Day 7 (4) -- Passau

After dark in Regensburg (night 3), the cruise pulled away from the dock and headed for Passau. River levels were fine and we arrived in Passau in early morning around 8:30 a.m., tying up to another boat with "prime" docking space (which Viking advertises in their brochures).  It wasn't as close as they bragged, but it wasn't too bad. It was a little over a 1/2 mile walk from the boat to the cathedral.

Aerial map of Passau (courtesy of Google Maps)

But it was still winter (not like the above).

Coming into dock at Passau--we will tie up to the boat in the photo, and walk across
the top deck and down again to get to land. Note the cathedral in the background (round domes).

Off we went on a walking tour of the city, ducking in one building to admire the ceiling, then more walking to arrive at Cafe Simon for their gingerbread demonstration.

Building ceiling

outside Cafe Simon looking towards the local Catholic Church

We headed over to St. Stefan's Cathedral. This one is different from many others in Europes in that the interior is done not in Gothic, but in a later Baroque style, as it was not begun until the 1600's. Said to hold the world's largest cathedral organ, they do not play it after November 1st, so we were not able to hear it.

A view of St. Stefan's interior

Tourists taking their photos, too.

The cherub's leg dropping from the ceiling painting is actually three-dimensional.

 There were three KrisKindl markets in Passau. We visited them all. Then it was back to the boat as it departed that evening for our next destination.