Stage 12: Schrottenbaummühle – Passau

Starting point: Schrottenbaummühle |
Distance: 24.7 km |
Walking time: approx. 7 hours |
Total ascent: 652 m |
Total descent: 700 m |
Stage destination: Domplatz Passau

Waymarking: Ilztalwanderweg

Jerusalem Way of the Monasteries in the Ilz Valley & Three Castles Region

This stage forms the final section of the
Jerusalem Way of the Monasteries before Passau.
The approximately 600-kilometer German feeder route leads from Volkenroda
via Waldsassen and the Bavarian Forest to the Three Rivers City of Passau.

The previous stage already leads from Schönberg into the Ilz Valley and ends
at the Schrottenbaummühle in Fürsteneck. From here, the Jerusalem Way
largely follows the Ilztalwanderweg via Kalteneck, Fischhaus, and the Hals
Ilz loop to the confluence of the Ilz with the Danube near Passau.

This makes the tourism region Ilz Valley & Three Castles Region
already part of the international Jerusalem Way. The route connects the
region’s special natural and hiking landscape with Passau and the
cross-border onward route to Upper Austria.

Further information on the Ilztalwanderweg

Further information on the Jerusalem Way in Germany

Route description along the Ilz

From the Schrottenbaummühle, we first follow the right bank of the Ilz
to Kalteneck. There we cross the river and continue on the left bank
toward Fischhaus.

At Fischhaus, we cross again to the right bank. The route continues
via the Mausmühle to the historic log drift barrier at the beginning of the
Hals Ilz loop. After crossing the Ilz once more, we hike over
the heights and past Reschenstein Castle toward Hofbauerngut.

From there, the route leads over the bridge into the Passau district of Hals.
We continue following the Ilz to its confluence with the Danube. Below the
Veste Oberhaus, we cross the Danube on the Prinz-Luitpold-Brücke and
reach the historic old town of Passau.

Via the churches of Heilig Kreuz and St. Michael, the stage finally leads
to St. Stephen’s Cathedral at Domplatz.

Arrival in Passau – Convergence of the three German Jerusalem Ways

With Passau, we reach one of the most important junctions of the
Jerusalem Way in Germany. Here, the Jerusalem Way of the Monasteries
meets the Jerusalem Ways of the Kings and of the Apostles, which have
already been running together since Donauwörth:

• the Jerusalem Way of the Kings,
• the Jerusalem Way of the Apostles, and
• the Jerusalem Way of the Monasteries.

From Passau, all three German Jerusalem Ways continue together across the
border to Upper Austria and onward to the Peace City of Linz.
There they merge into the main route of the Jerusalem Way coming from Spain
via France, Switzerland, and Austria.

From Linz, the shared international peace and pilgrimage route continues
via the Balkans and Turkey to Jerusalem.

Passau – the Three Rivers City

The historic old town of Passau lies on a narrow peninsula
between the Danube and the Inn. Baroque buildings, squares, churches, and winding
alleys characterize the cityscape and make Passau a special stage destination
on the Jerusalem Way.

At the center is the significant
St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Its organ system with 17,974 pipes
and 233 registers is considered the world’s largest cathedral organ.

To the north, the city is dominated by the mighty
Veste Oberhaus. On the opposite
Inn side is the pilgrimage church of
Mariahilf. The Roman Museum Kastell Boiotro in the
Innstadt district recalls Passau’s Roman history.

Further information on Passau:

Passau Tourism

Three Rivers Corner and onward route to Austria

At the Passau headland, the Danube, Inn, and Ilz converge.
The three rivers come from three different directions
and then flow together as the Danube eastward.

Passau thus forms a special European junction both geographically and for the Jerusalem Way:
Here the Jerusalem Way of the Monasteries ends as an independent German feeder route and continues together
with the two other German Jerusalem Ways across the border to Austria.

The detailed description of the Three Rivers Corner and the
cross-border onward route via Freinberg, Esternberg, and
Vichtenstein to Engelhartszell can be found in the next stage:

NEXT STAGE: PASSAU – ENGELHARTSZELL

Peace on the Way – Bavaria and Upper Austria

The special significance of Passau as a connection point between Germany
and Austria is also highlighted in the cross-border project
“Peace on the Way.”

The p2p project AE-038
“Peace on the Way: Cross-border Meeting and
Cooperation Day in the Bavaria–Upper Austria Border Region”
is being implemented within the Interreg Bavaria–Austria 2021–2027 program.
The project runs from May 15 to August 31, 2026.

The goal is to network tourism organizations, municipalities, administration,
civil society, and other partners on both sides of the border and
to strengthen the cross-border development of the Jerusalem Way
in the Passau–Upper Austria region.

This involves integrating existing pilgrimage and hiking trails, creating sustainable
tourism initiatives, and developing possible future measures such as
signage, digital offerings, and regional cooperation
projects.

Further information on the “Peace on the Way” project

Navigation and GPS

The stage largely follows the marked Ilztalwanderweg.
However, since the Jerusalem Way is not everywhere additionally marked with its own
Jerusalem Way waymarking, we recommend navigation
using the current Jerusalem Way app or the GPS route provided on the
stage page.

Places along the stage:
Schrottenbaummühle – Kalteneck – Fischhaus – Mausmühle –
Triftsperre – Hofbauerngut – Hals – Passau