Passau

The final stop on our Viking cruise is to the German city of Passau. Our walking tour included a visit to the 17th-century St. Stephan's Cathedral with the world's larges church organ with 17,774 pipes. We were treated to a concert at the Cathedral.

I'm sure you've seen the news stories about the record flooding in Passau. The city residents and the 10,000 college students in the city worked together to sand bag and conduct the massive clean up. Unfortunately, many buildings also suffered from interior damage and the drying out and repairs will take some time. The tour guide pointed out the water markings on several of the buildings.

After lunch, we burned a few calories by crossing the city bridge and hiking to the Veste Oberhaus, a 13th-century fortress that provided outstanding views of the confluence of the Danube, Ilz and Inn rivers.

We also visited local shops and enjoyed coffee in the town square.