One of the most popular rivers in Europe is the Danube. As you cruise along the Danube, you will see rolling hills, medieval towns, castles and vineyard lined valleys. The Danube is Europe’s second largest river and extends through eight countries. You can sail the entire river, or you can focus on the area between Melk and Krems which many agree is the most beautiful region off of the Danube.
River cruises that included the Danube normally ranged from 8 days to 25 days if combined with the Rhine or Black Sea. Avalon Waterways does offer a Danube for 5 days that can be combined with several land packages. To maximize the amount of sightseeing included, we suggest an 10 to 12 day cruise. However we also realize that some people don’t have that much time to vacation, or they do not want to spend their entire time aboard a ship. For those customers, there is a new cruise for 2010 called a Taste of the Danube. The cruise begins in Vienna and visits Melk, Durnstein, Bratislava, Slovakia and ends in Budapest, Hungary.
It is an ideal package for those that want to add a couple of nights in Vienna and a couple of nights in Budapest, and be able to explore the region by land and by sea in 9 or 10 days, including the overnight flight from the U.S. There are only 5 departures in 2010, so this is expected to sell out early.
Vienna is the capital of Austria, and lies along both sides of the Danube at the foot of the Alps. No sightseeing is included on this short cruise, which is why we recommend you spend one or two nights in the city before embarking on your cruise. You can purchase the land package with the cruise, or make your own arrangements. If time permits, we suggest that you see the Vienna Opera House, the Spanish Riding School, the Vienna Boys Choir and Schonbrunn Palace.
Melk is perched on a bluff over the Danube. While in Melk, the excursions from your cruise includes the Benedictine Abbey which has a beautiful Baroque library and 365 windows, one for every day of the year. In Durnstein, see the magnificent baroque STIFTSKIRCHE, lying in the heart of the Wachau wine region.
Budapest is the point where you disembark the ship, but again no accommodations or sightseeing is included. Some of the highlights in Budapest include the National Opera House and historic Heroes’ Square. Walk along Fishermen’s Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church.
