Passau
A university city in Lower Bavaria where the Inn and Ilz join the Danube, known for St. Stephen's Cathedral and the cycle path to Vienna.
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Passau is a university city in Lower Bavaria, in southeastern Germany near the Austrian border. The Inn and the Ilz join the Danube here, which is why the city is known as the City of Three Rivers. The Old City sits on a narrow peninsula between the Danube and the Inn, with steep stairways running down to both riverbanks. At the confluence the Inn water looks green, the Danube blue and the Ilz black, and the Danube keeps these colors for a stretch downstream.
A fire in 1662 destroyed most of the city, and Italian builders rebuilt it in the Baroque style, which gives the center its southern look. St. Stephen's Cathedral, the largest Baroque cathedral north of the Alps, stands on the highest point of the Old City, about 15 meters above the Danube. Many Danube river cruises start here, and a cycle path runs east toward Vienna. Plan one or two days for the cathedral and a walk along the rivers. October and November are the driest months, and mild Indian summer weather often arrives in autumn.
Passau in five
- Walk to the Dreiflüsseeck at the tipThe peninsula ends where the Danube, the Inn and the small Ilz meet, and the water runs in three colors on calm days. It is a 10-minute walk from the cathedral square.
- Hear the cathedral organSt. Stephen's Cathedral holds one of the largest church organs in the world, and midday concerts are advertised in season. Check the cathedral's official site for dates and any entry charge.
- Take the train to Linz or SalzburgPassau sits on the Munich to Vienna axis, and regional trains reach Linz in about an hour. Use it as a night between Bavaria and Austria rather than a base.Salzburg travel guide
- Rent a bike for the Danube pathThe Danube cycle route runs past the old town in both directions. Rental shops and luggage transfers cluster near the station and the river promenade.
- Pair it with RegensburgRegensburg is the other Danube stop in eastern Bavaria and is reachable by train in about 1.5 hours. Do both on a Munich to Prague style loop.Regensburg travel guide
Things to do in Passau
See all attractions in Passau
Need to know
- Airport
- Munich (MUC), about 2–2.5 hours by train and regional connections
- Getting there
- Regional express from Munich about 2.5 hours; Linz about 1 hour
- Getting around
- On foot; the old town is a small peninsula
- Best base
- Old town for atmosphere; near the station for early trains
- Time needed
- Half a day to 1 night
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuarySnow14 rainy days4 snowy daysHigh3°Low-3°Cold, foggyJanuarySnow
Poor
- High
- 3°
- Low
- -3°
- Precipitation
- 90 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 4
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, foggy
- FebruaryRain12 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh6°Low-1°Cold, quietFebruaryRain
Poor
- High
- 6°
- Low
- -1°
- Precipitation
- 73 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- MarchPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh10°Low1°Cool, thawMarchPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 1°
- Precipitation
- 63 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, thaw
- AprilPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh15°Low4°Spring, mildAprilPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 63 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring, mild
- MayRain15 rainy daysHigh18°Low8°Warm, cyclingMayRain
Best
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 102 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, cycling
- JuneRain14 rainy daysHigh24°Low13°Warm, long daysJuneRain
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 115 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, long days
- JulyRain14 rainy daysHigh24°Low14°Hot, busyJulyRain
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 104 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busy
- AugustRain13 rainy daysHigh24°Low14°Hot, busyAugustRain
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 112 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busy
- SeptemberPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh20°Low11°Mild, clearSeptemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 20°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 84 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, clear
- OctoberPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh15°Low7°Fall colorOctoberPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 66 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Fall color
- NovemberRain12 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh8°Low2°Gray, dampNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 74 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Gray, damp
- DecemberRain13 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh4°Low-1°Advent marketsDecemberRain
Poor
- High
- 4°
- Low
- -1°
- Precipitation
- 87 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 2
- Days with storms
- 0
Advent markets
Average daily high and low in Passau, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Passau
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
5
- Feels like
- 3°
- Humidity
- 74%
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 3%
Passau
09:46 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today8°5°3%Monday: Rain. High 8°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 3%.
- Tue8°4°3%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 3%.
- Wed9°2°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 9°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu10°3°0%Thursday: Clear. High 10°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri9°-1°0%Friday: Fog. High 9°, Low -1°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sat4°0°0%Saturday: Fog. High 4°, Low 0°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sun5°0°5%Sunday: Fog. High 5°, Low 0°. Chance of rain 5%.
Updated 06:40 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Day trips by train
- Regensburgabout 1.5 hours by trainA UNESCO old town and a 12th-century stone bridge.Read the guide
- Linzabout 1 hour by trainAn Austrian Danube city with a modern art museum.
- Salzburgabout 2 hours by trainBaroque old town under a fortress, in Austria.Read the guide
Before you go to Passau
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Rules for Passau, checked
- Most non-EU visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. Check entry rules on the Federal Foreign Office site before you book.Source
- Dial 112 for police, fire or an ambulance anywhere in Germany.
- Declare cash and goods that exceed the EU limits at German customs. Check the current amounts on the official customs site before you travel.Source
- Leaving about 5 to 10 percent is common in restaurants and taxis.
Plan around Passau
A medieval stone bridge and cathedral upriver
Read the guideMunich travel guideThe Bavarian capital, 2-2.5 hours away
Read the guideSalzburg travel guideThe Mozart city over the Austrian border
Read the guideAll of GermanyRegions, trains, entry rules and money for Germany
Read the guideEES and entry rulesWhat border registration means for a Germany trip
Read the guidePassau FAQ
Is Passau worth visiting?
Yes for a short stop. The peninsula, the cathedral and the river meeting point make a compact visit that takes half a day. It works better as a night on a route than as a base for a week.
How many days do you need in Passau?
Half a day is enough to see the cathedral and the river tip. One night adds an evening on the Inn promenade and an early start for the Danube path or a morning train.
Why is Passau called the city of three rivers?
The Danube, the Inn and the Ilz all join here. The Danube is the long river from the west, the Inn comes from the Alps and the Ilz is a small dark stream from the Bavarian Forest.
Can you cycle from Passau to Vienna?
Yes, the Danube cycle route continues east into Austria, and many riders make this a multi-day trip. Plan stops and luggage transfers in advance, and check route conditions on the official cycle route sites.
Is Passau a good stop between Munich and Vienna?
Yes. The railway line runs through it, so you can break the long trip with a night. Check the timetable first because not every fast train stops here.