Table Of Content
- Night Capitals Of Eastern EuropeDetails
- Viking River Cruise Danube Ship Review
- Viking River Cruises
- Europe River Cruises
- Danube river cruises: an ultimate guide to cruising Budapest and beyond
- Low Water on a European Viking Cruise
- Don Your Dancing Shoes in Vienna
- Drink in Austria's UNESCO-listed Wachau Valley
The majority of Danube cruises sail between Vienna and Budapest, with few venturing beyond the Slovakian capital Bratislava. In fact, you'd be forgiven for thinking not much else lies beyond. Yet it's a river of two distinct halves, and Viking's 11-day Passage to Eastern Europe will transport you to the quieter Lower Danube, close to where the mighty river meets the Black Sea.
Night Capitals Of Eastern EuropeDetails
This extraordinary waterway is Europe's second-largest river, winding 1,775-miles southeast from Germany's Black Forest to the Black Sea, with a river cruise presenting the best way to explore it. More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour. Enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities.Pre & Post Cruise Extensions vary by itinerary and are subject to change. On a river cruise, you can discover multiple destinations – and even get to the heart of them with a guided tour, should you wish – in just one trip, all the while returning to the same luxurious stateroom and comfy bed each night.
Viking River Cruise Danube Ship Review
Because I wanted to travel on airline points (hello, Business Class) and spend some time in Germany beforehand I booked my own arrangements, so from Munich, Mark and I took the train to Passau, then caught a cab to the dock. In general, the free Panoramic Tours are a combo of bus and walking, so you’re not on your feet for hours. Mark and I mostly stayed with the included options, because they usually give you a big picture summary of a destination, (and, um, they’re free).
Viking River Cruises
Other hotspots along the Danube include the verdant Wachau Valley in Austria, which tumbles down to the riverbanks; and medieval Esztergom, Hungary’s former capital, which is home to the country’s largest church, Esztergom Basilica. If you love dazzling landscapes, magnificent architecture and fabulous food, a Danube river cruise is hard to beat. Exploring Europe by water requires no internal flights and train rides and eliminates schlepping around with your luggage in tow.
Here you'll pass through the largest lock on the Danube beneath the gaze of a 140-foot rock carving of the ancient king Decebalus. Finally, arriving in Passau might think you're in Italy instead of Germany. Nestling at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers, Passau's earned the nickname 'Venice on the Danube'. A big sight, in every sense is St Stephen's Cathedral, which has Europe's largest pipe organ. If it's your first time on the Danube take a look at Viking's eight day sailings. They cover many of the main highlights and provide the ideal excuse to come back for more.
But as the second-largest city in Bavaria (after Munich), Nuremberg also has lots more to offer. The Old Town features beautiful half-timbered houses along with the medieval Imperial Castle. Art lovers can visit the home of German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer, explore the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, and enjoy numerous art galleries around town.
Viking will bring winter sailings to the Danube - Travel Weekly
Viking will bring winter sailings to the Danube.
Posted: Fri, 15 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Low Water on a European Viking Cruise
Stroll the medieval, UNESCO-listed city’s streets and learn about Regensburg’s history. To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below. @thetravelsofmrsb I'm looking forward to your view - and photos - of food and drink on the cruise. Because Viking has more cruise ships than most European cruise lines, if one area is impassable they can transfer to you another ship at the other end of the impasse. One thing I like about Viking Cruises is that they use local guides, and so you’re getting someone with firsthand knowledge of the destination and culture.
Don Your Dancing Shoes in Vienna
If you have time, sit a while at the Weltenburger am Dom, a restaurant and brewery right next to the cathedral. Try the amazing schnitzel with a beer from Weltenburg Abbey, the oldest monastery brewery in the world. This quaint Bavarian city is a visual feast and a history lover's dream, with half-timbered medieval, Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
The Viking Ullur, one of the longships that cruise the Danube, was launched in 2019. All red roofs and gleaming domes, this well-preserved town in southern Bohemia is less than a 90-minute drive from the ship. Not likely, I think after dinner as we relax in our Veranda Balcony State Room, looking out at the lights of the ancient town of Krems and reading our ‘daily’, the program of events for the next day.
Combining the best parts of various Viking river cruises through Europe, each day brings ever-changing panoramas as you sail along the Dutch waterways, Rhine, Main and Danube. In Cologne you'll have the chance to sip the city's local beer in a cozy waterfront bar, close to where your longship docks. Moving on to Bamberg you might want to sample the curious smoked beer that's a specialty of this region. Glide along the gentle waters of the Danube, the heart and soul of Central Europe.
While the ship’s nightly events are not ocean cruise-style entertainment like huge shows or a casino, they fit in with the theme of the Danube cruise itinerary. There was room to store my fat suitcase under the bed, and enough drawer space for the mountain of shoes, jackets, cashmere sweaters and toiletries I deemed necessary for an autumn Danube Viking river cruise in Europe. Suddenly I realized the difficult task of balancing the joy of relaxing on a European river cruise with seeing ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. I can talk about the walking tour we did on our first full day in the Bavarian town of Passau. Our guide was ‘Burgundy Brigitta,’ a flamboyantly-dressed woman who took us to St Stephan’s Cathedral, which has the largest pipe organ in Europe.
From wandering UNESCO World Heritage old towns to dancing the waltz in Vienna, here are some of the best things to see and do on a Danube River cruise with Viking. Excursions will take you to historic landmarks, such as the medieval castle of Vidin in Bulgaria and baroque treasures in Osijek, Croatia's largest river port. Another day brings, Constanta, one of Romania's oldest cities and once a seaside playground for the country's elite. Or embark on a thrilling boat safari through the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve teeming with wildlife, including Europe's largest population of white pelicans. A Viking river cruise is the perfect way to discover the charms of European Christmas markets steeped in tradition and history.
At the bow of the ship on the Upper Deck is the Aquavit Terrace, a low-key eatery with a smaller selection of food and more intimate table seating than in the restaurant below. Every night before dinner, Max, our outgoing Program Director, would give us a rundown on the next day’s events here. The top deck of the ship has a walking track, deck chairs, a sun shaded area, a putting green and shuffleboard.
If you fly in the same day that the cruise starts, Viking will pick you up at the airport and deliver you to the ship. If you organize it all through Viking they can arrange airport transfers and hotels, with optional tours in each start and end destination. Here’s a rundown on what tours you can expect on your Danube Waltz cruise. Half the fun of planning your Viking river cruise is choosing your excursions – at least it was for me – and here Viking excels.
It is so attentive it frees you up to do the important things on your to-do list like eat crispy roasted pork, fresh-baked pretzels and listen to yodel music. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions. Of course, Vienna also offers gorgeous Christmas markets in stunning venues like the City Hall, Belvedere Palace, Maria Theresien Square, and Schonbrunn Palace, among others. Consider Viking’s Christmas on the Danube voyage to experience the city's magical cinnamon-scented Christmas markets.
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