When I begin planning a trip, I will pull up a map of the area where I plan to go, and note the names of nearby cities where a cathedral might exist. For instance, in 2017, I planned to ride solo on a #bicycletour along the #Danube River, starting in #Passau, a Bavarian city in southeast Germany, and continuing to Vienna; I would take a break to visit #Austria and Slovenia, and then continue my ride to Budapest. There were a few cities along the way which had cathedrals, so I made sure that the coordinating sponsor left me enough time for a visit and picture taking.
Passau has a large, ornate cathedral, Dom St. Stephan, near the point where the Danube and Inn rivers meet, on the Austrian border. The second overnight was in #Linz, where the #LinzerMariendom stands to the west of the central downtown square. The main cathedral’s interior was undergoing a major renovation, and I couldn't find the #cathedra. Hoping to find it in the old cathedral, #StIgnatius, I visited it at the southeast corner of the #Hauptplatz.
I spoke with some of the locals, and was told to cross the #Donau (Danube) to visit the hilltop shrine. From the main square, I took the tram up a very steep incline to the small pink-and-white Church of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, on #Pöstlingberg. Evening Mass was just starting, and the church was filled to overflowing. This important pilgrimage site on a viewing platform overlooks the river valley; it was my bonus while In Linz. I find it always helps to chat up the locals, so I don’t miss those special places in and around their towns or further along the route.
Visiting the #cathedrals of #Germany www.cathedrals.photography
Great beginning.