Vilshofen - Deggendorf

It’s been a warm one today. Fortunately there has been a little cross breeze that has tended to temper the unpleasantness of the heat. With a plan to visit two small towns along the Danube, getting these visits done early before it became unpleasant was important. 

We woke by the Danube, alongside about 25 other motorhomes. But, in no time at all the numbers had rapidly thinned. Some are on a frantic timetable with only a short holiday period, or, they have a hired van, and again, with no time to waste. Others, well, we just take out time!

After a while we left to follow the river to Vilshofen, a small village that these days is a stopping place for many of the Danube cruise boats. There were two moored this morning, with one taking on, literally, truck loads of supplies - and all loaded by the means of a human chain! Thought that the cruise people would have a more efficient means of resupplying the boats. 

We parked alongside the river and then ventured into the town. The town is noted for the man who gave the world the Pilsner beer. Josef Groll invented bottom fermentation, and his beer, Pilsner Urquell, was made famous in Bohemia (Czech). 

The centre of the town is worth a stroll with some interesting buildings, and being a Saturday, there were wedding groups preparing for their big day. 

Further along the Danube was the town of Deggendorf, a larger town with a much larger central market place. This area was filled with diners and shoppers, enjoying a beautiful Bavarian summers day. People have lived in the area for the past 8000 years, but the first mention of the town was around 886. 

Of course, a couple of churches were visited. It was very interesting to compare the two - one Lutherian and the other Catholic. The reformation saw the stripping away of the “religious decoration” and the churches became  very austere places of worship. Today the  camparision is quite sharp. 

In the Catholic Church poor old St Felix’s bones  have been on display for centuries. I must say, though, that he has had some very serious jewellery splashed over his remains. Other than this relic, the church is truly splendid in its baroque style. 

An interesting fresco on the outside of the Gradkircher (Church) giving thanks to the Lord for the miracles experienced after Jews were massacred in 1337 for setting fire to the town. The town was actually fire damage during conflicts between two warring Dukes of Bavaria, and, the Jewish community funded the rebuilding of the town. Modern research has shown that the Jews were massacred because the town owed them heaps of money. But, controversially, the painting over the church door still remains! It is interesting to note that after WWII Deggendorf was the site for the displaced persons camp for Jewish war refugees. 

Also, interestingly, I came across a local politician who was campaigning for the Bavarian elections. She chatted for a while about her politics which  she summed up as Germany for Germans. Just while I  was watching she had people signing up to her politics the whole time. 

Later in the afternoon we drove on a few kilometres to the small town of Oberalteich, just down the hill from Bogen!