Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Passau

Agilolfingian dukes founded this monastery on the site of a fortification in 739. Only the two towers of the three nave basilica, erected within the 11th century, can be seen from this point. Gisela of Hungary (aka Gisela of Bavaria), daughter of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria and widow of Saint Stephen of Hungary has been an abbess here. Her tomb inside the church is the center of a pilgrimage. The convent existed upto 1803, but Sisters of Loreto revitalized it in 1835. Today there are still some sisters living here and supporting the two schools, that meanwhile moved into the buildings. It is known, that they will move out end of 2013. Unfortunately I was too late to enter the church... Here are two (German) websites www.gisela-schulen.de/cms/ www.pnp.de/region_und_lokal/stadt_und_landkreis_passau/pa...

Standing on the tip of the peninsula, where the river Inn (right) flows in the Danube. A barge "steams" down the Danube to Austria in the late afternoon sun.

The western facade of the Stephansdom (St. Stephan's Cathedral) is under renovation. The large baroque cathedral was erected between 1668 and 1693, after a fire had destroyed its predecessor in 1662. The cathedral seen today is the fifth erected on the highest point of a peninsula between the rivers Danube and Inn. A christian church, dedicated to St. Severin, existed already around 450, when Passau was still known under the Roman name of Batavia. A pre-Romanesque church, dedicated to St. Stephanus, was built around 720. When Saint Bonifatius founded the diocese of Passau in 739, this church became a cathedral. It got destroyed, when Emperor Otto II (husband of Theophanu) conquered Passau after a siege during the wars he fought against his cousin Henry II, Duke of Bavaria (aka "Henry the Wrangler"). A three nave Romanesque church was consecrated in 985, followed by an early Gothic cathedral, built between 1280 and 1325. This got rebuilt over a long period between 1407 and 1598, before it burnt down and so gave room for the Baroque cathedral seen here.

The western facade of the Stephansdom (St. Stephan's Cathedral) is under renovation. The large baroque cathedral was erected between 1668 and 1693, after a fire had destroyed its predecessor in 1662. The cathedral seen today is the fifth erected on the highest point of a peninsula between the rivers Danube and Inn. A christian church, dedicated to St. Severin, existed already around 450, when Passau was still known under the Roman name of Batavia. A pre-Romanesque church, dedicated to St. Stephanus, was built around 720. When Saint Bonifatius founded the diocese of Passau in 739, this church became a cathedral. It got destroyed, when Emperor Otto II (husband of Theophanu) conquered Passau after a siege during the wars he fought against his cousin Henry II, Duke of Bavaria (aka "Henry the Wrangler"). A three nave Romanesque church was consecrated in 985, followed by an early Gothic cathedral, built between 1280 and 1325. This got rebuilt over a long period between 1407 and 1598, before it burnt down and so gave room for the Baroque cathedral seen here. The nave is about 100 meters long.

My small, but cosy room in "Hotel Wilder Mann" in Passau. The hotel is in the historical center of Passau and even Elisabeth II ("Sissi"), Empress of Austria, has stayed here for a week in 1862 to meet with her parents. Maybe not in this room. The complex, consisting out of three buildings, has an interesting history and houses as well the Glasmuseum Passau. www.wilder-mann.com/