THE River Danube runs through much of eastern and central Europe and is one of the most popular rivers in the world for a river cruise. It’s up there with the Nile (although the experience is incomparable). The Danube is large and navigable, the longest river in Europe proper (excluding the Volga of Russia). It flows from Germany’s Black Forest (aka the Schwarzwald) and finally empties into the Black Sea.
It has long been an important river, for hundreds of years it was the frontier of the Roman Empire. It passes through some of Europe’s most stunning cities like Vienna and Budapest … and there are many great reasons to visit Budapest!
Always the best time to visit Europe is in the summer as well as late spring and early autumn. The only reason to visit in the winter would be if you were going skiing in the Swiz Alps or to see the Northern Lights in the far north.
The Danube runs through 10 countries, with The Nile next with nine. It is 1,770 miles or 2,850km long.
It flows through four capital cities, predictably some of the most beautiful cities to see in the world. And so if you take a cruise down the Danube you can see old city after wonderful city.
The capital cities along its banks include Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade and Bratislava, capital of Slovakia
Other countries it passes through include Germany, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine. Other cities are linked to the Danube by their tributaries including Bucharest and Munich. There are numerous other non-capital European cities lining its banks including Novi Sad in Serbia, Drobeta-Turnu Severin of Romania, Linz in Austria, Passau in Germany, and many more.
For thousands of years, the Danube has been the traditional trade route deep into Europe and a highway for travel. That is why cities in Europe are traditionally built on navigable rivers.
It is possible to navigate all the way through Europe from the Black Sea to the North Sea via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal.
Take a cruise down the Danube and you will find much more than European cities. You will find a host of national parks, river wildlife, scores of castles and fortifications, and much more.
Some of the greatest tourist attractions along the Danube are the Wachau Valley in Austria, the Iron Gate in Serbia and Romania, the Danube Delta in Romania, the Naturpark Obere Donau in Germany, and more.
Onne of the best ways to see the Danube and Central Europe is with a leisure cruise down the river. It is possible to find some ships going all the way from the Danube Delta as it empties into the Black Sea to Passau in Germany.
At peak season some 70 cruise liners are meandering up and down the river.
There are numerous tour companies to choose from. One example of a Danube River cruise is one from Budapest to Regensburg with Viking River Cruises. With this cruise, you will visit Budapest’s Castle District and cross the famous Chain Bridge. Explore monasteries in Austria, spend two days in jaw-dropping Vienna, and visit various medieval towns.
* See https://www.vikingrivercruises.com
A romantic cruise down beautiful Blue Danube
