Passau Cathedral is a Baroque church that was built between 1668 and 1693 on a site that has seen churches since at least the 8th century. An early Gothic cathedral was located here between 1221 and 1313, but was destroyed by fire in 1662, resulting in the construction of a new cathedral. Of the early buildings, only the eastern part of the late Gothic style has survived. The cathedral has a richly decorated Baroque interior, containing frescoes by Italian artists.
The parish church of St. Paul dates back to 1050, making it the oldest parish church in Passau. After being destroyed by fire in 1512 and 1662, the present building was built in 1678. After reconstruction in the 19th century, the only tower of the church stood much higher in the sky of Passau. However, due to the dangerous condition of the tower, it was demolished in 1950 and rebuilt with about a third of its height.
The pilgrimage church Mariahilf in Passau was built in 1624-1627 and houses a painting of the Virgin Mary, made in 1620 by the artist Pius of Passau. When Vienna was besieged by the Turks in 1683, Leopold I fled to Passau. The imperial couple prayed daily for victory over the Turks in front of the painting. After the Turkish defeat in Vienna, the Mariahilf of Passau became an icon of the Habsburg monarchy.
Metten Abbey is one of the oldest in Bavaria, having been founded in 766. For centuries, under the protection of the Bavarian rulers, the abbey trained renowned philosophers and theologians. In 1803, the abbey was secularised and the monks were expelled. Bought by Johann von Pronath, Lord of Offenberg, he persuaded King Ludwig to open a school in the Benedictine tradition. After years of hardship, Metten was re-established as an abbey in 1840. The abbey library in the east wing is a jewel of Baroque architecture and contains more than 200,000 books and manuscripts. Built between 1720 and 1722, its stuccoes are the work of Franz Josef Holzinger and the murals of Innozenz Anton Warathy.
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