The ultimate guide to Europe's greatest river
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I’m peering into a crypt beneath Artstetten Castle in Austria. “Can you see anything?” I whisper to my husband. Somewhere in the darkness is the tomb of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austrian prince whose assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 sparked the start of the First World War. He lays alongside his wife Sophie, who was also shot dead.
As our eyes get used to the dark, we see it in the corner. The final resting place of the man whose murder led to the death of a whole generation. Just 10 minutes earlier, we’d been chatting with Princess Anita von Hohenberg, the great granddaughter of Franz Ferdinand, over a glass of bubbly, learning the ups and downs of running this castle, a few miles from the Danube. Now we stood quietly, remembering, the sense of tragedy all around.
Wartime memories, tales of empire and history, music, art, romance, culture, thermal baths, delicious local specialities. You name it, you can find it on a Danube river cruise. There are cycle trails and hikes for the more active, and stunning scenery as you sail through valleys and deep gorges.
Itineraries are diverse, with cruises on the upper reaches through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, and voyages on the Lower Danube venturing deep into the former Eastern Bloc of Hungary again, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.
The river flows through 10 countries, more than any other in the world. Choose the Upper Danube for the twin jewels of Vienna and Budapest, showcasing grand opera houses, spectacular cathedrals and centuries of history. Vienna has Lipizzaner horses and Mozart and Strauss concerts; Budapest, the Great Market Hall with salamis, spices and Tokaji wine.
Seven-night itineraries generally sail from the towns of Passau or Vilshofen to Budapest (and vice versa). A few also link the Hungarian capital with Regensburg’s medieval delights. Choose with care and you can have overnights in the Austrian and Hungarian capitals, discover the delights of Bratislava in Slovakia and still have time for a trip to Salzburg or the fairytale town of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, and to marvel at all the gold leaf and priceless books in Melk’s Benedictine Abbey.
High and low water can cause problems. Too much and ships can’t get under bridges, too little and they can’t sail. Spring and summer are the tricky times. Too many ships – and there are a lot – means vessels often moor two and three abreast, which spoils the view.
There are fewer such problems on the Lower Danube, which has its share of capital cities – Budapest again, Belgrade and Bucharest – but in place of opulent palaces has forts dating back to the Ottoman occupation of Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, whip-cracking cowboys, Roman remains and tales of life under Communism. These cruises are mostly seven nights between Budapest and Bucharest; a few 14 nighters go into the Danube Delta, where the river meets the Black Sea.
Key stops on the Upper Danube
By Pat Richardson
Begin your cruise in Budapest, departing at dusk, and you’ll enjoy Europe’s most spectacular river-cruise sailaway. As the sun goes down, the lights come up, illuminating every detail of the neo-Gothic parliament building and bathing other landmarks, including Fisherman’s Bastion and St Stephen’s Basilica, in a golden glow reflected by the Danube.
Budapest itself is divided and united by the Danube. The river is crossed by the Szechenyi Chain Bridge and runs between two older cities – flat-as-a-pancake Pest and hilly Buda – which became one in 1873. Among its rich architectural mix, must-see sights include Matthias Church, Opera House and the imposing Heroes’ Square.
Stopping in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava, be sure to go up to the castle for far-reaching views, before exploring the city’s centre. Keep an eye out for street art including the bronze of Cumil the Peeper, whose head pokes out of a manhole cover.
A highlight of nearly every Danube cruise, Vienna has an embarrassment of riches: magnificent palaces, outstanding museums and music venues. Don’t miss the Schönbrunn Palace, Habsburg treasures in the Museum of Fine Arts, world-class art in the Belvedere, while lovers of classical music should pre-book concert tickets. To get a flavour of Vienna’s charms, join a walking tour; window shop your way down Kärntner Strasse; and linger in a coffee house while live music is played.
The landscape of Austria’s Wachau Valley is enchanting, as are its wines. There are opportunities for tasting at Dürnstein, as well as exploring the cobbled lanes that knit this little town together. Be sure also to try Marille, the local apricot liqueur. In Dürnstein you’ll find one of the Danube’s prettiest landmarks: the blue and white bell tower of the Collegiate Church, while high on a hill loom the ruins of a castle where Richard the Lionheart was held captive in 1192.
The pretty Wachau Valley town of Melk is dominated by a majestic abbey, which sits high above it on a rocky promontory. From the terrace you’ll see the river ribboning in the distance, seeming to stretch to Europe’s very edge. The main street is lined with tempting shops and pavement cafés.
From Linz, it is possible to visit Mozart’s birthplace, Salzburg. Sitting at the foot of the Alps, the setting for The Sound of Music is a picturesque city of quaint cobbled streets and baroque architecture, overlooked by Hohensalzburg Castle.
It’s possible to take an excursion from Linz to Cesky Krumlov, just over the border in the Czech Republic. With more than 300 protected medieval buildings and castle from the 13th century, it’s a living storybook of a city.
Most Danube cruises start and finish in Passau, a pretty town on the German/ Austrian border with Italianate architecture. Passau is known as the “three rivers city” because the Inn, the Ilz and the Danube converge here, and you can see that each is a different colour.
The Danube’s oldest city Regensburg lies up river from Passau. Regensburg is known as Germany’s “medieval miracle” and is full of picturesque squares, cobbled streets, coffee shops and bars. A medieval Unesco World Heritage-listed 12th-century stone bridge is Germany’s oldest.
The Rhine-Main-Danube canal laps Nuremberg’s outskirts, so some Danube cruises bring you here. Major tourist draws are the Courthouse’s Room 600, where war crime trials were held, and the Nazi Rally grounds. Other sights worth seeing are the medieval castle and artist Albrecht Dürer’s former home, now a museum.
Choosing a cruise
By Jane Archer
Sailing solo
River cruises are great for lone travellers as the ships are small. Riviera Travel has singles-only cruises on the Danube from March to November from £1,779pp with flights. On Tauck’s ships, conversation flows as well as the all-inclusive drinks and there are no single supplements on selected cabins but they sell fast.
Take the mini-cruisers
Received wisdom says river cruising is for retired people. However, when it comes to broadening young minds and immersing them in history and culture, a Danube cruise is spot-on. Tauck and Uniworld have family sailings that spice up the excursion mix with marzipan-making, fairground rides at Vienna’s Prater park and paddleboarding on the Ilz river. Children cruise free with A-Rosa (but still pay for transport/transfers with the operator). An eight-day Classic Danube Explorer cruise on board A-Rosa Donna departing Aug 9 is priced from £1,969 per adult and £250 per child based on a family of four travelling together, when booked with Newmarket Holidays.
Go active
River cruise lines have embraced wellness with gusto. Sail with AmaWaterways and join the activity host bright and early for yoga, abs training and Pilates. Keep the fitness theme going with bike rides and hikes. Emerald Waterways has aqua aerobics too. Avalon Waterways’ active cruises on the Danube from Linz to Budapest have canoeing from Spitz, jogging around Vienna and hiking to Count Dracula’s prison tower in Hungary’s Visegrad. U River Cruises, one for the young at heart, is offering canoeing and kayaking in Serbia on a new Eastern Europe Escape along the Lower Danube, from £1,889pp.
Follow a theme
Vienna might be the city of music, but it can’t claim all the high notes on the Danube. Tauck’s Musical Magic Along the Blue Danube cruise is accompanied by two maestros, and includes private concerts, tours of Budapest’s Franz Liszt Academy, Mozart’s house in Salzburg, an orchestra rehearsal and night at the opera in Vienna, and more. From £4,770pp (flights extra) for 12 days in May, July and October. Martin Randall Travel is celebrating Beethoven on a Danube cruise in August. There’s military history with Prof Jeremy Black on a Noble Caledonia cruise in May and wine sailings with Avalon. Uniworld uncovers Jewish heritage on themed voyages that visit synagogues, memorial sites and the former Regensburg home of Oskar Schindler.
Keep dancing
Scenic has a seven-night Gems of the Danube cruise in April featuring former ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell. She’ll be on towards the end of the holiday to host a gala night of ballet and waltz in Vienna’s Palais Liechtenstein. From £3,240pp with flights.
Festive markets
It’s never too early to look ahead to Christmas, which means rejigged cruises packed with trips to markets laden with festive goodies, below right, and Glühwein in towns and cities along the Danube in late November and December. Amadeus River Cruises spreads the Christmas spirit on two Magic of Advent cruises that stay overnight in Vienna and Nuremberg, which have some of the best markets. There’s Glühwein aplenty in Budapest, Vienna, Regensburg and Nuremberg on Travelmarvel’s 15-day European Gems cruise that links the Danube with the Rhine. CroisiEurope’s five-night festive jaunts visit Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. Departures on Dec 8 and 12 this year from £662pp excluding flights.
Living it up
If your idea of luxury is posh suites, a butler to pour drinks, fine dining and no hidden charges, river cruising is for you. Scenic, APT, Uniworld and Crystal Cruises have all that and more. Week trips from Passau to Budapest on Uniworld’s baroque beauty Maria Theresa, with an indoor pool, start from £1,889pp for a March departure including flights. Crystal serves an eight-course dining extravaganza in the Vintage Room on Crystal Mahler and Ravel (€290/£247pp).
No children, please
Just as there are family-friendly ships, there are ones where you can escape the little darlings. Under-12s are barred from The River Cruise Line’s Arena and Fred Olsen’s Brabant. As both attract folk who are retired or heading that way, you’re unlikely to meet anyone much below 65 anyway. Viking River Cruises takes no chances, with an 18 or over policy. Tui River Cruises, new on Europe’s waterways in 2020, does likewise. With Saga Holidays you have to be 50 or over for its river cruises. A nine-night cruise from Bucharest to Vienna departing June 1 starts from £1,779pp with flights.
Reader Service: View our pick of the best Danube river cruises
