REQUEST TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST Drawing upon W&L’s strengths in educational travel and outdoor education,this specially designed trip offers the opportunity for alumni to combine their love of outdoor physical activity with their pursuit of travel and continuing learning This program offers individual challenge and group enjoyment with the backdrop of one of Europe’s most scenic bike routes and historic rivers We designed this trip to be affordable while ensuring comfortable accommodations and local meal choices Six days of biking will cover almost 300 kilometers with mostly flat terrain suited to a casual cyclist who yearns for a special holiday abroad The area’s first settlements between the Enns and the Danube go back 4,000 years The landmark belfry tower on the Main Square was erected in the 1560s bike along the Strudengau section of the Danube This day ends by cycling through the picturesque Wachau Valley one of Europe’s most beautiful river valleys with its steep wine terraces we pass through the quaint village of Durnstein and the castle ruin that once imprisoned English King Richard the Lionheart We leave for the 1,000-year-old town of Krems and the historic Roman town Tulln and conclude by biking to Vienna to explore its wonders The memories of this W&L experience will last a lifetime Space for this special trip is limited to no more than 18 travelers and is expected to fill quickly © Copyright 2025 Washington and Lee University Catastrophic floods in central and eastern Europe: DW correspondent Giulia Saudelli reports from the southern German city of Passau The grand Széchenyi Thermal Baths in Budapest It doesn't take long before you feel right at home onboard the Tor Guests can watch the river from the comfort of their bed The terrace at the front of the ship is a prime spot for dinner Take in vineyard-lined hills and icy castles on a tranquil boat trip from Budapest to Passau Germany and the weather is frosty during my 10-day adventure a relatively new concept for the cruise line which launched its first winter cruise on the Rhine in 2023 so I am able to enjoy the snow-tipped hills From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox their award-winning fleet of river cruisers primarily used in Europe informal service – barman George knew our favourite drinks by the second round It doesn't take long before you feel right at home in the Tor's sleek The library is a relaxing place in which to read while the top deck has mini golf and shuffleboard There are also talks and demonstrations such as an apple strudel cooking lesson or a presentation on the history of Slovakian national dance Viking cruises are all about the destinations Each evening before dinner we were given a talk about where we were going the following morning which helped inform what we might choose to do a small receiver with headphones that every guest is given After leaving Budapest we head to Győr, a small city in the north of Hungary, and onwards to Slovakia's Bratislava, Austria's Vienna, Grein and Linz, and then Passau, just over the border in Germany This 346-mile journey takes us through four of the 10 countries on the banks of the Danube Each of the ship's 95 bedrooms are peaceful and comfortable and toiletries from Nordic skincare brand Freyja inspired by Freyja the Norse goddess of love My balcony room had floor to ceiling glass doors allowing us to watch the river go by from our bed two chests of drawers and room under the beds for your cases as well as a mini-fridge for any snacks and purchases made along the way These huge 445 square foot spaces have a wraparound balcony with views directly off the back of the boat The glass Aquavit restaurant and terrace at the front of the ship is a prime spot for a bit of lunch or a more relaxed dinner The main restaurant is open for a buffet breakfast and an à la carte lunch and evening meal and the open seating means you can meet some of your fellow cruisers at different tables each night one staying the same and the other reflecting that day's stop while their house wine from Austria's Mörwald Winery is included for all guests at lunch and dinner The Silver Spirits drinks package is available for those who prefer not to think about the bar bill and even game nights that get more than a little rowdy the sound of cocktail shakers and bottles popping signal you're in for a good time Jaymi was a guest onboard the Viking Tor for the 10-day Treasures of the Danube river cruise, vikingrivercruises.co.uk A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Europe in the festive season is the gift that keeps on giving lingering in your memory as a magical time Riverside villages are aglow with twinkling lights the summer crowds have disappeared from the cities and centuries-old markets sparkle with Christmas spirit Like Santa’s sleigh, Viking delivers guests to winter wonderlands along the Danube These holiday cruises offer the same experience of European culture and history but at the most enchanting time of year decorations and presents for your family and friends ice-skating and other feasts for the senses Inhale the nutty aroma of roasted chestnuts and the sweet scent of mulled wine simmering with cloves and cinnamon return to your Viking Longship to relax or celebrate onboard Christmas Markets church Passau Germany (Image: Viking) with a market in every town and village you stop at Viking’s Christmas cruises visit up to four countries a daily shore excursion is included to the open-air markets often combined with a short tour of the local highlights Optional excursions are also offered to attractions such as wineries The following Christmas voyages depart from late November to mid-December in 2025 and 2026 Limited cabins are also available on some last-minute cruises in 2024 Traditional Gingerbread heart cookies from the Christmas Market in Nuremberg Germany (Photo: Corinna Haselmayer/Shutterstock) Launching in 2025 is Viking’s 11-night Christmas on the Rhine & Main river cruise between Germany and Switzerland Marvel at Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt embrace the old-world charm of Frankfurt’s Römerberg Square and check out the artisanal crafts in Basel and Karlsruhe This new itinerary includes a day in the French city of Strasbourg it’s renowned for its Alsatian traditions and extensive markets The market in Place Kléber is famous for its huge Christmas tree dazzling lights and treats such as bredele (Alsatian Christmas cookies) This seven-night, three-country Danube cruise stands apart for docking overnight in Budapest fairytale villages and well-preserved medieval towns in Hungary At Budapest’s illuminated St Stephen’s Basilica skaters twirl across the ice-rink at the base of an 18-metre Christmas tree and market stalls sell Hungarian foods such as goulash and chimney cake visit the markets at St Stephen’s Cathedral and Maria Theresien Platz After scenic sailing through the Wachau Valley don’t miss Viking’s Privileged Access visit to Göttweig Abbey including its 11-century chapel that is usually closed to visitors Christmas Market in Bratislava Slovakia (Image: Viking) Between Budapest and Passau, this seven-night, four-country itinerary includes an excursion to Slovakia to attend an organ recital in Bratislava’s Old Town castle and churches before a chance to pick up unique gifts at the markets watch an Advent wreath-making demonstration and see how gingerbread is made at a local bakery in this Bavarian “city of the three rivers” This cruise also offers scenic sailing through Wachau Valley and a visit to Göttweig Abbey Germany and Holland are highlighted on Viking’s seven-night, four-country cruise from Amsterdam to Basel (or reverse) via Strasbourg sampling yuletide treats as you browse the colourful displays Sail deep into the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt Delta surrounded by classic Dutch landscapes of windmills farmhouses and shores lined with poplar trees and tulips join a local guide on a walking tour of historic neighbourhoods the former city gate at the confluence of three rivers A Christmas Market in Koblenz (Photo: Adam Coulter/Cruise Critic) Enjoy two-night hotel stays in both Paris and Zürich on an 11-night cruise-tour Admire the seasonal displays in Parisian department stores and take a festive drive from the famed Champs-Élysées ending with an iconic view of the Eiffel Tower Sip a warm mug of glühwein in the shadow of the Swiss Alps and stroll around 140 stalls at the Zürich’s Christkindlimarkt where the tree is decorated with thousands of Swarovski crystals Witness the vibrantly lit facade of the French cathedral in Reims and get more retail therapy at the markets of Trier Wooden booths offering souvenirs during Christmas Market in Prague Czech Republic (Photo: Rostislav Glinsky/Shutterstock) Viking has yet another option in central Europe with an 11-day cruise-tour between Paris and Prague that includes hotel accommodation in these two cities German and Czech traditions while sailing to Riems Explore the epic German markets and visit festively adorned castles and cathedrals on these two beautiful rivers Revel in the rolling farmland and sylvan forests of Spessart and the rows of half-timbered houses along the riverfront Viking’s Privileged Access tour of Lobkowicz Palace includes lunch in the family’s original living quarters and a private concert in the baroque hall Travel between Berlin and Prague on this nine-night cruise-tour that includes two-night hotel stays in both of these unforgettable cities Venture out in the evening on a free shore excursion to see Berlin’s magnificent monuments lit up at night take a drive around the city’s landmarks before an afternoon at the yuletide markets discover the treasured recipe for Dresden’s famous Christstollen and walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther to All Saints’ Church and relish the stunning markets in the cobblestoned Old Town Christmas Market in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (Image: Viking) For a full week in France Viking’s seven-night Seine sailing is conveniently roundtrip from Paris The journey starts and ends with overnight stays aboard the ship sail through snow-covered countryside and indulge in the French wine and cuisine Ports of call include Vernon for a chance to visit nearby Giverny Caudebec-en-Caux and Rouen in the heart of Normandy where passengers can hike to the fortress of Château Gaillard built by Richard the Lionheart in the 12th century A Viking Longship with festive decor (Image: Viking) Viking Longships are known for their Scandinavian design blending elegant minimalism with comfort for the perfect retreat after a day of exploring Passengers can meet fellow guests in the lounge or sharing tables at dinner while enjoying Viking’s attentive crew and destination-focused dining TV with on-demand movies and news channels individual climate control for heating during winter and private bathroom with heated floor and premium toiletries Vice President Christina Hansen of the University of Passau called on Vice President TAMAKI Hisashi the director of the Institute for Promoting International Partnerships.The meeting was attended by Kathrin Eveline Plank international affairs officer from the University of Passau the dean of the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies professor at the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies Hansen introduced the faculty structure of the University of Passau its acceptance of international students and researchers and its interdisciplinary academic programs Tamaki introduced Kobe University and explained V.School as an initiative for interdisciplinary cooperation The participants also exchanged views on promoting student exchange and researcher mobility through international joint programs between the two universities.It is hoped that this visit will further deepen exchanges between the two universities ページの先頭へ A general view taken with a drone shows the flood-affected area at the Donau river following heavy rainfalls in Passau Southern Germany continues to grapple with the aftermath of the severe flooding which has left five people dead and several others unaccounted for following exceptionally heavy rainfall since last Friday While the situation improved in certain flood-hit areas in southern Germany water levels remain high in parts of Bavaria along the Danube River and schools remain closed while disruptions to public transport persist Dams were also monitored throughout the night The German Weather Service has forecasted more precipitation and thunderstorms in Bavaria on Wednesday and Thursday Despite decreases in water levels in some rivers the Donau-Reis district office warned that open areas are still susceptible to inundation German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Reichertshofen in Bavaria "We can see here what we humans must never forget: The forces of nature are big and they can cause great destruction," Scholz said while promising assistance to those impacted by the flooding The German Farmers' Association expects "massive flood damage to land and buildings." While the clean-up has just begun in parts of southern Germany insurers are preparing for a major loss event from the flooding the German Insurance Association said on Tuesday 1.Comments will appear only after being approved by our team so it might be a while before your comment is posted 2.In accordance with the Regulations on Internet News and Information Services and other related laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China comments should not contain anything that is obscene Please [ Login ] to leave a comment. Viking GullveigViking GullveigViking GullveigViking GullveigViking Gullveig7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllDanube WaltzLeaving from: Passau →+5 ports 2026Viking River CruisesViking VarViking VarViking VarViking Var7 Nights 2026Viking River CruisesViking EgilViking EgilViking EgilViking Egil7 Nights 2026Viking River CruisesCruise Critic FavoriteViking IngviViking IngviViking IngviViking Ingvi7 Nights Viking BragiViking BragiViking BragiViking Bragi7 Nights 10 Nights  Europe - AllEnchanting Christmas & New Year'sLeaving from: Passau →+6 ports 2025Uniworld Boutique River Cruise CollectionS.S 7 Nights  Europe - AllDanube Holiday MarketsLeaving from: Passau →+5 ports 2026(2)Uniworld Boutique River Cruise CollectionViking VilhjalmViking VilhjalmViking VilhjalmViking Vilhjalm7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllDanube Christmas DelightsLeaving from: Passau →+7 ports 2027(2)Viking River Cruises.css-ad1o0y{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;height:-webkit-max-content;height:-moz-max-content;height:max-content;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-6);}Viking AegirViking AegirViking AegirViking AegirViking Aegir7 Nights 2026(2)Viking River CruisesViking BragiViking BragiViking BragiViking Bragi7 Nights 2027Viking River CruisesViking TorViking TorViking TorViking Tor7 Nights 2026Viking River CruisesViking EmblaViking EmblaViking EmblaViking Embla7 Nights 2026(3)Viking River CruisesViking VilhjalmViking VilhjalmViking VilhjalmViking Vilhjalm7 Nights 2027(3)Viking River CruisesViking ViliViking ViliViking ViliViking ViliViking Vili7 Nights What cruise trip options do I have from Passau cruises from Passau go to exciting destinations such as Europe - All Passau cruises often range from 6-9 nights providing cruisers with a variety of different entertainment and dining options choose the perfect cruise from Passau that fits your traveling desires It was the best of times (and good weather too!) 1fr));}@media screen and (min-width: 576px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(1 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(2 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(3 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 1284px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(4 Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site Our partners who list cruise pricing on Cruise Critic are required to provide prices for cruise only or cruise packages and are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings Rates are in GBP and valid for UK and Ireland residents only please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site Cruise Critic is not responsible for content on external web sites Lowest pricing is based on our 3rd party pricing supplier and valid as of 6th May 2025 resulting in a number of river cruise lines having to cancel or alter itineraries in the region The increased water levels means that some vessels (cargo and river cruise ships) don't have enough space to sail beneath bridges Areas impacted include the German city of Passau, which lies on the Austrian border at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers, and the Austrian city of Linz News agency Aussiedlerbote reports that water levels continue to climb with at least one river cruise ship requiring other vessels to come to evacuate its passengers Water levels are expected to surpass records set in 2002 Those due to head out on river cruises on the Danube Main and Rhine rivers in the near future should prepare for potential travel disruptions Germany inundated by flood waters in June 2024 (Photo: German Consulate Chicago) Cruise Critic has contacted major river operators for comment on the situation in Europe along the rivers Cruise Critic will monitor and update this list if further cancellations occur Emerald Cruises has confirmed that some of its river itineraries have been changed due to the floods but the line has not provided a comment or further details A spokesperson for UK-based tour operator Riviera Travel said: "A limited number of our sailings are impacted by the flooding on the Danube We are in frequent contact with guests onboard to keep them fully up to date as the situation evolves and are making itinerary adjustments as needed to minimise disruption We are not sailing near villages that are being evacuated and will always keep guest safety at the forefront of everything we do."  A TUI River Cruises spokesperson said: "Due to the increased water levels across several areas of the Danube we're currently unable to safely sail in these areas The safety of our customers and crew is our number one priority so we have made the decision to cancel this week's upcoming TUI Isla itinerary We appreciate how disappointing this news is to our customers and we have given them options to rebook their cruise in the near future or receive a full refund "We're continuing to assess the water levels and will be in direct contact with our customers if needed." said: "Due to heavy rainfall and flooding in Central Europe various cities and stretches along the Rhine and Danube rivers have been impacted temporarily affecting operations for all river cruise lines "We are actively monitoring the situation and communicating with impacted Uniworld guests and their Travel Advisors as soon as changes to the embarkation point and/or tours are known and confirmed; with solutions being determined on a case-by-case basis Due to the changing nature of the situation we are not always able to provide specific details in advance Guests can be assured that the operations team is working diligently to provide them with alternatives that meet Uniworld’s strict standards for quality and service delivering the 5-star experience that they know and expect." In a statement posted to Viking's website the popular river cruise line says it is monitoring the situation for potential impacts Main and Danube rivers are experiencing high water levels these conditions may affect select itineraries Our Switzerland-based nautical team is continually monitoring the situation and will make any necessary adjustments to accommodate the conditions "Guests and their Travel Advisors will continue to be notified directly if we think that their itinerary might be impacted "Viking has two key advantages with regard to handling water level disruptions We have a Switzerland-based nautical team and a network of local partners and authorities that are focused on monitoring and adapting to current water levels to ensure our guests experience the least possible disruption we strategically launch sister ships on the same itinerary this tactic allows us to implement a ship swap that is typically seamless for guests – both they and their luggage are able to be transferred to their exact identical stateroom on a sister ship that was purposefully sailing on the other half of the river in preparation for such a disruption." Viva Cruises has rerouted ships from areas impacted on the Rhine and is yet to make a decision on Viva Two which departs on a seven-night Danube cruise from Vienna on June 8 the line said: "While the southern part of the Rhine is temporarily closed for all ships due to the floods we want to assure our passengers that VIVA Cruises has not had to cancel any cruises at this stage "Our Rhine South itineraries – including stops in Strasbourg and Coblenz – are currently being re-routed to the Netherlands and Belgium We have called all customers who had booked a cruise in the affected areas to explain their options – and we're updating our website constantly with the latest information We will keep monitoring the situation together with our nautical team local partners and authorities to ensure that our guests are affected as little as possible." Residents have been left without domestic water as they attempt to pump the river out of their homes Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player This is part three of a four-part series by Karen Elowitt, who recently took a cruise on the Danube River, sailing between Budapest, Hungary While battling the frigid temperatures of Eastern Europe in winter she realized that small touches can make a big difference in the cruising experience and narrowly avoided tourist burnout by discovering some unexpected surprises Don’t miss Part 1 of Karen’s Danube River adventure in Budapest & Bratislava a small artsy town about 60 miles from Salzburg which meant quite a long bus ride to get to our destination our amusing guide Helmut gave us some background on the city we were about to tour which basically amounted to three things: Mozart The city’s most famous son is so revered in town that it’s easy to forget that the composer actually left Salzburg as soon as he was able to Apparently he felt hemmed in by the old-fashioned provincialism of Salzburg and preferred the more stylish and free-wheeling capital of Austria Salzburg has duly preserved the maestro’s birth house and his adult residence and has even created a confection just for him The unfortunately-named but delicious “Mozart balls” (Mozartkugeln) consist of a marzipan center wrapped in nougat and dipped in chocolate But it’s not entirely true that Salzburg is all about Mozart built by a long-ago bishop for his mistress with whom he had a long-term love affair and about 15 children Parts of the famous “Do Re Mi” sequence from The Sound of Music were filmed there (presumably not in winter There’s also Salzburg Cathedral with its elaborate Italianate Baroque interior and the fashionable shopping street Getreidegasse to name a few The entire old town area was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997 even if it was covered by several inches of snow Though I spent the morning touring the town by afternoon my fingers and toes were numb and I’d had enough I called up an old friend who has lived in Salzburg for several years and got the inside scoop on the city over hot tea and some very un-Austrian lasagna It’s easy to combine Austria’s top cities in one tour. Check out the Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Vienna, Austria apparently the locals are not that enthused about the man My friend told me how a taxi driver once described his “Mozart allergy,” which produced red welts on his skin every time the composer’s name was mentioned When they’re not buying and selling expensive real estate or helming large corporations well-to-do members of the bussy-bussy gesellschaft (“kissy-kissy” society) socialize together and spend their winters in warm places like Italy and Spain The afternoon flew by as we chatted and before I could say “danke schön” I was back on the bus for the journey to Linz The ship’s staff greeted us with hot chocolate and hot towels I don’t know firsthand if other river cruise lines have the same level of service but I really have to give kudos to Uniworld for those “extra special” touches In addition to the hot towels and hot drinks every day after excursions each guest also gets a daily news digest customized to his or her country of origin and daily “port talks” which give historical context and logistical advice for the following day’s trip Though Europe has top billing on the marquee in many ways the ship and its staff are really the stars of the show From the dock the River Beatrice looks deceptively simple which means that cruisers have more intimate experience than on those super-ships that cruise the seas Just when I thought it couldn’t possibly get any colder It was somehow fitting that the last day of the cruise was also the coldest day of the year Over breakfast Tony told us to brace ourselves for a 15-degree day As we waited on the banks of the Danube for the tour guides to arrive my toes turned numb within a matter of minutes so rather than risk hypothermia most of us opted to wait in the nearby Café Simon The Simon family has been making gingerbread and other confections in Passau for at least four generations so the café is THE place to go in town for a hot drink and a pastry And considering that it was the only restaurant open at 10 a.m But as with all the other towns we’d visited it featured—you guessed it—a Baroque cathedral In spite of this— or perhaps because of this— quite a few of my fellow cruisers had reached a certain level of tourist burnout and opted to skip the tour Apparently the Australians have an acronym for this: ABC Passau actually has a whopping 17 churches which when compared to the population of 50,000 means that there is one church for every 3,000 people Though Passauers are not a particularly religious bunch nowadays back in medieval times it was quite a devout town church bells were ringing all over town as services began and ended adding a nice aural dimension to our experience I personally never get tired of looking at churches and cathedrals especially when they are as spectacular as the main cathedral in Passau and towering tinted (not stained) glass windows Stephan’s boasts a massive organ with 17,774 pipes The organ is the third-largest in the world And I never get tired of Christmas markets but I think there is something special about being able to pick out unique handmade Christmas gifts from the person who actually made them—rather than impersonally ordering them online or from a big-box store like Costco The tradition of the Christmas market began in medieval times in Europe when the market square in the center of town was pretty much the only place to buy all your household goods Though at most other times of the year the stalls were reserved for the professional merchants and traders at Christmas they were often opened up to ordinary burghers seeking to make a few extra marks (or francs or lire) by selling their own homemade wares After browsing Passau’s market and picking up a few gifts for friends and family I panicked and wondered how I would fit all the additional stuff in my suitcase It was already bursting at the seams when I left home and I had stupidly forgotten to pack an extra bag Since all the stores were closed on Sunday there was no way I could buy a second bag or ship my purchases home via mail So I just chose to ignore the problem and moved on to the gingerbread-making demonstration The bakers at Simon set up a demo table outside the back of their shop and braved the cold to show us the centuries-old techniques of mixing The earliest recipes were fairly simple and non-perishable no-nonsense confection that has lasted through the centuries Want to get better at cooking? Visit our Cooking Classes section while the boat was being moved from one dock to another I toured the Glass Museum and the Modern Art museum Even though I didn’t expect much out of it I was pleasantly surprised to find that the glass museum really captured my interest Featuring more than 30,000 pieces the museum essentially chronicles the last 200 years of European history through glass From dinnerware used by Emperors and Kaisers to Victorian mirrors and Art Deco paperweights the four display floors also provide a little window (pun intended) into the art of glass and glassmaking in southern Germany which featured the requisite Baked Alaska (someday I’m going to find out how that peculiar cruise ship tradition got started) I felt alternately sad and relieved that my cruise was about to come to an end For seven days I’d lived in a dreamlike state of suspended reality with fairy-tale European castles right outside my stateroom window and magical Christmas markets beckoning me to explore them and gotten accustomed to the classy surroundings and attentive staff in my floating hotel But the relentless cold weather was starting to wear me out and getting up every morning at the crack of dawn to go sightseeing was beginning to feel a little like a chore So I bade a bittersweet farewell to Europe and the elegant River Beatrice and headed back into the real world with a carry-on full of gingerbread squares Christmas tree decorations and a spare tire around my midsection to remind me of my excellent Danube River adventure AcademicsGermany’s University of Passau honors Penn State Smeal’s HambrickProfessor Donald C Evan Pugh University Professor and Smeal Chaired Professor of Management at the Penn State Smeal College of Business are welcomed by University of Passau President Carola Jungwirth vice presidents Harry Haupt and Harald Kosch and professor Andreas König at a ceremony this month in Hambrick's honor — The University of Passau in Germany recently bestowed yet another honor on world-renowned management scholar Donald C Economics and Information Systems presented Hambrick with an honorary doctorate degree during a festive award ceremony in the Neuberg Castle The ceremony was embedded into a concert performed by acclaimed violin virtuoso Christine-Maria Höller and renowned baroque trumpet ensemble Schwanthaler Trompetenconsort The award ceremony took place at the conclusion of the 10th European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) Workshop on Top Management Teams and Business Strategy Research Hambrick’s research focuses on the question of how top executives’ attributes and values affect the actions and the success of the companies they lead Hambrick also holds honorary doctorates from the Sorbonne in Paris the University of Antwerp in Belgium and Erasmus University in Rotterdam Hambrick has authored numerous seminal scholarly papers as well as several books of great relevance to practitioners Hambrick has been a member of the board of the Strategic Management Society and president of the Academy of Management — the world's leading society for management scholars He has served on the editorial boards of virtually all major academic journals in his field and is one of a very small group of scholars to receive both lifetime achievement awards of the Academy of Management: the Distinguished Scholar Award and the Distinguished Educator Award your work with upcoming scholars and your service to the academic community are a role model and an inspiration to all of us,” Passau President Carola Jungwirth said “We are grateful and extremely glad to have the opportunity to award you for being such a role model and to celebrate you tonight.” Jungwirth pointed out parallels between Hambrick’s research and the mission statement of the University of Passau saying that across all disciplines and faculties “we deeply share the idea that what we teach and how we create a community affects those entrusted to us: our students shape future leaders — who they are and what they become.” delivered an especially personal laudatory speech He highlighted Hambrick’s eminence as “one of the most influential management researchers of the past four decades — well beyond the field of management itself.” König emphasized that “Don Hambrick’s Upper Echelons Theory constitutes one of the most significant contributions to the field of management and organizational research of the last four decades.” As König pointed out organizations become mirrors of the characteristics of their top executives fundamentally changed management and organizational research which until the late 1970s had been dominated by structuralist approaches “Professor Hambrick’s research in the scientific community is regarded as exemplary not only because of its theoretical rigor but certainly also because of its exceptional beauty in scholarly writing,” König said “We should also appreciate Professor Hambrick’s very special didactic gift and his selfless dedication to his students Many of them are now leading management scholars — not only in the United States I would not be standing here either if it wasn’t for you." Researchers across Europe have joined forces under the coordination of a team from the University of Passau to investigate persistent conspiracy beliefs The researchers hope to gain new insights into how democracies can be made more resistant to conspiracy theories Liberal and constitutional democracies are under pressure in Europe and worldwide Reasons include dwindling trust in the political communication of governments while belief in conspiracy narratives remains constant "Conspiracy myths undermine democratic processes and the engagement of citizens They exploit the inherent weaknesses of democracies: their openness and the ambiguity of decision-making processes," explains Professor Oliver Hidalgo holder of the Chair of Political Science with a focus on political theory at the University of Passau Together with pedagogue Dr Hannes Birnkammerer research associate at the Centre for Teacher Training and Subject Didactics (ZLF) at the University of Passau he has acquired the EU Horizon project TaCT-FoRSED The acronym stands for "Tackling Conspiracy Theories by Fostering Resilience and Political Self-Efficacy in Democracies" The researchers have teamed up with 15 organisations across Europe and are pursuing ambitious goals they are investigating the overarching characteristics that characterise the conspiracy mentality of convinced followers from the perspective of various disciplines the network is conducting studies with dropouts Comparative studies are also planned in eight European countries the research team is designing measures to develop a democratic counter-identity "We are convinced that although democracy is particularly susceptible to conspiracy myths it also provides ways and means to heal itself," says Professor Hidalgo "Especially when it comes to developing a democratic attitude the ability to tolerate diverse perspectives school is a good place to practise this," says pedagogue Dr Birnkammerer he is working with teachers to develop freely accessible educational materials and games based on the findings political scientist and pedagogue Professor Ulrich Bartosch "I would like to congratulate Mr Hidalgo and Mr Birnkammerer on successfully acquiring this project especially in view of the current challenges facing democracy It fits in perfectly with the university's focal area of Europe in which dedicated academics are driving forward research into democracy and autocracy and will provide important impetus for understanding and strengthening democratic structures." Alongside the University of Passau as coordinator the University of Leipzig and the Vienna Democracy Centre are also involved in the EU Horizon project TaCT-FoRSED in the German-speaking region The Vienna Democracy Centre is designing measures for the adult education sector Partners in the UK are the University of Manchester the University of Kent and Modus Research and Innovation Limited the organisation responsible for project management the South East Technological University is involved the Université Paris Nanterre and Groupe des Écoles Nationales d'Économie et Statistique are participating the Prague Security Studies Institute and the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Charles University are involved while in Slovakia the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences is collaborating Partners in Spain are the Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigacio the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Universidad de Granada The European Union is funding the project over a period of three years with a total of more than three million euros as part of the Horizon Europe programme (funding agreement 101178926 in the call "Past present and future of democracies; HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01") Around 986,000 euros of this will go to the University of Passau This text was machine-translated from German Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Horizon Europe Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them dateFormat['de_DE'])+ ' - '+item['institution']+' Weitere Pressemitteilungen dieser Einrichtung Best in Travel is here! Discover 2025’s destinations The 30 best countries, cities and regions to visit in 2025 Plan your trip with Elsewhere, by Lonely Planet See where a Lonely Planet Membership takes you Subscribe to our weekly newsletters to get the latest travel news, expert advice, and insider recommendations Explore the world with our detailed, insightful guidebooks Stay ahead of the curve with our guidebooks Uncover exciting new ways to explore iconic destinations Every month, we release new books into the wild Search Search Close search menu Explore Best in Travel 2024 Africa Close menu Countries Antarctica Antarctica Close menu Regions Asia Asia Close menu Countries Australia & the Pacific Australia & the Pacific Close menu Countries The Caribbean The Caribbean Close menu Countries Central America Central America Close menu Countries Europe Europe Close menu Countries Middle East Middle East Close menu Countries North America North America Close menu Countries South America South America Close menu Countries The best of Bavaria, beyond the mainstream Sponsored by The Bavarian culture of hospitality and Gemütlichkeit creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere for travelers. Courtesy of bavaria.travel / Frank Heuer This story was crafted collaboratively between Visit Bavaria and Lonely Planet. Both parties provided research and curated content to produce this story. We disclose when information isn’t ours. Determines the concept, provides briefing, research material, and may provide feedback. We provide expertise, firsthand insights, and verify with third-party sources when needed. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Many cities in central and eastern Europe have sections informally designated “Old Town,” which travelers are invited to visit Most often these areas are home to a small cluster of historic buildings whose architecture dates back several hundred years it's also likely that these Old Towns are surrounded by modern high rises and apartment complexes A relatively small town (population 50,000) Passau is located at the southernmost tip of Bavaria at the confluence of three rivers — the Danube Hence its reputation as the “three river city.”  Passau quite literally is a very Old Town; Crusaders stopped here on their way to the Holy Land Passau reflects the look and the feel of a prosperous 17th century community a lovely city hall and shops for merchants and artisans But don't look for actors strolling about in traditional costume ”This is not an open air museum,” said Pia Olligschlager managing director of the Passau Tourist Association the only way to truly enjoy and appreciate Passau's charm is on foot Italian InfluencesOne distinctive feature of the little three- and four-story houses are the decorative balconies with wrought iron railings protruding over the lanes below You might think that this feature a bit odd in a Bavarian setting Passau became the seat of Episcopalian bishops who ruled what was then a small but independent principality To learn about local history while seeing the sights in Passau visitors might sign up for a docent-led walking tour with the Passau Tourist Association Stephen's Cathedral combines Gothic and Baroque architecture Stephen's Cathedral is itself a major attraction for visitors Passau welcomed more than one million visitors in 2013 and some of them arrived via river cruise ship Passau is also known as “The Three Rivers City.” // © 2014 Passau Tourist Association The New Bishop’s Residence opens on to a pleasant square and fountain and is home to Rococo-style stairways Attractive Bavarian handicrafts are among the shopping choices for visitors two devastating fires virtually destroyed the bishopric seat the city was prosperous enough to afford a sweeping restoration the authorities recruited Italian builders They brought with them their talents as well as a Baroque architectural style and those wrought iron balconies that sharp-eyed visitors might spot With its reconstruction came many of the features that dominate Passau’s modest modern skyline Its three green-domed towers are the city's tallest structures The Cathedral also boasts the largest Catholic cathedral organ in the world It’s actually a group of five individual organs with — count them — 17,974 pipes that are actually played by one organist Thirty-minute concerts are presented at noon daily Looking down over the city from a promontory above the Danube is the Veste Oberhaus castle While the bishops who ruled for some 600 years lived quite comfortably in Passau proper Another of the town's prominent structures is Mariahilf a pilgrimage monastery on a hilltop overlooking the Inn River pilgrims prayed at each of the 321 stairs until they reached the church While tradition dominates much of Passau's area to be fair there is a quite separate modern section in the city hotels and the railway station from which visitors can travel on to Vienna Copyright © 2025 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000 The wines and other alcoholic specialties that you encounter on a Danube River cruise might not be as well known as those you find in France and Germany But there are still plenty of options for oenophiles Austria's Wachau Valley is one of the highlights of a Danube River cruise earning UNESCO World Heritage status for its wine-making history Vienna and Budapest are some of Europe's most cultured cities And don't forget that your cruise may start or end in Germany Below is our guide of what to drink where along the Danube The small German town of Passau has 50,000 residents -- and 10,000 of them are students that means beer gardens for all; teenagers are able to drink beer as soon as they turn 16 The town has five breweries and participates enthusiastically in Oktoberfest but even if you aren't there in the fall plop yourself down at a long table with a pint and prepare to socialize; Germans see beer halls as a place to meet old friends and make new ones Fun fact: The energy drink Red Bull was invented in this town, whose main claims to fame are Mozart and "The Sound of Music." Red Bull has its headquarters nearby and its name on the Salzburg football (soccer) team; founder Dietrich Mateschitz has his private airplane collection on display at a free hangar museum in town don't seem to mix Red Bull with alcohol with the same gusto as Americans a spritzer that mixes white wine with carbonated or sparkling water Glass of Riesling wine (Photo: Silberkorn/Shutterstock.com) Once you reach Durnstein you're in the heart of Wachau wine country The most popular varietal is one that's fairly unusual in the U.S.: Gruner Veltliner A crisp dry white wine with a hint of pepper Gruner is meant to be drunk "fresh," or early; Austrians do not like age or oak on their wines you'll also find vineyards full of Riesling grapes the Austrian version of Riesling is primarily bone dry and steely to the taste; this makes the vintage perfect for sipping on a hot summer day (perhaps after a bike ride or a climb up to Durnstein's castle where Richard the Lionheart was once held as a prisoner) go with the alcohol made from apricots; this region of Austria is famous for the flavorful stone fruit (and the liqueur tastes delicious over ice cream) The coffee house culture in Vienna is so engrained that it's actually listed as "intangible cultural heritage" by UNESCO find some time to visit one of the historic cafes -- we like Cafe Central frequented by Sigmund Freud -- and explore the lengthy menu A Melange is a small espresso served in a large cup with steamed milk and milk froth; if you'd like delicious Austrian whipped cream added such as the Mozart (double espresso capped with whipped cream and a small glass of sherry on the side) are also available Tradition rules: coffee in a Viennese cafe is always served with a glass of cold water Cross into Slovakia's Bratislava Not only does it have an extremely high alcohol content -- up to 55 percent in commercial varieties with homegrown even stronger -- but it comes in a larger-than-normal shot glass One of the prettiest cities in Europe, Budapest also has a famous cafe culture as well as "ruin pubs" -- nightclubs in derelict buildings and abandoned outdoor spaces If you're looking for a refined experience look for wine cellars in the Buda section of the city (We're partial to the Faust Wine Cellar because it really is underground part of the castle district's labyrinth of tunnels.) Few people know that Hungary has a thriving wine culture as few bottles are exported beyond the deliciously sweet  -- and expensive -- Tokaji dessert wine Fire and rescue services stand at the scene of a car accident in the city center in Passau A deadly truck crash in southern Germany on Friday left one person dead The 63-year old truck driver continued his ride after making a delivery in downtown Passau close to the city’s railway station passed by a parked vehicle and then hit a group of five people fire department and ambulance stand at the scene of an accident in the city center in Passau BERLIN (AP) — Two people have died after a truck struck several people in southern Germany on Friday morning The 63-year old truck driver struck a group of five people close to the railway station in downtown Passau A 37-year-old woman died of her injuries at the site Her 11-year-old daughter passed away in hospital late Friday afternoon among them the 9-year-old son of the killed woman The truck driver was also injured and initially taken to a hospital He was later discharged and taken into police custody Friday afternoon A spokeswoman told German news agency dpa that police are “currently assuming that this was an accident situation.” Police said an investigation was ongoing Passau has emerged as the most popular entry point for refugees on west Balkan route taken by abandoned lorry containing bodies of 71 migrants the 'German Lampedusa'This article is more than 9 years oldPassau has emerged as the most popular entry point for refugees on west Balkan route taken by abandoned lorry containing bodies of 71 migrants Kate Connolly in PassauFri 28 Aug 2015 19.56 CESTLast modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 13.05 CETShareAs dawn breaks ghost-like figures with sunken heads laden with babies bundles of food and clothing can be seen trudging slowly along the autobahn Alongside the usual tips on tailbacks and delays traffic bulletins on the local radio alert drivers to “pedestrians who have been spotted on the A3 between the Austrian border and south Passau” Warning signs have now been erected and speed limits introduced after a serious accident last week in which five Syrians were injured, one seriously, after being hit by a car. Read moreThe traffickers – believed to be mostly from Romania and Bulgaria – take advantage of the dark to escape discarding most of their vehicles in which they have typically travelled in convoy to Germany having crammed as many people as they can into each car Often the first the police get to hear about them is in early morning calls from locals who find the exhausted migrants sitting on their front lawns “It happens regularly that someone puts on the coffee machine and pulls up the blinds to find 20 or more people in the garden a regional spokesman for the federal police He said all indications are that the amount of arrivals is only going to increase and I don’t think we’ve even reached the tip of the iceberg yet,” he said Passau, a sleepy town at the confluence of three rivers and a favourite mooring point for cruise liners in Bavaria, has now emerged as the most popular entry point to Germany for refugees who have made their way via the western Balkan route to get to central and western Europe The west Balkan road is the same route as that taken by the abandoned lorry discovered in Austria on Thursday in which 71 people – many believed to be Syrians – suffocated Passau is likely to have been their destination “These are the ones we have picked up, but there is likely a huge number of refugees out there that we haven’t found, largely because we haven’t got the capacity,” said chief inspector Jörg Grossmann, from Göttingen in central Germany, during a 12-hour shift. Read moreLocals have donated cuddly toys A local supermarket has recently turned up with boxes of bubble mixture and yo-yos People lie beneath umbrellas donated by restaurants and breweries The place buzzes with a multitude of languages from Pashto and Dari “But we have little choice but to make do with our basic school English and sign-language,” Koller Hanan and Marwan were comforting their daughter and son who were exhausted and irritable after their 10-day journey from the city of Kamishli in north-eastern Syria and we had no food,” said Hanan in broken English “Then this morning we were left in a field at around 4am I did not know where we are.” She proudly showed off her armband bearing the code AS 397 127 2000 – her all-important German identification number was lying on a camp bed and had soiled himself “Is that near?” She was relieved to be told it was the state next door She borrowed a phone and called him to say that she too was now safe Jad from Aleppo was keen to get to his younger brother “Daesh said they would recruit my 19-year-old brother unless my father gave them a lot of money my father immediately sent him to Germany to safety,” he said Jad had arrived in Passau that morning in a €500 “taxi” – a trafficker’s car – from Budapest The traffickers dropped him “just behind the river” He knew he was in Germany when he saw a sign with a picture of the German flag He was using a GPS device on his phone to get him to the railway station to head for Mainz when the police picked him up at 6am along with the orange shirt and flowery shorts he was wearing who was forced by the war to interrupt his studies “I think I’ll need about 18 months to learn German and in about seven years I’ll be able to apply for a German passport,” he said His optimism was boosted by the announcement earlier this week by Angela Merkel that Syrian refugees who arrive in Germany will automatically receive asylum “That makes Germany a paradise for us,” he said “I know it is much harder to get into Britain,” he said “The smugglers wanted €2,000 more to take us there I heard you have to go over a fence and under the sea reflecting one of the biggest challenges for authorities “Sometimes they are as young as 10,” said Lothar Kaseder head of refugee children in the Youth Welfare Office but now entails more work than the organisation’s regular responsibilities so far we’ve had 1,400 this year,” Kaseder said He explained that many of the minors have been sent by their parents because of insufficient money for the whole family to travel Kaseder’s main task is to find homes for them “They often have a very clear idea where they want to go thanks to social media,” he said “They say: ‘Don’t send us to the jungle,’ by which they mean a village in rural Bavaria.” a general practitioner more used to working with the police on drug- and alcohol-related incidents than to dealing with the victims of civil war does a daily round at the reception centre inspecting conditions he said reminded him of second world war injuries he had previously seen only in medical textbooks and feet that are cut to the bone,” he said “Lots of war injuries that have not had a chance to heal during the long and stressful journeys here It’s a little like being in a military hospital.” But what has possibly shocked him most are the lacerations to the head he has treated – a result of smugglers packing their vehicles ever fuller and slamming the doors with little regard for those inside What the rickety boats represented on Lampedusa often rusty cars used by the smugglers do on Europe’s roads Each of those vehicles is a life-saver and a prison rolled into one The abandoned minibuses that have not yet been towed to the police car park to be picked up by local scrap dealers lie in the woods or sit badly parked at rest stops off the motorway their insides reveal remnants of the sweltering journeys – including abandoned bottles Something of the journey undertaken could also be pieced together from the receipts left on the dashboard: for 44 litres of “tempo diesel” from a service station in Hungary at 1.32am a litre of cola and 69 litres of diesel at 7.15am The areas beneath the driver and passenger seats were full of empty Red Bull and cola bottles Typically with false Romanian and Bulgarian number plates many of the vehicles are among the two million “old bangers” sold to the German government in an economy-boosting measure in 2009 Many of them ended up illegally in eastern Europe So while the German economy may well now be booming thanks in part to the government measure so too the human smuggling industry is also on a roll Despite the huge number of smugglers who get away a growing amount are ending up in the region’s jails The state of Bavaria registered 1,300 people smugglers in its prisons in the first half of 2015 – about half the national total – and it is appealing to other regions of Germany to take some of them “We’re catching eight to 15 of them a day,” said Koller “But they’re getting ever better at avoiding capture the GP who had just checked a 10-week-old Syrian baby’s gum rash said the enormity of the challenge facing Germany was in no way lost on him “This is a historical moment that I compare to the fall of the Berlin wall,” he said When I floated the idea of sharing a week-long Viking cruise down the Danube River with my longtime pal Jayne we conjured similar takeaways: tantalizing glimpses of fairytale castles from a sun deck lounger the chance to visit three capital cities and five separate countries in the heart of Europe and plenty of pastries and pretzels - both on and off the ship What we hadn’t imagined: the balmy evening we strolled a few minutes from our ship’s dock to clamber across rooftops and snap “Alice in Wonderland on acid” selfies at an interactive art installation That bonding experience in Austria's Linz was one of many during our girlfriend getaway aboard the Viking Ullur Linz was the second of six stops on a mid-August “Danube Waltz” itinerary that started in Germany's Passau and ended in Budapest And although we’d expected to be surrounded mostly by married baby boomers - a similar Viking itinerary is dubbed "Romantic Danube," - a good share of our fellow 180 passengers were women traveling with female friends or family Within a few minutes of my early morning arrival in Passau to board our temporary home I’d chatted over a cup of much-needed coffee with a departing mother and daughter who said they were one of five such duos on the ship’s reverse while river cruising has become the fastest-growing segment of the cruise business - industry leader Viking now operates more than 60 vessels in Europe eight of which debuted since 2020 alone - the number of gal pals sailing together is burgeoning as well A travel agent we met onboard told us nearly half her Viking river cruise bookings were either pairs or groups of women With good reason: the Viking Ullur and Viking’s other virtually identical Scandinavian-inspired "Longships" encourage conviviality (a maximum of 190 passengers with open-seating dining at tables for four to eight) and minimize the nickel-and-diming common on traditional ocean liners Viking includes wine and beer with lunch and dinner along with a complimentary shore excursion in every port we all shared an eagerness to explore the most scenic and popular stretch of what Napoleon dubbed the "Queen of Europe's Rivers." the Continent’s second longest waterway (after the Volga in Russia) extends nearly 1,800 miles through 10 countries from Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea It served as a long-standing frontier between the Roman Empire and barbaric tribes to the north and now (along with the Rhine and Maine) draws more cruisers than any other European river Perched near Germany's southeastern border with Austria the prosperous university town of Passau is the meeting point for three rivers - the Inn the Ilz and the Danube (Donau in German) - and proved to be an inspiring launch pad for our own adventure Though the Viking Ullur’s initial docking space was about a 15-minute drive downriver from Passau's Altstadt free shuttle buses ferried embarking passengers for an afternoon "welcome walk" among a warren of pedestrian-only cobblestone lanes and candy-colored Passau suffered a devastating fire in the 17th century But with wealth gained from trading in salt (known as "white gold" for its ability to preserve food) Passau's burghers hired Italian architects to rebuild the city in a Baroque style that earned it the nickname "Venice of Bavaria." we were told that the town’s famous lebkuchen and that the Bavarian white sausage known as weisswurst is customarily consumed before noon wasn’t kidding with his earlier admonition that Germans are famous for both sausages and punctuality for a scheduled 4:30 return shuttle back to the ship the bus driver waved us aboard with a smiling rebuke: "You’re late!" After a wine and cheese reception in the ship’s airy we encountered clear evidence that "The Blue Danube" (the common English title of Austrian composer Johann Strauss’ beloved 1866 waltz) isn’t quite accurate when it comes to the river’s color As we approached the tip of the narrow peninsula that divides the Inn River and the Danube glacier-fed Inn formed a sharp contrast to its much darker Lesson of the Day: Consider the Suite Life Jayne and I have bunked together on previous cruises and would have been content to share any of the Viking Ullur’s compact but well-designed cabins all of which come with ample clothes storage and plenty of hangers (an unexpected plus) fog-free mirrors and enough shelf space for two sets of toiletries with bonus points for generous tubes of high-end Freyja shampoo and conditioner But our 275-square-foot veranda suite proved to be a godsend our first night aboard when a jet-lagged Jayne decamped to the sitting room couch for a middle-of-the-night "Downton Abbey" binge a longtime sponsor of the long-running British series includes all six seasons as part of its in-room video offerings.) The highlight of our complimentary excursion in Passau once the biggest diocese in a Holy Roman Empire that stretched beyond Vienna into western Hungary was a half-hour concert in the exquisitely restored I nabbed a seat in a center pew to hear (and feel) the full effect of Europe’s largest pipe organ My heart still pounding from the impressive punch of those 17,774 pipes I calmed down with a stroll along the Danube - where swans and kayakers shared space with cruise river boats and where I spotted a delightful statue of Emerenz Meier a local innkeeper’s daughter and poet who emigrated to Chicago in 1906 One of her verses is inscribed on a nearby plaque: “If Goethe had had to prepare supper and salt the dumplings; if Schiller had had to wash the dishes; if Heine had had to mend what he had torn and clean the rooms none of them would have become great poets.” After casting off for Linz early that afternoon we glided past two-wheelers on both banks of the river (the stretch between Passau and Vienna is one of Europe’s most popular bike routes) and passed through the first of 18 locks on our journey to Budapest While the engineering involved may have been way over our heads Jayne and I never ceased to marvel at the Viking Ullur’s smooth descents through those concrete chasms - with the ship often nestled so close we could touch the slippery walls from our balcony Among the benefits of a Viking cruise through Europe with a girlfriend by your side (versus a husband who'd rather have root canal surgery than window shop) is the freedom to browse for gifts that reflect a sense of place and promise to rekindle memories long after the ship has sailed to the next port Our first score was at Passau’s year-old Dackelmuseum the world’s first and only museum devoted to Bavaria’s iconic pooch a wire-haired dachshund visiting from Vienna Jayne was in the gift shop eyeing a handsome three-piece leather tote embossed with a black doxie No matter that her own pet is a burly feline: at only 79 euros (about $90) With the Viking Ullur spending a full day docked in the center of Linz Jayne opted to stay in town while I joined an included excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cesky Krumlov Located about an hour’s bucolic drive from Linz past hay bale-filled fields that were once buffer zones along the Iron Curtain Cesky Krumlov has become a victim of its own storybook beauty Although its population is only about 15,000 our local guide Katarina told us that more than a million visitors a year shuffle through its medieval castle complex (one of the largest in Central Europe) paddle rubber rafts down the winding Vltava River and jam the narrow streets lined with Renaissance and Baroque buildings brought back to life after the demise of communism At Katarina’s recommendation I found some welcome peace in the lovely flower and vegetable gardens of the Minorite Monastery and even managed to snag an empty table (and a refreshing stein of cheaper-than-bottled-water Pilsner) at her favorite Czech restaurant Back in Linz and since the Viking Ullur didn’t leave until late that night Jayne and I had time to stroll through what turned out to be one of my most memorable Danube stopovers is now an innovative arts center marked by a robust lineup of museums and festivals a cake with a 400-year-old recipe that claims to be the world’s oldest interactive summer celebration called Sinnesrauch rooftops and bridges that invites participants to stretch their physical and cerebral muscles Lesson of the Day: The Calories Can Add Up One of our worries about spending a week afloat in the land of schnapps and schnitzel was that we’d waddle home with extra pounds as souvenirs Our shipboard options didn’t help: The Viking Ullur’s menus featured such temptations as smoked salmon eggs Benedict and knodel tris (a trio of cheese spinach and bread dumplings in brown butter) addictive selection of pastries and cookies at the 24-hour coffee/tea stations and generous pours of local wines and beers at lunch and dinner coupled with on-our-own wandering and more vigorous Viking excursion options such as “Hike the Passau Hills,” wound up translating to several miles a day Throughout our passage down what has been a commercial artery for centuries I’d been impressed by the Danube’s serenity both on the water and along its banks: virtually no trash relatively few industrial barges (the Danube is a major route for east European grain exports to west Europe) I've seen a bunch of them but no sail boats or yachts or anything like that that I recall This morning’s encounter with the Wachau Valley a roughly 20-mile stretch of the river between the Austrian towns of Melk and Krems its steep hillsides studded with vineyards and apricot groves has been called Central Europe’s version of the Napa Valley The vineyards are famous for Austria’s signature white wine while apricot groves produce both the delicious fruit that wound up on the Viking Ullur’s buffets and marillenschnaps an elixir that made its way to many passengers’ in-room refrigerators (and a tray full of sample shots But California can’t hold a carafe to Wachau’s idyllic parade of Instagramable villages which Viking Ullur’s Bulgarian program manager pointed out as our cameras swiveled from one side of the river to the other One iconic case in point: the tidy little town of Dürnstein baby-blue church tower at the river’s edge and the ruins of the castle where English king Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1193 we decamped for a short drive to Göttweig Abbey a hilltop Benedictine monastery that has been a working religious refuge for more than nine centuries Viking passengers enjoy "privileged access" tours to the abbey tasting of wines produced from the surrounding vineyards and description of the 44 resident monks’ monastic and community-focused lives and outreach efforts include applications via Facebook.) Above an imposing staircase a fresco features the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI as Apollo that was completed in a mere 45 days in 1739 - but since the ruler died of mushroom poisoning less than a year later he never got to see his decidedly unflattering depiction Lesson of the Day: Join the Fun with Fellow Passengers Viking is known for attracting a well-traveled Although the Danube itinerary tends to draw more first-time river cruisers this afternoon’s past passenger reception on the sun-dappled indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace was packed with Viking veterans Among them: an 89-year-old Baptist minister and self-trained lyric tenor from Maryland who regaled us with impromptu arias throughout the trip Opera wasn’t included in tonight’s musical trivia quiz which awarded extra points to every team willing to boogie along to the selected song resplendent in a pair of secondhand lederhosen Jayne and I embraced our inner Meryl Streeps and gave our all to Abba’s “Dancing Queen.” We wound up tying for first place - and happily expanding our roster of shipboard buddies While both Jayne and I had visited Austria’s capital before we appreciated getting a refresher course on Vienna’s illustrious architecture and musical heritage via Viking’s gratis “Panoramic Vienna” excursion We learned that more Viennese attend concerts than soccer games (we followed their lead by ducking in for a session of free organ music later that afternoon at St and that favorite son Johann Strauss was was‪ the Michael Jackson‬ of the 19th century prompting female fans to faint and/or hyperventilate in his presence UNESCO has recognized Vienna’s traditional coffeehouses for their "intangible cultural heritage," and despite the insidious incursion of Starbucks and WiFi they remain a vital part of a city consistently ranked as the world’s most livable a chocolate and apricot confection made famous (and fought over) by the Hotel Sacher and arch rival Demel we headed for the venerable Café Hawelka to meet up with British expat Eugene Quinn but they’re very good at big talk,” explained Quinn who leads monthly coffeehouse conversations and offbeat city tours (“20 smells you only find in Vienna”) through his non-profit organization Space and Place The onetime hangouts of such former residents as Sigmund Freud and Gustav Klimt endure we skipped a Mozart and Strauss concert by the Vienna Residence Orchestra to practice our own conversations at a ship tour to a local heurigen The chitchat over glasses of gemischter satz - a blend of white wines all produced from grapes grown within the city - may have been with fellow Viking passengers Lesson of the Day: Follow Viking's Expert Advice After peeling off from our tour to explore Vienna’s Old Quarter and historic Prater amusement park (home to a giant Ferris wheel that played a notable supporting role in Orson Welles' Vienna-based classic film “ Knowing my international cell phone plan included unlimited data I smugly plugged “Vienna river cruise ship dock” into Google Maps and plotted our return accordingly Bad move: Though our tour guide had given us exact directions back to the ship Google deposited us about a half hour farther down the Danube than we needed to be If only we’d paid attention the first time...and tucked a copy of the ship’s address into our purses before we left the gangway “The number one thing you need to know: Your former First Lady was born in Slovenia the retired technology consultant ferrying us on a Viking-sponsored home visit to get a glimpse of daily life in this formerly communist often-confused country that split from what is now the Czech Republic in 1993 That important bit of information out of the way we continued on a 40-minute drive from our ship’s dock in the once desolate admiring views of the forested Carpathian Hills en route to the small town of Modra known for its vineyards and pottery makers we spent about an hour with our host Slavka in her cozy house a former ceramics studio tucked between the larger homes of her two adult sons As they compared photos of Slavka’s grandchildren with their own learned that one of Ivan’s relatives had emigrated to a town just a few miles from theirs We made a dramatic exit from Bratislava by passing under the Soviet-era locals were prohibited from ascending to the observation deck at the top of the bridge for fear they’d get glimpses of the forbidden West (Vienna is only about 40 miles away) Today was our final voyage down the Danube before reaching Budapest We waved to swimmers lolling on sandbanks and marveled at the thick groves of poplar trees whose white leaves shimmered in the breeze like freshly fallen snow where the river makes a U-shaped curve between two mountain ranges we passed by the domed cathedral at Esztergom Hungary’s capital from the 10th through the 13th centuries we gathered on the sun deck as the Viking Ullur slid into the “Paris of the East” under brightly Illuminated bridges linking Pest And as we made our way past the majestic Parliament Building I found myself blinking back tears of pure astonishment as a flock of seagulls soared above its spires like falling stars Lesson of the Day: Divide to Conquer a New Destination With a short morning stopover in Bratislava I was sorely tempted to join Jayne on her included walking tour of the compact capital But since I’d enjoyed a previous home-hosted visit in St Russia during Viking’s “Waterways of the Tsars” cruise we decided to split up and compare notes back on the ship It was a game plan we’d employed successfully in Linz and Passau where I savored the organ concert while Jayne climbed 321 steps to the Mariahilf Monastery and back up to the 13th century fortress Veste Oberhaus for a bird’s eye view of town since my out-of-town home visit precluded a tour of the Old Town Jayne probably got the better Bratislava but we left with unique perspectives of a city and country that clearly merited a return visit as in several other popular destinations along the Danube river ships often dock directly alongside each other But when I woke just before dawn on our last day before departing the Viking Ullur I had an unimpeded vista of the nearby Art Nouveau Liberty Bridge the first in the city to be rebuilt after being blown up by retreating German troops at the end of World War II and of the century-old Gellért baths across the Danube where Jayne and I planned to “take the waters” and toast the end of a successful trip Our four-hour overview tour began near our dock on the more modern Pest side With temperatures climbing steadily and headed for the steamy mid-90s I was grateful for a drive-by of the Jewish Quarter and its Dohany Street Synagogue (the largest in Europe) and along Andrassy Avenue (Budapest’s version of the Champs-Elysees) to Heroes’ Square The massive plaza was laid out in 1896 to commemorate Hungary’s thousandth anniversary and would be a prime venue the following day during Saint Stephens/National Day a country-wide celebration that we discovered had already started to draw crowds Across the river in Buda’s castle district we visited the 700-year-old Matthias Church where Austria's Franz Josef was crowned king of Hungary in 1867 to the strains of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt's coronation mass and joined the throngs angling for spectacular views from the turreted Fishermen’s Bastion I purchased several pungent samples of Hungary’s signature spice I hadn’t tested the chicken paprikash recipe passed down by my Hungarian Nagymama (grandmother) in decades - but with the real deal stashed in my backpack I was inspired to return home and honor her memory Lesson of the Day: Be Willing to Go With the Flow Skipping a scheduled but too-hot-to-contemplate bike tour wasn’t our only unexpected change as we wrapped up our Danube adventure and yet we had opted to stay on in Budapest for an extra day But the prospect of battling holiday crowds nixed our spa session at Gellért what I’d hoped would be a moving visit to Shoes on the Danube a memorial to the thousands of Jews who were shot by Nazis before their bodies were dumped into the river was overshadowed by a flyover of Hungarian military planes that prompted uncomfortable musings about the country’s right-wing populist leader was free of politics and full of gratitude We’d arranged to meet in the castle district for an authentic Hungarian meal with new shipboard friends a Bostonian traveling with her sister- in-law and two daughters before watching a holiday fireworks display We hadn’t even started on our desserts when we heard the opening chorus of booms - but were too happy gabbing to see the show above the river we were already missing Jayne and I had learned about everything from the daily rituals of a 900-year-old Benedictine abbey to tips on making a proper apple strudel And despite sharing multiple travel experiences over the course of a three-decade friendship our week on the Viking Ullur also taught us valuable lessons about how to ensure smooth sailing on a river cruise with a BFF in tow Award-winning veteran travel reporter and photographer Laura Bly has visited more than 100 countries on seven continents the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register she and her husband are now based in the UNESCO World Heritage city of San Miguel de Allende Her favorite place: a window seat or cruise ship balcony LOUIS (OSV News) — Addressing a room crowded with several hundred university students discussed a wide range of topics with attendees during an open question-and-answer session held during the SEEK24 conference in St who studied to be a journalist before pursuing his priestly vocation who listened to his replies with rapt attention A member of the Salesians of Don Bosco religious community Bishop Oster is known for his attention to young people He hosts formation talks for the young adults of his diocese twice a month called “Believe and Pray” and occasionally heads to a pub for drinks with them afterward The bishop spoke of SEEK24 as a sign of hope you could hardly imagine that there would be a Catholic event like this to attract so many young people who are seekers of Christ The bishop spoke of the need for a renewal of the church in Germany noting in particular the need to renew education priests and people who work for the church “The more liberal society gets … the more the church tends to adapt to that.” 5% of Catholics in Germany attend Sunday Mass Despite the fact that the church in Germany sponsors many social institutions very few of those people participate in the church’s sacramental life “At some point it will lead to a kind of breakdown or collapse of the system,” he warned “Whenever you try to do something about the new evangelization inviting FOCUS missionaries or another community because people are not used to that,” the bishop said “Every fruit that you would bring in the new evangelization or to bring people to Christ comes from prayer.” which stands for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students 188 international attendees came to the St Twenty-five of those students came from Passau who was attending SEEK for the second time the time for prayer … it’s having a big impact on all of us.” He also expressed gratitude for FOCUS missionaries assisting his outreach to students “They bring the spirit of outreach that’s very important for us in Germany because we forgot how to go out and invite people to these wonderful a prayer life and the Bible,” he told OSV News a third-year economics student at the University of Passau came because FOCUS missionaries invited him He’s a member of a Bible study organized by missionaries the missionaries show him how it’s possible to evangelize “I want to see revival,” he said Germany and Europe.” Throughout the conference Naumann was struck by the Christian joy he saw and said he was anxious to share it “It starts with me giving testimony,” he said “sharing what I’ve experienced here and how I’ve encountered the Lord.” Theresa Osterkorn has just finished her studies in business administration at the University of Munich Louis because she was amazed at the experiences others had at SEEK I went to confession and there was a queue with thousands of people,” Osterkorn enthusiastically shared “The atmosphere in the hall was just amazing.” “Seeing that the church here in the U.S and people are going full in … that’s very encouraging and I will remember that,” she said When asked how students should navigate tensions facing the church in Germany and elsewhere today “The answer to everything is Christ.” But he insisted it’s not easy to find that answer alone “Look for companions,” Bishop Oster encouraged his hearers and the more you deepen your faith and the more you feel or somehow sense and believe in the presence of Christ “We tend to hate the inner-church opponent the conservative hates the liberal and the other way around … but we should also try to presuppose that other who thinks differently from you also wants something good,” he advised The bishop said the best way to support evangelization in Europe is to start prayer movements “There are many people that don’t understand what I want to do in my diocese,” the bishop said “Renewal of prayer life is the first condition of renewal of the church in general,” the bishop said to applause from his listeners “Getting FOCUS missionaries in my diocese is a great help “You make visible that things can change and they can grow.”  Print Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media Catholic Media Assocation Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association The Associated Church Press Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Penultimate WRC 2024 round requests date change Subject to approval CER will run two weeks earlier than originally scheduled and feature new service park location Words by Alasdair Lindsay the penultimate round of the World Rally Championship season is set to run two weeks earlier than planned due to scheduling issues with its service park location which encompasses stage mileage in southeast Germany had been based in the German city of Passau on its WRC debut last season But due to issues securing the same site for its service park in 2024 during its original WRC calendar slot of October 30 to November 3 CER has changed its location and also requested to amend its date which requires approval from the FIA and also Germany’s national motorsport federation ADAC the CER will not be held on the originally scheduled All Saints’ Day weekend,” read a statement from CER organizers which was used as the service park last year was already booked up for other events for the new dates the CER organizational team had to look for an alternative location that had areas that were large enough “They found what they were looking for in Bad Griesbach – the service park will set up camp on the site of one of the biggest Bavarian fairs in the Karpfham district where the ADAC 3-Städte-Rallye was based up until 2017 as part of the German Rally Championship (DRM) Thierry Neuville won the inaugural edition of CER last year “The rally control centre and the media centre will be set up in the nearby hotels Maximilian and König Ludwig.” Bad Griesbach is only 30 minutes south of previous host city Passau meaning the change is primarily logistical and won’t affect the competitive stages being used Passau will still remain part of the rally hosting the podium ceremony at the conclusion of the rally the ceremonial start will take place in Prague as will the opening superspecial of the rally “After highly constructive discussions with politicians and the fair organizers we are delighted that we were able to find this solution for 2024,” continued CER’s statement “We would also like to thank the city of Passau for its amazing support and are looking forward to including the City of Three Rivers as a rally destination once again for this year’s event Our thanks also go to the district of Passau and the city of Bad Griesbach The whole region is pulling together for the rally.” Tags: Central European Rally, Central European Rally 2024, World Rally Championship, WRC 2024, WRC calendar 2024 DirtFish https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2024/02/QTbfob5u-SI202310260219_hires_jpeg_24bit_rgb-780x520.jpg February 15 Sign up today and be the first to know about special offers Legal Copyright © 2025 DirtFish, LLC. All rights reserved. but this year it has brought the wiener dog — to the Bavarian city of Passau That's where the the world's first Dachshund Museum has opened its doors.Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A WeigelAll shapes and sizesYou won't find the crown jewels here but you will find a crowned golden dachshund statue The curators behind the Passau museum have assembled some 2,000 objects related to the affectionately termed "wiener" or "sausage" dog beer mugs and plates are just a few of the exhibits the dachshund is a hunting dog that can dig underground into fox and badger burrows That's why the new museum placed the hunting hound's porcelain relatives in nature-inspired artistic scenes nothing more epitomizes middle-class kitsch than a bobblehead dachshund toy figure placed on a car's rear window shelf next to a crochet-covered roll of toilet paper The decoration was popular in the 1960s and '70s and made a comeback at the end of the 1990s following an advertising campaign you can probably only see this unique combination at the Passau museum The dachshund was the center of attention in 1972 when Waldi (above) served as the mascot for that year's Summer Olympics in Munich The then-president of Germany's National Olympic Committee Willie Daume — himself a dachshund owner — supported the short-legged breed which is considered to be agile and full of fighting spirit Exactly the qualities that Olympians should possess the dachshund could be seen all over Bavaria often at the end of a leash held by a man dressed in lederhosen other dog breeds have overtaken the dachshund in terms of popularity — but a proper Bavarian snack of white veal sausage a soft pretzel and beer is still in order for master and hound Before the Dachshund Museum opened its doors few bakers would have thought of offering cakes in the shape of the bow-legged canine — topped off with a Bavarian blue-and-white bow But the museum has caused business to boom when it comes to dachshund-themed offers There are now dachshund pralines and pizza — before you know it Dog shows take place in almost every country and dachshund parades can't be left off the list A particularly famous one takes place in Krakow But do the dogs really like it when their owners dress them up Many dachshund photographs can been seen at the museum in Passau Josef Küblbeck (left) and Oliver Storz are well-known figures in Passau The pair ran a flower shop for many years before becoming museum curators The initiative lies close to their hearts; both consider the dachshund to be a Bavarian icon You never see the two humans without their dogs All four have brushed aside criticism that their museum does not deal with culture Consultant for the World Bank and affiliate of the University of Passau Sidiki Soubeiga is a Development Economist with over 10 years of professional and academic experience in project development and evaluation; in designing and implementing large surveys of firms and other institutions; in coordinating the execution of experimental impact evaluations of innovative interventions He provides support for project development and analytical work for greater impacts on jobs and skills development; and conducts research on entrepreneurship He works as a consultant for the World Bank and is an affiliate of the University of Passau Sidiki holds a MSc in Economics from the University of Thomas Sankara (ex University of Ouagadougou) and a PhD in Development Economics from the University of Passau Rescuers have handed out food by boat to stranded residents as large parts of southern Germany remain under water after floods that have claimed five lives Several people are still missing but police reported the rescue of a woman after she spent 52 hours in a tree she had climbed to escape the flood waters They said they had located the 32-year-old in the forest near Neu-Ulm large parts of the centre were submerged by the rising waters located at the confluence of the Danube and the Inn declared a state of emergency as the rivers burst their banks The city had prepared for rising waters on the Danube since Friday when the downpours that triggered the floods hit southern Germany Passau mayor Jürgen Dupper told journalists The coincidence of unexpectedly high water levels on the Inn as a result of rains on Monday was a situation the city "cannot stand" "At the moment we can say there has been no human cost police reported a woman had died after becoming trapped in her car in the floods Rescuers were unable to reach the 57-year-old after she told responders her car had slid off the road and was filling with water Her death brought the number to have died to at least five with officials in Bavaria saying another six were missing Three people were found dead in their basements following the floods while one rescuer was thrown overboard when his boat capsized and died Thousands of people in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg had to leave their homes as torrential rain from Friday sparked deadly flooding Rain continued to fall over the weekend into today with districts across southern Bavaria declaring an emergency Some 60,000 rescuers were deployed to fight the flood and move people to safety Bavarian premier Markus Söder said the regional government would make at least 100 million euros of support available to flood victims Accreditation: AFP © RTÉ 2025. RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland's National Public Service Media. RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. 11-year-old child among those injured in Passau crash I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A woman has been killed and five others injured after a truck driver crashed into pedestrians in a town in Germany The incident unfolded at around 9.50am in downtown Passau and sparked a major emergency services response, with an 11-year-old child among those reportedly injured. The truck driver also required medical treatment and had to be freed from the driver’s cab. A police spokesperson told the German newspaper Bild: “According to previous findings, the 63-year-old truck driver continued his journey after making a delivery, drove past a stopped vehicle and hit six pedestrians.” An eyewitness also told the publication: “As far as I know, a truck drove into a group of people. In the middle of the pedestrian zone in the train station district near the H&M and Woolworth shops.” Passau is a city in Germany’s Lower Bavaria, also known as the Dreiflüssestadt. Jürgen Dupper, mayor of Passau, said in a statement: “I am deeply affected and shocked by today’s truck accident. “In such events, our full sympathy goes out to the people affected and their families. “I would like to say a sincere thank you to the police, the emergency doctors, the paramedics, the fire department and all other rescue organisations who carried out their work in an exemplary manner under the dire circumstances. This misfortune means the worst possible end to 2023.” Lower Bavaria Police later said in an update on Friday afternoon: “The accident truck was seized for a detailed technical inspection and is currently being towed away. As soon as new information is available, we will report promptly.” Police said an investigation was ongoing, as a spokeswoman told German news agency dpa that they are “currently assuming that this was an accident situation.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Copyright © 2025 Multimedia Jamaica Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The last pope was born a few miles up river in the village of Marktl am Inn St Michaelskirche was built in high Baroque style like much of the rest of Passau’s Altstadt after a devastating fire in the late 17th century twin-towered façade is easily recognisable on the skyline the stuccoed and gilded nave may come as a bit of a shock its flamboyance belied by a rose and white exterior that blends quietly with the pastel shades of the surrounding buildings St Michaelskirche is now the school church for Passau’s Gymnasium Leopoldinum Had we decided to say ‘Ich will’ this year we'd have found ourselves swimming down the aisle The floods currently sweeping through Central Europe have pushed Passau under water In the south-east corner of Germany at the confluence of the Danube the town is no stranger to burst riverbanks a chart showing how high previous floods have reached like a neater version of a child’s growth chart scrawled on the kitchen wall I’d never quite been able to believe any of these monster inundations really happened is higher than the Rathaus’s entrance arch which is the height of two averagely tall men All the markers have now been submerged as the flood waters have risen almost 42 feet and the square outside the Rathaus is one with the Danube the flooding in Passau has caused no deaths Emergency services have been navigating the town’s streets in motorboats offering help to those trapped on upper floors cutting my in-laws off from the town centre Drinking water is available only in bottles shops and offices have been unable to open Angela Merkel put in an appearance on Tuesday and promised 100 million euros of immediate state and federal aid Whether this will help to secure election victory in September like Schroeder’s response to Germany’s last serious flooding in 2002 This site requires the use of Javascript to provide the best possible experience Please change your browser settings to allow Javascript content to run Central European Rally Category: WRC Dates: Oct 26 Germany Surface: Tarmac The only brand-new event on the 2023 WRC calendar Central European Rally breaks new ground as the first ever tri-nation event in the world championship Based in the south-east German city of Passau the event will begin with a ceremonial start in Prague before Friday’s competitive action in the Czech Republic Saturday takes the crews over the border into Austria before the final day returns to the location of the service park in Germany A fully Tarmac rally in late October could provide a rather spicy spectacle this issue continues to be a problem for the German authorities The existence of dangerous WWII relics in Germany is never far from popular consciousness close to the borders with Austria and the Czech Republic another report was sent through to the local police bomb squad out for a run through the forest surrounding the town of Passau reported seeing a suspected WWII hand grenade abandoned in a plastic bag a region that saw many clashes during WWII fearful of any possibility of casualties but well drilled in the discovery the team approached the bag with all due caution the team was relieved to discover that the suspect item was not an abandoned grenade dating from the Second World War but a far more recent product of a burgeoning adult toy industry Corroboration came in the discovery of condoms and specialist lubricant also found in the bag Passau police said that “an internet search confirmed the suspicion (that) there are actually sex toys in the form of hand grenades,” and that the “hand-grenade” was Video: Germany still detonating WWII bombs Passau is known locally as the “city of three rivers” and is where the Danube meets the Inn and the Ilz it was the site of three sub-camps of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp the largest complex of labor camps in Nazi Europe Most historians put the death toll at more than 300,000 people across the hundred or so sub-camps that operated throughout the region Adolf Hitler also spent his early years in the city with his family This is far from an isolated incident millions of tons of bombs were dropped across the country and city center redevelopments are regularly halted when an excavator uncovers unexploded WWII ordnance and equipment and weaponry from the era regularly come up for sale online and in local markets In 2017, a man from the town of Hennef, a few miles south of Cologne, Germany, caused 70 people to be evacuated from their homes when his collection of WWII grenades began going up in smoke The 51-year-old collector had bought a crate filled with unused grenades at a flea market stored in a garage next to the home he shared with his elderly parents but the conditions for storage were not ideal causing other deadly items in the collection to also detonate More from us: Hidden WW2 Bombs Still Causing Fatalities Today – Are They Classed as a WW2 Casualty When emergency services arrived at the scene the garage was ablaze with further explosions continuing flames leaping through a massive hole in the roof of the structure a specialist munitions clearance unit was called in to clear the near-demolished building and all remaining ordnance was taken away and disposed of The collector faced serious charges of endangerment and violating Germany’s strict weapons laws This case highlighted the fact that there remain a high number of functional guns and other items in the collections of people who do not recognize the dangers such a collection can pose Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE It's been called the queen of Europe's great rivers, a title the Danube River proudly bears and it's as enchanting as it is murky This walled city played a key role in World War II and its aftermath, namely being the site of the Nuremberg trials site of the former Nazi party rally grounds which is often a stopping place on ship tours is where you should spend most of your time You can explore top attractions like the Toy Museum the DB Museum which tells the story of Germany's railway history and Schoner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) with its four rows of 40 stone figures Brewers stored their beer in cellars below the city residents often sought shelter in these beer cellars You are bussed into Old Town in Nuremberg, but you can hop right off your ship and walk into Regensburg Stroll across the centuries-old structure and look back on the city for amazing views let your feet wander through charming Regensburg which once specialized in spices; you'll find a plethora of spice shops Tip: Don't forget to look up because the city is dotted with numerous towers residents held bragging tournaments about how tall their towers were: The richer you were Passau experienced an epic flood in 2013 One of the city's main claims to fame is the largest cathedral organ in the world You can sit in on 30-minute concerts to hear this world-famous instrument Specialties include gingerbread and a gold-capped praline -- a handmade chocolate with caramelized almonds liquor-soaked apricots and an edible 23-carat gold-leaf coating the 13th century fortress that overlooks the Danube and take the well-marked footpath to the top It's a somewhat steep ascent that should take you less than 30 minutes (You can also take a bus up and down.) Once you get to the top you'll be rewarded with intoxicating views of the city Melk Abbey a monastery more than 900 years old that's still active Benedictine monks and hundreds of monastery students worship there is one of the abbey's most important rooms and makes you feel as if you've walked into a Harry Potter movie Spend time during your tour exploring the outside grounds of the abbey perhaps stopping at a cafe for an espresso and pastry Tip: Melk is known for its apricot products -- think apricot candies schnapps and juices -- so as you're wandering the city Austria's capital is also known as the world's music capital and has been home to scores of legendary composers featuring a large repertoire of performances that changes almost daily Tip: Vienna is an outdoor lover's paradise More than half of Vienna's metropolitan area is made up of green spaces so make sure you plan time to enjoy Mother Nature Two favorite green spaces include Stadtpark and the Volksgarten where 400 kinds of roses blossom in spring and the Spanish Riding School where you can catch the Lipizzaner horses with their stunning white coats in action one of the most important churches in central Europe You can even climb the 343 steps to the top the city's longest and most lively shopping street Round out your day with a visit to the Naschmarkt featuring 100-plus market stands and restaurants chocolate cake with apricot filling topped with whipped cream so don't be shy about loading up on cream.) The "official" sachertorte comes from Hotel Sacher and you'll pay a little more there than you will at Demel Cafe although the edge might go to Demel only because you can watch pastry making in process Get up early as you sail into Budapest so you don't miss the unique view of this enchanting city from the river You'll then have a better idea of how Hungary's capital is laid out The Danube splits the city into two sides -- Buda and Pest -- and they're connected by eight bridges and your ship will probably dock close to that either via foot or public transport (trolleys run regularly) and many of the city's most popular bath houses has been called the "city of baths" for its rich thermal waters that are said to have healing qualities Tip: Take a free walking tour of the city-offered by Free Budapest Walking Tours (triptobudapest.hu) If you're interested in learning about Nazi and Soviet crimes which many residents use to save time when making goulash one of Hungary's well-known specialties the city's largest church and the spot where the right hand of St Tip: Grab an outdoor spot on your ship at night so you can gaze at Budapest's night lights including Chain Bridge and the House of Parliament Patience is running out in the border town of Passau which has borne the brunt of the influx Inside a converted Oktoberfest beer tent at the back of Passau’s train station 300 bewildered and exhausted refugees sat penned behind steel barriers as they awaited so-called “Fast ID” registration. They were the latest to arrive in the German town on Austria’s border which has become one of the main entry points for migrants. As two young voluntary workers tried to hand out drinks, a group of Syrians and their small children suddenly stood up and started to move towards the beer tent door and a waiting bus outside. But this act of apparent insubordination was too much for one uniformed police officer, who leapt on to a bench and screamed: “Sit down! Don’t move!” Worn out by weeks of refugee duty, his temper had snapped. The refugee children started crying. Passau’s railway station has a sign proclaiming: “Refugees Welcome”. But apart from the police, there was no one to greet the thousands of migrants arriving this week. “It’s not like a month ago when lots of ordinary people would come and applaud when they arrived,” admitted Commissioner Albert Poerschke, the city’s police spokesman on refugees. “The welcome culture seems to have evaporated. We waiting for the rest of Europe to help us solve the crisis,” he told The Independent. Since Germany started introducing police controls on its borders with Austria and the Czech Republic in mid-September, the Bavarian border towns of Passau and Rosenheim have borne the brunt of Germany’s refugee influx. According to a leaked government report, the number of asylum applications is expected to reach 1.5 million this year – almost double the estimated 800,000. Bavaria alone has taken in 225,000 refugees since the beginning of September. Almost half have passed through Passau, which is accepting between 1,000 and 5,000 new arrivals each day. Jürgen Dupper, the city’s Social Democrat mayor describes the town’s predicament as “very, very dramatic” and has demanded better border controls. Yet the influx shows no sign of abating. A survey of Syrian refugees who have made it to Germany concluded that the main reason for their flight was fear of President Bashar al-Assad. More than 90 per cent were fleeing the fighting, with two-thirds blaming the Assad government. Only 32 per cent said they were fleeing Isis. One-third of the refugees arrive in Germany by train; the rest enter from Austria by road, and often on foot. The Austrians are reported to be handing each refugee a map showing where the German border is. “Many ask us whether they are in Australia,” an Austrian police spokesman was quoted as saying. “About 80 percent of the Syrian and Afghan refugees don’t know where or what Austria is. That’s why they want to go to Germany,” he added. Ms Merkel is also under intense political pressure to end her “open door” refugee policy. This week an open letter signed by 34 of her conservative MPs and state politicians complained that the refugee crisis was becoming unbearable. On Tuesday, Ms Merkel announced plans to set up a special refugee crisis unit. * An operation to intercept and seize vessels used by smugglers controlling the trafficking of migrants across the Mediterranean has begun. The second phase of the European Union’s Operation Sophia targets the vessels rather than focusing on surveillance and rescues. But questions have already been raised about its likely effectiveness because of doubts that the EU has committed enough ships and manpower to tackle the smugglers. Starting immediately after Inntöne finishes, the local energy moves along the road to Passau for its own summer jazz festival running through to the end of August. The opener could hardly have been of a higher profile. With Leo Genovese, who won the Grammy for best solo last year on the final album with Wayne Shorter (Live in Detroit). But he’s a diverse pianist, having played with Christine Tobin and Phil Robson when they were in New York, and I have also heard him with guitarist Leni Stern and in duo with trumpeter Franz Hackl. They didn’t just play renaissance music though, and included newer pieces by von Kalnein and Genovese, with the recorder changing the timbre from a usual jazz formation. The repertoire ranged from a saltarello through to originals by von Kalnein, who himself is one of the denizens of the Austrian scene, having had a special feature as leader of one of the “Commissioned Works” headliners at jazzahead! this year. This was a great chance to experience one of the best pianists out of New York on the red Steinway of the intimate setting of Cafe Museum. It is not just three major European rivers but also a multiplicity of musical currents which converge in Passau. What a nice review. I truly enjoyed reading it! Thank you X Your email address will not be published. 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Viking VarViking VarViking VarViking Var7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllChristmas On The DanubeLeaving from: Regensburg →+6 ports 2027(5)Viking River CruisesViking VarViking VarViking VarViking Var7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllRomantic DanubeLeaving from: Regensburg →+6 ports 2027(36)Viking River CruisesViking VarViking VarViking VarViking Var7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllChristmas On The DanubeLeaving from: Budapest →+6 ports 7 Nights  Europe - AllRomantic DanubeLeaving from: Budapest →+6 ports 2027(38)Viking River CruisesCruise Critic FavoriteViking VarViking VarViking VarViking Var7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllDanube WaltzLeaving from: Budapest →+5 ports Viking Cruises has begun its 2024 river cruise season aboard its Viking Longship fleet in Europe She will sail various itineraries on the Rhine culture and scenic regions that are best explored by river Europe remains our most popular destination,” said Torstein Hagen “As more curious travelers become familiar with river voyages as a seamless method for exploring we are pleased to begin a new season on Europe’s iconic waterways.” Treasures of the Danube will run from December 2024 to early March 2025 allowing guests to visit ports along the Danube River between Budapest and Passau Guests can also opt for the 10-day Treasures of the Rhine itinerary Winter is a great time to visit these destinations as there are fewer crowds and chances to experience local traditions Rhine Getaway (8 days; Amsterdam—Basel) – Explore the Middle Rhine Danube Waltz (8 days; Budapest—Passau) – Experience the relaxing thermal baths of Budapest and learn the waltz at a Viennese dance school Indulge in Austro-Hungarian cuisine in Vienna and Budapest and admire the stunning beauty of the Wachau Valley Visit lesser-known Central European cities like Bratislava and Passau and explore daily monastic life at Göttweig Abbey Romantic Danube (8 days; Budapest—Regensburg) – Explore Budapest’s Castle District and the famous Chain Bridge Visit Göttweig Abbey and make dumplings with Wachau Valley apricots Discover historic Salzburg and enjoy a concert featuring Mozart and Strauss in Vienna This 8-day journey along the “Blue Danube” offers medieval towns Paris & the Heart of Normandy (8 days; Paris roundtrip) – Experience Paris and the Normandy beaches Explore Rouen’s Gothic architecture and Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny This voyage celebrates France’s history Lyon & Provence (8 days; Lyon—Avignon) – Experience a painting class in Arles This voyage along the Rhône showcases the beauty that inspired artists like Cézanne and Chagall Christmas on the Rhine (8 days; Basel—Amsterdam) – Immerse yourself in Christmas spirit in storybook villages This voyage is a joyful celebration of festive cheer along the Rhine Danube Christmas Delights (8 days; Budapest—Passau) – Explore cultural capitals Savor Austro-Hungarian cuisine and admire the Wachau Valley Christmas on the Seine (8 days; Paris roundtrip) – Enjoy the holiday season in Paris and Normandy Portugal’s River of Gold (10 days; Lisbon—Porto) – Explore Lisbon Grand European Tour (15 days; Budapest – Amsterdam) – Explore Rhine Valley vistas This 15-day journey spans Europe’s iconic rivers Will you be sailing with Viking Cruises during their river cruise season Julie Bouchner is the Marketing Lead for Porthole Cruise and Travel She has a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Syracuse University and playing with her Siberian Husky named Ellie Porthole Cruise and Travel is your one-stop shop for all things cruise-related our mission is to inspire and inform by bringing you the best in cruising and travel ©2025 Porthole Cruise and Travel – All Rights Reserved You can read this article in 4 minutesGregor Gowans Want the Last Mile Brief sent to your inbox every weekday? Sign up for free here GLS Germany has just put its new parcel distribution centre in Iggensbach into operation took 9 months and was finished on schedule which sits in the “Iggensbach West” commercial zone covers an area of ​​almost 14,000 square metres The facility also boasts “state-of-the-art conveyor technology” inside ensuring the processing of up to 30,000 parcels per day on site up to 35 jobs will be created in Iggensbach as well as temporary positions to be made available during peak season the distribution centre can generate its own electricity via a photovoltaic system on its 1,800 square metre roof Ten e-charging units are available for transport partners and employees too efficient lighting management and an air-water heat pump contribute to the energy efficiency of the building “We are expanding our GLS cosmos with a location that is optimally tailored to our needs we are implementing one of our strategic core topics with a focus on sustainable and future-proof parcel delivery Our trust in the collaboration with the KARL Group has been confirmed We value the reliable partnership and would like to thank everyone involved for the excellent work Our thanks also go to the community of Iggensbach and its first mayor The personal commitment on site made the establishment of GLS possible We really appreciate having been so warmly welcomed by the community and look forward to a trusting collaboration locally.” “With the new construction of the GLS site in Iggensbach we were able to demonstrate our greatest strength – future-oriented project development From the acquisition of the property to the project planning right up to the final handover to the tenant this project was completely implemented by us we are making an important contribution to the economic strength of the region which is used by an internationally active company underlines the potential of the logistics industry – especially when it comes to the sustainability aspect.” Agnieszka Kulikowska - Wielgus Journalist Trans.info | 6.05.2025 Pölös Zsófia Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 Fragrance on the Fly: Why Pocket Perfumes Are Perfect for Airplane TravelSponsored Article 6.05.2025