🇩🇪 Germany | Passau

At the invitation of a friend, I visited their hometown 🇩🇪 Passau, located in eastern Bavaria near the German-Austrian border. Known as the "City of Three Rivers," it sits at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers. From Munich, it takes just over 2 hours by direct DB train. One day is enough to explore, but two days would be more relaxing 😌. The weather wasn’t great during my visit, so I focused on the most photogenic must-see spots. 🎫 Tips: 1⃣️ Right outside the train station, you’ll find the "Tourist Information" center. Inside, they offer travel brochures in 11 languages! The Google Maps locations and introductions for each attraction are very clear. 2⃣️ were taken from Oberhaus Fortress, overlooking the Dreiflüsseeck (Three Rivers Corner). To get there, cross an iron bridge and after the traffic light 🚥, you’ll see a small staircase. Climb up step by step — the higher you go, the better the view! At the top, look for a blue pipe. Hidden inside a tunnel is a small elevator — press the button for the 1st floor, and you’ll reach the lookout point with a panoramic view of Passau! ⚠️ Important: Oberhaus Museum opening hours: March 15 - November 15 Mon-Fri: 9 AM - 5 PM | Sat/Sun/Holidays: 10 AM - 6 PM December 25 - January 6 Daily: 10 AM - 4 PM (except December 31) Viewing platform opening hours: Same as above during March 15 - November 15 3⃣️ : Rathaus (City Hall Square) 4⃣️ St. Stephen's Cathedral — home to the largest Catholic church organ in the world 🎶 All these attractions are within walking distance. There’s more to see too: the Passau Roman Museum, Glass Museum, the world’s first Dachshund Museum 🐶, University of Passau… but honestly, I skipped them due to rain + laziness 😄. Walking around the city, I noticed Passau feels much quieter than other German cities I’ve visited. Though small, it’s very clean, with Asian supermarkets and lots of cute local shops. My friend took me to their parents’ and sister’s homes. Everyone was incredibly warm, hospitable, and spoke English fluently. And oh — German households really do store a lot of beer! 🍻 We talked for hours without even realizing how time flew. The next morning, we had homemade bread and jam made by my friend’s mom. Couldn’t tell the difference from store-bought, but it felt special ❤️. My favorite part was hiking through the countryside and hills around Passau. I loved admiring the traditional German rural houses — so charming! The weather kept shifting between rain and sun, but every turn offered a new beautiful view. We even met groups of elementary school kids out for weekend activities. Finally, my friend’s dad drove us back to the station. I left feeling completely content and relaxed 🌿. I can’t wait to host them one day in my hometown, Chengdu! #XiaohongshuAssistant #LifeInGermany #WeekendGetaway #AustriaTravel #TravelDiary 🌍✨