River cruises can be a great way to explore different countries for travelers looking for a laid-back, low-stress vacation. There are a lot of fantastic river cruise itineraries available for potential travelers, so in this series of articles, I will share with you an overview of some popular river cruise destinations with accompanying itineraries.
The Danube
The Danube River is located in Central and South-Eastern Europe. This River is often thought of in Upper and Lower parts. The Upper Danube includes Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary while the Lower Danube includes Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
Taking a River Cruise along the Danube River provides a wonderful view of The Old World. Danube river cruises will pass a variety of picturesque sites such as castles, vineyards, old towns, and forests.
There are a variety of itineraries for both the Upper and Lower Danube, but I’ve created a sample itinerary for the very popular Upper Danube to give you a rough of idea of what to expect from a cruise along this river:
Budapest
You’ll start your vacation in Budapest, this city combines medieval and modern architecture and history. In Budapest, you can go on a city-tour and visit sights like The Chain Bridge or Castle Hill.
Bratislava, Slovakia
The next day you will arrive in Bratislava, Slovakia. This charming capital city, known as the Coronation City of Kings, boasts a lovely castle and several churches.
Dürnstein & Melk, Austria
Next, you will travel to Dürnstein, a quaint, cobblestone pathed town. In Dürnstein you might choose to visit the Dürnstein Wine Estate for a wine tasting. If you are more interested in history and architecture you can choose to travel to the 900-year-old Melk abbey to see the Baroque-style library.
Linz, Austria
Your next destination will be Linz, the birthplace of Mozart. From here, Sound of Music fans can take an excursion to Salzburg. In this Alpine destination, you can visit Hauptplatz, Austria’s largest medieval square. While you are here you may also want to see the St. Florian Monastery, which is the largest monastery in Upper Austria. Or, choose Cesky Krumlov, a charming Czech town filled with beauty.
Passau, Germany
Your final destination on this trip is Passau which is built at the intersection of the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz. Explore lush nature trains, hop on a bike for a scenic tour (many river cruise lines carry bikes onboard) and immerse yourself in the beauty of these three iconic waterways.
If you enjoy learning about and seeing beautiful architectural and historical sites, a cruise along the Danube River will be a great choice for you. From castles, to Medieval squares, to cathedrals and monasteries there are many impressive sites to explore on a Danube River cruise.
Kathleen McNamara has visited over England, France, Italy, Spain and Iceland. And, she's just 20 years old! A college student majoring in English at University of North Carolina - Charlotte, Kathleen loves trying different cuisines and visiting museums and historical sites around the world. Her dream destinations include Greece and all the river cruises she's been learning about for this series.
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