Viking River Cruise on the Danube
Our Viking cruise ship, Freya was modern, well staffed. I thought that the river cruse was a fabulous way to do 6 city breaks in a week. We also spent very little money, as all meals were provided and included wine / beer with lunch and dinner (you could even have fizz with breakfast!), and a tour was included each day too. If you wanted to deviate from the group tour each day, you just need to speak to the staff. We had a brilliant programme director who helped us really get to know the places we visited. The cabins are compact but the public areas had plenty of space for everybody.
Regensberg – This was our first encounter with a pretty Bavarian city, with it’s pretty squares, imposing cathedral and centuries of history, our highlight here certainly was stumbling across The Regensberg Dult which takes place in early May and late August each year. The local Bavarians, wear traditional costume, eat local delicacies, dance to live music and wash it all down with litre glasses of beer.
Nuremberg – is a city of at least 2 halves: In recent years it has become inextricably associated with the Nazis, with the Zepplin fields and then courtroom 600. The other side is the pretty medieval city with a castle, walls and market place. I think that the best advice here, is ideally spend 2 days ( ie pre cruise) but if that is not possible, step away from the group tour and book a private guide and taxi. There is so much to take in, that it is impossible to do it justice in one day.
Passau – is a pretty compact town, which you can walk round quite quickly. St Stephens Cathedral has the largest church pipe organ in the world and the daily concerts are worth a visit. After the walk around the lower town, then head up to Veste Oberhaus for stunning views down on the town, your ship and the rivers. There is a restaurant at the top, and you can enjoy a superb local lunch, with beer whilst taking in the views.
Melk – was our first stop in Austria, and for us it was all about the Benedictine Abbey. Our guide here was the best of the trip, she was engaging and knowledgeable, and was employed by the monk In charge of tourism! She was a researcher, lover of history and shared so many stories with us. Rather than take the bus back to the ship, was walked down the hill, through the town just to take in as much as we could.
Vienna – was alive with the sounds of Eurovision. We left the ship and had a night out in Vienna, live music, dancing and a pink rabbit! When we returned in day light, it was the feast of the Assumption, the shops were closed but the cathedral was in full ceremonial mode. There was a full choir and orchestra in action in the cathedral, and it was wonderful. We regretted not knowing about it, as we would have quite happily joined the congregation for the full service. So check the calendar for Catholic feast days.
Budpest – The first thing that you learn is that the ‘s’ in Budapest is pronounced ‘sh’. Budapest has spas, shopping, amazing architecture and the lovely St Margaret’s island for relaxation. The Central Market Hall is at the end of Vaci Street: The ground floor is the local food market, so you can eat lunch as you walk, or buy presents to take home. Upstairs is more of a mix of local crafts ad tourist items, but the building itself is worth a visit.
Best of the best:
Best restaurant of the trip – Cyrano in Budapest Best cake – Sacher torte in Vienna at the Sacher hotel. Best country – We visited Germany, Austria and Hungary. We loved Bavaria, and will certainly return to the pretty, friendly towns and cities. Best tip – make friends with the programme director, and they will make sure that you have the perfect holiday, whether you want to hire bikes, book a private guide or a restaurant for a special dinner. Best surprise – the locks and bridges. There are 15 locks between Regensberg and Vienna, some are huge. Make sure that you ask the crew for the times / dates you’ll hit the big ones. Best bit - the people you meet. We loved our cruise so much because on the people we met on board, who were then are partners in our explorations on land.
A couple of things to note: - You must know that river cruise ships can berth along side each other, so the view from your window could very well be a cabin on another ship. - The river goes up and down, so your itinerary can change. We didn’t berth in Nuremberg but travelled there by coach for the day. You need to go with the flow.
