Why are River Cruises so Popular? River cruises are growing in popularity for some very good reasons. Besides the fact that they are an amazing way to see parts of Europe, they are almost all-inclusive. Imagine a trip where all of the logistics are taken care of for one price. Then add to that the ease of being able to see the sights and move on to the next place without the need to pack and unpack. Now, you are talking my language! We had the most wonderful experience on an Avalon Waterways River Cruise along the Danube River. We wanted to know for ourselves why River Cruises were growing in popularity and boy did we find out!
Prague, Pre-Cruise Extension: We started our journey in Prague. If you have taken a good look at a map, you know that Prague is not that close to the Danube River and how could we possibly start a river cruise in Prague? Great question, you do a pre-cruise extension. We spent three magnificent days in Prague. The first day is really a day of travel but it is still fun to get out and see some of the local sights and have a nice dinner. The second day, we spent exploring. One thing we have learned is that you just can't fight jet lag and you might as well lean into it. We woke early in the morning and since we were unable to sleep, we chose to get ready for the day and meet Prague before the locals got up. We had such a wonderful time exploring the empty streets that in a few short hours were going to be crowded by tourists. This gave us a wonderful overview and some pretty spectacular photos with hardly a soul in them. So, when faced with jet lag, just lean into it and go exploring! The third day we did a side trip to a great little place called Kutna Hora. Besides a beautiful church that took not just decades, but hundreds of years to build, it has a bone ossuary that is a bit unnerving but beautiful in its own way. To learn more about our experience in Prague, read our blog and view more pictures here. To view more picture of Kutna Hora click here.
Nuremberg: We boarded our ship and home for the next 7 nights in 
Nuremberg. Once settled, we took an excursion into Nuremberg to explore the castle and old town. I will be completely truthful, I wasn't that interested in visiting Nuremberg and considered taking a different tour. I am so glad that I didn't. Though Germany to me still has a bit of the Nazi stigma to it, it is a beautiful country. What remains of the old town and the castle after the massive bombings during WII is beautiful and it is nice to enjoy some of their culture and architecture. I am always getting lost in the details but it is just a beautiful city. I had to look past its more recent history to truly love its history. Read our blog to learn more about our experience in Nuremberg and view more pictures here.
Regensburg: Regensburg boasts one of the oldest continuously open sausage restaurant. We had a delightful lunch there and had fun exploring the old town. The cathedral was having some restoration work done but we still 
got to see some of its amazing details and learned more of its history. There is an arch near the cathedral that was built by the Romans. Now that is not something you see everyday around the United States but is something you run into in Europe. The history is amazing and the cultural idiosyncrasies are rather fun to learn about. For example: the wealthy of Regensburg would build tall towers not because they were useful and added in their businesses but because they could afford to. During this time anything above the second floor was not all that useful. To learn more about our experience in Regensburg read our blog and view more pictures here.
Weltenburg Abbey: Due to the ever changing conditions on a river cruise, it
is best to be flexible. You just never know what opportunity will arise from these changing conditions. When we arrived in Regensburg, the water level was a little lower than the captain would have liked so they offered all passengers the added tour to Weltenburg Abbey. This is normally an addition tour that was not included in the free tours on our sailing. What a treat to be able to take a ferry up river into the Danube River Gorge and see the stunning Weltenburg Abbey. Well worth the time and they did a free beer tasting there as well. Loved learning about this Abbey and discovering it history. To learn more about our experience at Weltenburg Abbey read our blog and view more pictures here.
Passau: I fell in love with Passau from the moment we docked. The old town is stunning and it even boasts a medieval section that was fascinating. There are numerous things to love about this city but by far the most interesting is viewed upon your departure. Passau is where three rivers come together and each river has its own origin and mineral content. The mineral content gives the water a different color so when departing, you can see where the three rivers join because the water color is different. It is hard to imagine and harder still to capture in a photo. It end up looking a little bit like an optical illusion but it is really the different water colors before they fully mix together. To learn more about our experience in Passau read our blog and view more picture here.
Linz: Like most of the places we visited, Linz old town is located just steps 
away from where we docked. In addition to a beautiful old town, they have a remarkable bike trail. Many people travel from all over the world to ride their bikes from Linz through the Wachau Valley. This stunningly beautiful section of the river can be enjoyed by bike, car, train, and boat. We took the time at this stop to use the ship's bikes and rode up and down the Danube River and enjoyed stretching our legs as well as the beautiful scenery. To learn more about our experience in Linz and biking on the Danube River, read our blog and view more photos here.
Melk: The most prominent feature of Melk is the Melk Abbey that overlooks the town and the river. This beautiful structure has a long and lovely history. It is currently a museum as well as a school. Can you imagine going to school is this amazing building? The gardens to the side of Melk Abbey are also a pleasant surprise and are worthy of a stroll through. I also recommend taking the walkway down into the old town. Not only are you treated to some spectacular views of Melk Abbey looming over head, but the quaint and cozy streets are fun to explore. We took this option so that we could walk back to our ship and enjoy the beauty of this town. To learn more about our experience in Melk, read our blog and view more photos here.
Wachau Valley: This beautiful section of the Danube River is known for its 
vineyards. The sunny slopes provide the perfect conditions for growing grapes to be used in the wines that this part of Germany is known for. In addition to this, there are several stunning castles and some pretty great stories about the Robber Barons and their history. Quite a fascinating section of the river. This is a day of scenic cruising. Most of the day is spent on top of the ship admiring the views and listening to the commentary. Some of the castles were built by towns people trying to protect their vineyards and not by the Robber Barons. To learn more about our experience sailing through the Wachau Valley, read our blog and view more pictures here.
Vienna: Most river cruises will do an overnight stay in Vienna for many good reasons. The old town, unlike many of the stops, is not located just off the ship but rather you have to take a shuttle into the heart of Vienna. The other 
reason is there is just so much to see and do here. Besides the beautiful old town; which, has been converted to a pedestrian only section, there are museums and pastry to be found. One of our favorite finds was the Mozart Museum. This museum is in what used to be his apartment when he lived in Vienna. The tour starts at the top of the building where you get to learn more about his time in Vienna then works its way down into his actual apartment. Very fascinating. We also went to the Sigmund Freud Museum. I will admit, this one was not worth the time. To learn more about our experience in Vienna, read our blog and view more pictures here.
Budapest: Budapest is the blending of two cities Buda and Pest that were finally joined together by a bridge. Each section of Budapest has its own personality. One of my favorite stops was to Fishermen's Bastion. I think I
enjoyed this area more than the Cathedral. You just can't go wrong no matter where you spend your time in Budapest. We took an additional evening tour for night photos of the city. This was a fun way to learn more about the locations and to get some pretty spectacular views of the multiple bridges that cross the Danube River and the stunning buildings fully lit and sparkling. Our cruise had an overnight here in Budapest as well but we felt it wasn't enough time so we scheduled a second night on our own. To learn more about our experience in Budapest, read our blog and view more pictures here.
Szentendre: We took another side trip to a beautiful village outside of Budapest named Szentendre. We chose a bike tour that took us through parts of Budapest then up river to the funky art village of Szentendre. This is a wonderful way to explore. We had a guide who was quite good at pacing our group and was quite knowledgeable about the places we visited. There were some sights along the way that we would have missed entirely had we not taken this tour. It was well worth the stop and it included a snack at a local shop with some very popular local food. Great food, beautiful sights, great locations, and a fun ferry ride back. What could be better? To learn more about our experience in Szentendre, read our blog and view pictures here.
If a Danube River Cruise is on your list of experiences, contact us, your premiere Boise Travel Agency and Danube River Cruise experts and we can help you find the best cruise itinerary and best river cruise line to meet your needs and wants.
Phone: 208-996-3269 or Email: cal.lindsay@cruiseplanners.com
