Passauer Glasmuseum

About the museum

The Passau Glass Museum traces back to entrepreneur Georg Höltl, known as the inventor of the "Rolling Hotels." He had four interconnected old-town houses on Rathausplatz, including the long-established Hotel Wilder Mann, extensively restored to give his glass collection a fitting home. The museum opened on March 15, 1985, with astronaut Neil Armstrong attending as guest of honor.

The buildings date from the Gothic and Baroque periods; one is documented as early as 1303, and the corner house long served as the seat of the town magistrate. In the 19th century, the Hotel Wilder Mann hosted numerous prominent guests, among them Empress Elisabeth of Austria in 1862. Hotel and museum still share the complex today.

The collection comprises more than 30,000 glasses, of which over 17,000 are on display. It documents glass production in Bavaria, Bohemia, Austria and Silesia from the Baroque through Biedermeier, Historicism and Art Nouveau to Art Deco and Modernism. Most rooms are arranged by individual glassworks, allowing a close look at how each developed. The collection is registered as a cultural asset of national importance.

Highlights

• More than 17,000 glasses on display from three centuries
• Large Biedermeier Hall
• Bohemian glass and Art Nouveau glass from the Bavarian Forest
• Works by women artists of the Wiener Werkstätte
• Historic Wilder Mann building complex on Rathausplatz

Permanent exhibitions

• Europäisches Glas 1650–1950 – Rooms arranged by glassworks show glass from Bavaria, Bohemia, Austria and Silesia from the Baroque to Art Deco and Modernism.

Founded

1985

Operated by

Familie Höltl (privat)

Admission & discounts

Audio guide included in admission. Free admission with the PASSAU CARD; reduced admission with a same-day Bayern-Ticket or a ticket from the Wurm & Noé Danube shipping company. Card payment preferred.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Only the Biedermeier Hall, the museum's largest room, is accessible and can be reached directly by elevator; the other rooms, with many steps and levels, are not accessible.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

From the main station on foot through the old town or by taxi (about €4–7).

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop with publications on glass. Nearest parking: Römerplatz underground parking. Bicycles can be left free of charge in the entrance area (right on the Danube Cycle Path). Hotel Wilder Mann in the same building.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit