Vilshofen River Cruises

About Vilshofen

Vilshofen is one of the larger towns in the German region of Passau and is a charming place to unwind as well as offering rail links to a number of the country’s major cities including Munich, which is reachable in a couple of hours. Indeed, a number of river cruise itineraries use the port as the final destination and sometimes embarkation port for a Danube sailing – it’s a convenient and quiet location that serves the Passau region well, and the train station acts as a simple transfer option to get to Munich for flights home. The full name of the town is Vilshofen an der Donau, which translates to Vilshofen on the Danube, named because the town was built right where the Vils, Wolfach and Pfudrach rivers meet and flow into the Danube itself.

Exploring Vilshofen

The word quaint seems made for the town of Vilshofen, with its attractive and peaceful streets made up of individual buildings of various pastel shades. Indeed, there are few individual attractions to see but there are still a number of places that visitors can enjoy when passing through or spending a little time exploring.

Most notable is the Benedictine Monastery, Schweiklberg, which dominates the skyline of the town with its impressive twin towers. The abbey itself is home to a number of African artefacts from the time when monks of the abbey went on missions to the East and South of the continent and brought items back with them. Another church, the Hausbach round church, has a design unique to the region, featuring a distinctive pyramid roof and a square tower.

A number of river cruise operators also use Vilshofen as the destination in which visitors can join in the festivities of Germany’s ever-popular Oktoberfest – a celebration of food and drink which is the country’s biggest festival, held annually in nearby Munich.

Vilshofen tips

Along the cobbled streets of Vilshofen you’ll be able to visit authentic local shops and eateries serving traditional cuisine and wonderful trinkets to purchase as souvenirs of your time in the town. The currency here is the Euro, so come prepared with plenty of cash to spend.