Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [335]
Some 30km southeast of Regensburg, Straubing enjoyed a brief heyday as part of a wonky alliance that formed the short-lived Duchy of Straubing-Holland. As a result, the centre is chock-a-block with historical buildings that opened new horizons in a small town. In August, the demand for folding benches soars during the Gäubodenfest, a 10-day blow-out that once brought together grain farmers in 1812, but now draws over 20,000 drinkers.
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Orientation & Information
Compact and quite walkable, the historical centre is squeezed between the Danube and the Hauptbahnhof. The central square is shaped more like a street and consists of Theresienplatz and Ludwigsplatz.
Tourist office ( 944 307; www.straubing.de; Theresienplatz 20; 9am-5pm Mon-Wed & Fri, 9am-6pm Thu, 10am-2pm Sat) Makes free room referrals.
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Sights & Activities
Lined with pastel-coloured houses from a variety of periods, the pedestrian square is lorded over by the Gothic Stadtturm (1316). It stands next to the richly gabled Rathaus, originally two merchants’ homes but repackaged in neo-Gothic style in the 19th century. Just east of the tower is the gleaming golden Dreifaltigkeitssäule (Trinity Column), erected in 1709 as a nod to Catholic upheavals during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Straubing has about half a dozen historic churches. The most impressive is St Jakobs-kirche (Pfarrplatz), a late-Gothic hall church with original stained-glass windows but also a recipient of a baroque makeover, courtesy of the frantically productive Asam brothers. The pair also designed the interior of the Ursulinenkirche (Burggasse), their final collaboration. Its ceiling fresco depicts the martyrdom of St Ursula surrounded by allegorical representations of the four continents known at the time. Also worth a look is the nearby Karmelitenkirche (Hofstatt).
North of here is the former ducal residence Herzogsschloss (Schlossplatz), which overlooks the river. This rather austere 14th-century building was once the town’s tax office.
One of Germany’s most important repositories of Roman treasure is the intimate Gäubodenmuseum ( 974 10; www.gaeubodenmuseum.de; Frauenhoferstrasse 9; adult/concession €2.50/1.50; 10am-4pm Tue-Sun). Displays include imposing armour and masks for both soldiers and horses, probably plundered from a Roman store.
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Getting There & Away
Straubing is on a regional train line from Regensburg (€8.40, 30 minutes) and Passau (€13.30, one hour). Trains to and from Munich (€23.10, two hours) require a change in Neufahrn or Plattling. Drivers should take the Kirchhof exit off the A3 (the Nuremberg-Passau autobahn). There’s free parking at Unter den Hagen, a five-minute walk south of Stadtplatz.
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PASSAU
0851 / pop 51,000
Gathered around the confluence of three rivers, the Danube, Inn and Ilz, Passau was predestined to become a powerful trading post. The waterways and major trade routes that converged here brought wealth, especially from ‘white gold’ (salt), and Christianity brought prestige as the city evolved into the largest bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire. The handsome old centre has a distinctly Italian look, with a maze of winding medieval cobbled lanes, underpasses and archways away from the main thoroughfares. The Niebelungenlied, the epic poem about a dragon-slayer, is believed to originate from here, at the bishop’s 13th-century court.
A major river-cruise stop, Passau is often deluged with day visitors. It is also the hub of many long-distance cycling routes, eight of which converge here, and a good springboard for explorations into upper Austria.
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Orientation
Passau’s Altstadt is a narrow peninsula with the confluence of the three rivers at its eastern tip. The Hauptbahnhof is about a 10-minute walk west of the Altstadt. The Veste Oberhaus is on the Danube’s north bank.
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Information
Bücher Pustet ( 560 890; Niebelungenplatz 1) Large selection of