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St. Stephan's Cathedral, Passau

Domplatz, Passau, Bayern

Description

St. Stephen's Cathedral (Dom St. Stephan) was built in 1688-93 in Passau although parts of the structure predate this. It was designed in Baroque style (the older parts have a Gothic architecture) and Carpoforo Tencalla and Carlo Antonio Bussi were commissioned for the frescoes and stucco work. The two west towers were erected at the end of the 19th century and topped by an octagonal section crowned with domes. The cathedral is famous for having had the largest church organ in the world for several centuries; it has 17,774 pipes and 233 registers (combination of stops).

Access & Transport

Address: Domplatz, 94032 Passau The cathedral is located in the center of the old town. Passau is 170km northeast of Munich (A94 / B12 / A3), 230km southeast of Nuremberg (A3) and 80km northwest of Linz in Austria (B130). By train, Linz is 1h away on the ICE, Nuremberg 2h, Regensburg 1h whilst Munich is 2h15 away on the regional service RE3.

Instructions & Recommendations

There are regular organ concerts held in the Cathedral. We suggest combining this activity with a visit of the old town, the Veste Oberhaus fortress, and possibly a short cruise.

Meta review

Online reviews for the cathedral are excellent, most visitors not only enjoy seeing the large pipe organ with its 6 consoles (many attend the occasional concerts held there) but also admire the ornate columns and artwork throughout the ceiling and side chapels. There are recurring comments that this is one of the largest and most impressive baroque churches outside of Italy.

Environmental & Social

No or limited carbon footprint and tourism helps maintain the city's cultural, artistic and architectural heritage

Conclusion

In our opinion, Dom St Stephan is the main highlight of Passau - more so than the confluence of 3 rivers - and it is definitely a must see for those passing through or staying in town. If you have a keen interest in religious art and buildings, it even justifies a reasonable drive. The quality of the stucco work, frescoes and overlook architecture are all excellent and such comprehensive package is rare.

Key positive

Beautiful design and frescoes

Impressive pipe organ

Key negative

None

Suitability

No religious denomination restriction and accessible for visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Closed during organ concerts (fee applies) from 10h45 to 11h20

av. transport time:2h

est. visit time:1h 15m

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Apr, 01

Season 1

MONDAY06:30 - 19:00

TUESDAY06:30 - 19:00

WEDNESDAY06:30 - 19:00

THURSDAY06:30 - 19:00

FRIDAY06:30 - 19:00

SATURDAY06:30 - 19:00

SUNDAY06:30 - 19:00

Start of Season 2:Nov, 01

Season 2

MONDAY06:30 - 18:00

TUESDAY06:30 - 18:00

WEDNESDAY06:30 - 18:00

THURSDAY06:30 - 18:00

FRIDAY06:30 - 18:00

SATURDAY06:30 - 18:00

SUNDAY06:30 - 18:00

Pricing
Free

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