Passau, Germany, and into Austria (Oct 15)

This morning we went thru a rather deep lock (over 30 feet) on the Danube (shown here entering the lock, then after all the water is out, then with the gates open)

and then looking back at the lock we just left

and that took us from Germany into Austria, but we rode back into Germany on a bus for about 30 min for our visit to Passau, another important medieval town at the intersection of 3 rivers (Danube, Ilz, and Inn).  Merchants came here in the 15th century to buy and sell salt, and it was also a big sword manufacturing center.

We visited the 16th century cathedral (I think the most ornate we've seen so far) with the largest pipe organ in Europe (over 17,000 pipes) and magnificent baroque architecture

 Here are some of the pipes

Our German tour guide showed a picture of the keyboard that you couldn't see from the floor.  A few years ago, a guest arrived with bodyguards, enjoyed the music, and asked if he could play the organ.  He played quite well and left, saying "I'll be back".  Yes indeed, it was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who comes to this area to celebrate Octoberfest frequently (and is a native of Austria)

Our guide then showed us around old town Passau

Town Hall:

 A beer tap often used during weddings:

 The building of the sheriff/executioner (now a night club)

 The very narrow cobblestone streets:

Tonight we are cruising down the Danube toward Melk, Austria, but our cruise director just announced there is a meeting tonight to reveal a "trip deviation", and I'm guessing we may have change something in the tour again due to low water.

The Danube is wide and beautiful here with the changing trees around a deep valley

Lots of swans in this part of the river