Travelling from Munich to Passau to Regensburg was like a dream sequence. Stunning visuals of Bavaria pass in front of my eyes, as I recollect my journey during spring. Being close to each other, I could reach the three cities easily by road.
Vijaya Pratap discovers the beauty of the free state of Bavaria en route to Regensburg via Munich and Passau
Munich
With my guide Birgit, I embarked on a walking tour in the third largest German city. Enjoying the pretty floral beds and the greenery around, I listened to her interesting narrations. The 800-year-old city was once under the Roman Empire, with a flourishing economy in salt trade. It has been a centre of arts, culture and science since the early 19th century. After the devastation wrought by the World Wars, the city was rebuilt and resurrected to its former glory. Munich is famous for Oktoberfest, during which, six and a half million people visit and revel in the festivities for 16 days. Strangely, the Oktoberfest takes place in September, when the weather is nice. In the olden days, people used to go hunting during October.
The Munich City Centre
Ranging from grand palaces to towering town halls, medieval city gates and an enormous university complex, Munich’s many landmarks are varied. Being a bike-friendly city with more than 1,000 kilometres of bicycle lanes, many locals and tourists enjoy cycling around. The Odeonsplatz is a large square in the City Centre surrounded by masterpieces in architecture, where groups of people were found relaxing, spread around fountains and iconic landmarks. The Field Marshals’ Hall is a prominent loggia that was built as a tribute to the Bavarian army that fought in the Franco-Prussian War. It features bronze statues of some of the most revered generals of Bavaria. The Theatine Church at Odeonsplatz impressed me the most, because its architecture departed dramatically from the rest of Munich’s buildings. Under renovation, its scaffolding was covered by an artistically pleasing Panorama Cover, which also acts as an elegant advertising board. The Old City Hall was dotted with statues on its façade. The grandiose Opera house that was rebuilt after a major fire, with the beer tax collected in the form of “beer penny” and the New City hall were impressive, too. At the 400-year-old Hofbrauhaus, the frescoes on the ceilings, the Beer Hall music and Birgit’s stories added to our rich Bavarian meal.
Passau
Watching blue skies, crystal-clear lakes and passing through small medieval towns, I reached Passau on a rainy morning. It is the ‘Town on Three Rivers’ that is located at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz. Close to Austrian and Czech borders, Passau was once a Roman provincial town, later ruled by the Prince Bishops. The city was rebuilt after the great fire in 1662.
Armed with umbrellas, my guide Sonia and I set out on a walking tour. Passau is dominated by large squares, romantic promenades, winding lanes and majestic bridges. The fine drizzle made the distinctive ambience of the city all the more alluring.
The setting of Old Town is dominated by soaring towers of churches and historical monuments. First, we entered the Jesuite Church of St Michael that reflects early 18th century architecture. The simple exterior contrasts with a rich interior filled with pilasters, paintings and large statues of angels. The pièce de résistance of Passau, St Stephen’s Cathedral, is located in the heart of Passau. The iconic cathedral of St Stephen with its three characteristic, green onion-domed towers is immensely imposing. Rebuilt after the great fire by the famous baroque architect Carlo Lurago, it has impressive stucco works and frescoes contributed by Italian baroque artists. With 17,974 organ pipes and 233 stops and five individual organs, the cathedral organ is Europe’s largest. The adjacent Bishop’s Residence has balcony portals and a circular balustrade both richly decorated with cast lead figures, relief and ornaments that echo an early Classical aura.
The Passau Glass Museum gave me one of my most amazing experiences in Bavaria. Housed in the historic Wilder Mann, which also includes a hotel, it is the world’s largest collection of European glass, with over 30,000 exhibits providing a comprehensive overview of the various periods of glass art from Baroque, Rococo and Biedermeier right up to the modern.
We saw Passau’s Gothic Rathaus (Old Town Hall), with its colourful wooden-beamed ceiling featuring a handsome neo-Gothic tower, the baroque Great Assembly Room with beautiful stained glass windows depicting scenes from Passau’s history and Ferdinand Wagner’s huge paintings.
Then we got into a boat and passed by Passau’s many churches and monasteries. The raindrops on the boat’s glass windows added a strange tinge to my pictures. In the distance was the imposing fortress Veste Oberhaus built in 1219 by Passau’s Prince Bishops as their fortified residence, which has played a significant part in the city’s history. At the confluence, I saw three distinctively different colours of the three rivers.
That evening at the 600-year-old Heilig-Geist-Stiftsschenke, a restaurant which was once an infirmary, I sipped a fine Rosé from their vineyards in the historic interiors of the Bishop’s Room, over a memorable dinner.
Regensburg
Situated at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers, the town of emperors and kings, Regensburg, is steeped in history. Meeting Mathias, my guide, I walked to the iconic Stone Bridge. Presently under renovation, it was once regarded the eighth wonder of the world and is Germany’s oldest arched stone bridge (12th century) with some sections still in their original state. At the nearby 500-year-old historical tavern Wurstkuchl (Sausage Kitchen), we had the finest handmade sausages together with Sauerkraut and traditional buns for lunch, all the while feeling smug that this is where stonemasons and dockers went for refreshment during the Middle Ages.
As we reached St Peter’s Cathedral, the best known landmark of Regensburg, I was awestruck by its magnificence: the impressive front, grand interiors and its wealth of medieval stained glass. Regensburg has a remarkably high number of ancient Roman, Romanesque and Gothic buildings within a relatively small area, and has a world heritage status. A trading centre from the 9th century, it was once the centre of the Roman Empire.
A visit to the Snuff Factory Museum took me back to the stories where comic characters came out with wisecracks after a sniff. At the museum where three rooms are retained in their original state along with the equipment, Mathias explained the production process of snuff and the use of the buildings through the centuries. Also, I got to sniff some interesting flavours of snuff, like mint and chocolate.
In Regensburg, the river cruise in a crystal boat decorated with Swarovsky crystals was certainly a fitting finale to my trip. A picture of class and elegance, the Crystal Queen truly represented the beautiful land of Bavaria.
Vijaya Pratap is a freelance journalist and a documentary filmmaker, based in Hyderabad. She specialises in the study of art, culture, history and wildlife.
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