Where to Stay in Passau: Accommodation and Area Guide

Here Are Our Thoughts on Where To Stay In Passau!

Whether you are exploring Germany for the first time or are back to check out new places, a stop in Passau should be on your list! Known as the “Dreiflüssestadt” or “Three Rivers City”, the city of Passau is located at the point where the Danube River, the Inn, and the Ilz all converge! This feature alone makes Passau a nice stop on a Germany travel itinerary but there are also other things to do and see in Passau!

Overall, we really liked Passau. Located in the south of Germany, we arrived in Passau from Regensburg. The city was a nice stop before we headed into Austria to discover Linz. We ended up staying right in the Old Town in Hotel Wilder Mann and really liked it. The hotel was certainly popular with those on bikes that were cycling the Danube river path all the way to Vienna!

Whatever your motivations for visiting – exploring history, going on a Danube River Cruise, or on a Danube bike tour – there are a good number of accommodations to suit all styles and budgets. You’ll find popular hotels like Passauer Wolf, Hotel König, or Hotel Residenz but also apartments and guesthouses. So, in this guide, we’ll talk about accommodations in Passau by style and then by area to help you pick the best one for you!

**Friendly Disclosure: We paid for the accommodation we stayed at ourselves and were not told to include it in this article.

Accommodations By Type

Passau is one of those beautiful places to explore in Germany and it can get quite busy in the summer season. Of course, with a good tourism industry comes a good helping of hotels to accommodate visitors.

At the same time, Passau is not a huge city – so don’t expect the same number and variety of accommodations as you would in Munich or Berlin. That’s where this post comes in – we want to give you a good overview of your options!

In the following section, we’ll talk about accommodations by type (hotels, apartments, etc.). This way, you can get started looking if you know for sure that you want to stay in a hotel in Passau, for example. Later we’ll dive into the different areas to stay in Passau. Let’s get started!

Hotels in Passau

Given that Passau is a popular city for different types of travellers, there is a solid offering of hotels to match.

Many of them are located in the heart of the Old Town making them a great choice for those wanting to do sightseeing. Whether you have a car and need parking, want river views from your window, or have a bike to store, there is a hotel for you in Passau.

⇒ Get started searching for hotels Passau here

If you’re looking for some of the most popular hotels in Passau, then have a look at the following options! These hotels are all in really good areas and balance value for money, location, and amenities. They are also well-rated by other travellers.

Budget/Cheap Hotels in Passau

For those not looking for all the bells and whistles when it comes to a hotel, Passau has a few good budget options to suit your travel needs.

While many of these are not located right in the heart of the city centre, they make sense for those with a car who may want to hop back on the highway after a stop in Passau. Some of these hotels are by names we have stayed at before so we’d vouch for them.

• Best Western Amedia Passau – A simple and reliable hotel closer to the highway for easy access with a car
• B&B Hotel Passau – A colourful and modern hotel with easy access to the Danube/Old Town (Our Pick)
• DORMERO Hotel Passau – A stylish hotel with terrace and parking south of the Inn River – across from the Old Town.

Boutique Hotels in Passau

Even though Passau is small, you can still stay in style in a boutique hotel. Passau doesn’t have too many to choose from but the ones that exist are absolutely lovely and we would definitely like to book one of the ones below the next time we visit Passau.

• Boutique Hotel Morgentau – A trendy hotel in the Old Town overlooking the river (Our Pick)
• Art Hotel & Hostel – A cozy and cool hotel right in the heart of the Old Town at Rindermarkt

Luxury Hotels in Passau

As for luxury hotels, Passau doesn’t have any truly 5-star hotels. However, they have numerous 4-star hotels in the Old Town that are right on the river. These hotels often cater to the cruising visitors so you can certainly find a really nice hotel with top amenities (like saunas and buffet breakfasts) to suit your needs!

• Hotel König – An upscale hotel with buffet breakfast and river views (Our Pick)
• Hotel Residenz Passau – A trendy hotel with breakfast also on the Danube River bank in the Old Town
• Hotel Passauer Wolf – A upscale hotel with bar and Danube River views

Guesthouses in Passau

While Passau might be known for its hotels, this more hilly area of Germany/Austria is also a good place to find guesthouses. Guesthouses are similar to small hotels – and usually called “Pension” in German. They generally offer up a more cozy stay with a host and often have breakfast served in the morning.

There are a handful of really nice guesthouses in Passau – and many of them are not right in the city centre but on the river banks overlooking the city. These areas can be a bit quieter – and we will talk about them in the bottom section. For now, you can check here for guesthouses in Passau. We’ve included a variety of nice guesthouses to get you started:

• das-hornsteiner – A cozy and trendy guesthouse right in the Old Town (Our Pick)
• Hotel Spitzberg Garni – A classic guesthouse/hotel with breakfast and bar in St. Nikola close to the Old Town
• Pension Vicus – A bright and quiet guesthouse on the banks of the Danube in Innstadt
• Pension Gambrinus – A simple guesthouse with parking or bike storage down the river from Innstadt and the Old Town

Hostels in Passau

Passau is not really a “backpacker” city so there is really only one or two hostels to choose from. Having said that, one option available for a budget traveller is pretty cool: HI Hostel Jugendherberge Passau is literally located up in/at the Veste Oberhaus (the castle).

We walked by the outdoor patio entrance when we visited the castle and were blown away that the popular hostel was there. You’d get great views if you ask us!

Apartments in Passau

There is more to where to stay in Passau than just hotels and guesthouses. There are also a handful of nice rental apartments/vacation rentals if you are looking for a place of your own.

Apartments are usually good for groups, families with kids, or those looking to set up a base for a few days and/or to cook a meal on their own!

You can check here for great apartments in Passau but below are a few good apartment options in nice locations around the city:

• BARONHAUS Aparthotel & Suites – A stylish aparthotel and suites in the heart of the Old Town
• Ferienwohnungen am Dreiflüsseeck – A cozy apartment basically at the tip of the Old Town (Our Pick)
• Rivers Passau – Trendy apartments with breakfast available in Innstadt and easily walkable to the Old Town

Speaking of apartments, you might also want an Airbnb in Passau. The ones listed are generally in the areas we discuss below (the Old Town and Innstadt) so these would be a good place to stay from a location perspective.

Accommodations By Neighbourhood/ Area

Now that we have covered the different accommodation options in Passau by type – hotel, apartment, guesthouse – it’s time to go over the best areas to stay in Passau. We’ll describe each area from our experience and then offer up a few suggestions for accommodations in each one.

To be honest, Passau is not that big of a city. In fact, as a visitor, you’ll probably only spend time in the Old Town (Altstadt) and the areas north and south of the Old Town across the Danube and Inn Rivers, respectively.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there are only a handful of areas we’d really recommend. Of course you can find accommodations outside these areas – but the ones below are popular for a reason. They offer travellers lots of value – whether you want river views, a place to stay before a cruise, or a simple place to lay your head while on a biking tour.

Whatever your interests, you’ll find an area that suits you in Passau. If you aren’t too picky and just want to get started having a look at a place to stay, here are the areas mentioned below and a top accommodation option to look into. These are places that we have stayed at or would honestly stay at when we return to Passau.

Altstadt – For Sightseeing

Having talked about it throughout this post already, one of the best places to stay in Passau is the Old Town (Altstadt). The historic old town features Baroque architecture at most turns and many top sights like St. Stephan’s Cathedral, and the Glass Museum, among others. In fact, if you want to see what the Old Town looks like, you can watch our Passau video on YouTube.

There is also shopping, restaurants, and smaller areas for you to wander through in the Old Town. The tip of the Old Town is shaped by the rivers and called the “Dreiflüsseeck” which is the point where the three rivers meet.

There’s a small green park and it makes for a nice walk and some nice photos. Along the river edge – mainly the Danube – you will find those river cruise docks utilized by the long, flat ships that sail the rivers.

For all the above reasons, the Old Town makes a really great place to stay. It is also possible to find parking in/around the Old Town if you have a car. We walked from the train station into the Old Town and it only took about 20 minutes but there is also public transit in this area.

We liked staying in the Old Town and given the number of bikes at our hotel, so do many river cyclists as well. Below are some top-rated accommodations in the Old Town. It’s a healthy mix of hotels and guesthouses in really good locations:

Hotel Wilder Mann – Check Now

• Style: A Historic and Simple Hotel
• Price Range: Upper Budget
• Location: Right in the Old Town, near the Town Hall Square at the Danube and facing the Castle (it’s really good, honestly).
• Featured Amenities: Nice buffet breakfast, onsite Glass Museum, accessible bike storage

Hotel König – Check Now

• Style: An Upscale and Classy Hotel
• Price Range: Mid-Range
• Location: Right on the bank of the Danube opposite the river cruise docks
• Featured Amenities: Bar/restaurant onsite, buffet breakfast, river views, spa/sauna

Hotel Residenz Passau – Check Now

• Style: A Trendy and Functional Hotel
• Price Range: Upper Mid-Range
• Location: Also right on the edge of the Danube River close to the river cruise docks
• Featured Amenities: Nice buffet breakfast, nice lounge area, small sauna available

das-hornsteiner – Check Now

• Style: A Cozy and Trendy Guesthouse
• Price Range: Budget
• Location: Heart of the Old Town close to the Danube and river cruise docks
• Featured Amenities: Nice breakfast, bike storage, sauna onsite

Innstadt – For River Views

For those looking for a bit more peace and quiet with access to the top sights in the city centre, a stay in Innstadt might be for you.

This south bank of the Inn River is basically right across the water from the Old Town and connects to it via the Marienbrücke. This side has a few restaurants, bars, and accommodations as well as a small handful of things to explore like the Monastery at Mariahilf.

For those travelling through Passau on a larger itinerary (whether via bike or car), Innstadt makes a great place to stay because, generally, the accommodations have larger parking lots with free parking and good bike storage.

Since you are not “in the city centre” it can be easy to hop back on the road and be on your way the next day!

You can find a number of nice accommodations in Innstadt below. Again, it’s a mix of hotels, guesthouses, and apartments so you have a nice variety to choose from.

DORMERO Hotel Passau – Check Now

• Style: A Stylish and Cool Hotel
• Price Range: Budget
• Location: On the south bank of the Inn/Danube, right across the water from the Old Town
• Featured Amenities: Bar/terrace onsite, free minibar, nice breakfast, private parking

Pension Vicus – Check Now

• Style: A Bright and Functional Guesthouse
• Price Range: Upper Budget
• Location: Down the river near the banks of the Danube in Innstadt – walkable to the Old Town
• Featured Amenities: Nice breakfast, free parking, good WIFI

Rivers Passau – Check Now

• Style: Trendy and Cozy Apartments /Aparthotel
• Price Range: Upper Budget
• Location: Close to the bank of the Inn River, easily walkable to the Old Town
• Featured Amenities: Modern apartments, shared lounge, breakfast optional

St. Nikola/ Haidenhof – For Convenience/ Cars

Lastly, if you are not picky, travelling by car, and just looking for a simple place to stay in Passau, then the area which is basically “everything but the Old Town” is for you.

This region – made up of the west end of Passau – isn’t as busy as the city centre but still offers up a few restaurants, shops, and grocery stores. You can also find the Dreiflüssestadion (soccer stadium) here.

A big draw for staying in this area is that – similar to Innstadt – the Autobahn (the German name for highway) runs close by. So if you travel by car you, can find a place to park at an accommodation below and get up, have breakfast, and get back on the road very easily the next day.

Another draw to this region is that accommodations are generally cheaper than in the Old Town but still of great quality. Depending on the accommodation you choose, you can hop on the bus to get to the Old Town (or take your car in) in minutes. There are a handful of places to stay in St. Nikola/Haidenhof so have a look below for some top-rated and popular ones:

Hotel Dreiflüssehof – Check Now

• Style: An Elegant and Traditional Hotel
• Price Range: Upper Budget
• Location: Between the Autobahn and the Old Town, only a short bus to the Old Town or train station
• Featured Amenities: Great breakfast, free parking, good WIFI

Best Western Amedia Passau – Check Now

• Style: A Simple and Reliable Hotel
• Price Range: Budget
• Location: To the west of the Old Town, a short bus to the centre and easy to get back on the Autobahn with car
• Featured Amenities: Nice buffet breakfast, private parking onsite

B&B Hotel Passau – Check Now

• Style: A Colourful and Modern Hotel
• Price Range: Budget
• Location: Just to the west of the central train station/Old Town – closer to the Danube River
• Featured Amenities: Good breakfast, decent WIFI, free parking onsite

And there you have it – a rundown of where to stay in Passau! In the end, there are a few other places to stay but we think that if you stick to these areas (as we did) you are very likely to find a hotel or accommodation that you’ll love, and that meets your needs. Enjoy Passau when you visit!

As always, Happy Waddlin’,
-L&E

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