🇩🇪 Passau｜The Further You Wander

Five years ago, I visited Germany and explored major cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart. Slowly, I found myself longing more for the quiet and charm of small-town life. This time, I came to Passau in Bavaria, Germany ✨ Strolling through this small city where three rivers converge is an absolute delight— a true “Bavarian Venice,” ancient and peaceful. 1️⃣ Grab a coffee at a street-side café (Anton is highly recommended ☕). 2️⃣ The old town is perfect for wandering, with many unique shops (Bear & Friends for candy souvenirs 👛, local fashion designer boutiques 📍, and Germany’s oldest bookstore, Bücher Pustet Passau. For lunch, try the currywurst at Cantina — it won’t disappoint 🌭). 3️⃣ The confluence of the three rivers (even more striking on cloudy days 🌊) is ideal for a relaxed walk. There are wooden benches along the way — you could easily sit all day with a coffee in hand. 4️⃣ Hotel Wilder Mann next to the town hall is where Empress Sisi stayed the night before her wedding 👑 (today, she’d definitely be a travel/art influencer 📸). The hotel is still open to the public. From the fifth floor down, there’s a Glass Museum featuring a stunning collection of Bohemian glass art from 1700–1950 (allow 1+ hour, €8 per person 🖼️). 5️⃣ St. Stephen’s Cathedral houses the world’s largest pipe organ 🎶, with magnificent acoustics and breathtaking frescoes. 6️⃣ Up on Hacker Hill stands Veste Oberhaus, a castle built in the 13th century. You can take a shuttle (€5 one-way, runs every 15 mins, last ride down to city hall at 17:00 🚌), but I’d recommend hiking up — it’s a steady but manageable climb. I even met a guy who’d cycled all the way from France to Passau — he said it took him a month! It’s amazing how everyone lives their own extraordinary life ✨ We got lucky — museum entry was free that day! After the exhibition, we climbed the castle watchtower for a panoramic view of the old town and another elevated perspective of the three rivers meeting 📸. Just half an hour after I posted on Moments, a German friend found out I was in his hometown and called me excitedly — he highly recommended trying the local beer 🍻 It reminded me of that song: “It’s a small world after all…” 🌍 That evening, our cruise ship hosted a German-Austrian themed night — unlimited beer 🍺, Bavarian pork knuckle, grilled fish fillet, cold cuts platter… a perfect close to the day! #TakeTheWorldHome #GlobalTravel #MyVikingJourney