Vilshofen an der Donau: River Port and Old Town

Vilshofen an der Donau is a river cruise port in Germany, located in Lower Bavaria at the western entrance to the Danube Gorge between Lower Bavaria and Upper Austria. The Vils, Wolfach and Pfudrach rivers flow into the Danube here. The old town, with its town square, town tower and parish church of St. John, lies between the rivers and the banks of the Danube.

Town history and cityscape

The first documentary mention of Vilshofen dates to 776: the records of Mondsee Abbey refer to a farm on the Vils as “Vilusa.” Vilshofen was granted town status in 1206. At the time, the town lay on the right bank of the Vils and belonged to the Diocese of Passau. A town fire destroyed much of the settlement in 1794; the reconstruction in the Inn-Salzach style still shapes the cityscape today. The upper town tower in the town square recalls the former fortifications. The Baroque tower was built between 1643 and 1647 to replace an older tower that was in danger of collapsing. Until around 1830, tower keepers lived in the tower, watching for fires and signaling to ships with trumpets.

Churches and the banks of the Danube

The parish church of St. John dates back to a Gothic building from around 1500, which was destroyed in the 1794 fire. Its High Baroque furnishings, dating from around 1720, came from the Augustinian Canons’ monastery of St. Nikola in Passau, which was dissolved in 1803. Together with the town tower and the higher-lying Schweiklberg Abbey, its towers shape the view across the town. The Missionary Benedictines of St. Ottilien acquired the Schweiklgut estate in 1904; the monastery was subsequently built there. The abbey church was built to designs by Michael Kurz and consecrated in 1925. The Maria-Hilf Church is also part of the historic cityscape: it is a late Baroque building in the shape of a Greek cross. Restored lanes connect the old town with the banks of the Danube.

Cruise ship landing stages and getting there

The municipal usage regulations designate two facilities as landing stages 1 and 2 and make them available for passenger ships and passenger cabin ships subject to available capacity. The operator assigns the berths. At the handover points, Vilshofen Municipal Utilities provide electricity and water. Vilshofen is also on the Regensburg–Passau railway line; the town can also be reached via the Garham/Vilshofen exit on the A3.