin towers of St. Stephen’s Cathedral rising above everything. Even from the ship, it was immediately clear this was a special place.
