Taking one of the many river cruises along the Danube is an exciting prospect at any time and a truly delightful way to see Europe given that this famous river passes through no fewer than 10 countries - Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. As such, it's a brilliant way to soak up just a little of the thousands of years of history and culture which has helped shape the modern and thriving Europe we have today. (Photo "Budapest View from Chain Bridge" by maceras)If the nearly 1,800 miles making up the length of the River Danube passes through many countries, it also has on its banks some very famous towns and cities. Some of these are capital cities - Vienna, for example, and Budapest, Belgrade and Bratislava - while well-known towns include Ulm, Linz, Vukovar, Novi Sad and many more. And, in passing, no other river in the world flows through so many capital cities!
The River Danube, recognised as an international waterway, starts its life rather modestly, rising in the mountains of the Black Forest in south-west Germany. Here, the waters which give it life are the smaller tributary rivers Brigach and Breg, which join together at the town of Donaueschingen to become the Danube proper. At the other end of its journey, it slows down as it flows through the famed and ecologically important wetlands of the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine and then finally empties out into the Black Sea. (Photo "Evening on the Danube" by rogojel)
What can you say about Vienna, Austria's capital, that's not been said a million times before? It is simply an extraordinary city, filled with history, culture, architecture and more, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It is said that there are three visitors to the city for every one of its 1.7 million inhabitants.
Think of Vienna and Johann Strauss will undoubtedly spring to mind, the composer known as 'The Waltz King'. He composed no fewer than 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles and other types of music, bequeathing to the world such famous pieces as The Blue Danube and Tales from the Vienna Woods, and operettas such as Die Fledermaus. (Photo "Lanchid" by serje)Budapest, a city with a similar-sized population to Vienna, is a must-see destination on any visitor's European itinerary. Visit the medieval Buda Castle, the palace of the Hungarian kings, or the Hungarian Parliament Building on the banks of the Danube, which surely must be one of the most impressive legislative buildings anywhere. If you can help it, too, don't miss the Museum of Fine Arts with its impressive collection of old masters, St. Stephen's Basilica, The Great Synagogue, and the Szechenyi Chain Bridge, to name just a few of the city's many and varied sights. A tourist's paradise without a doubt.
If you love European art, there is no finer museum worth visiting than Belgrade's National Museum, housing as it does many of the finest paintings of the great masters. We're talking Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and many more. But if castles and churches are more your scene then Bratislava has much to offer, including the rather impressive Bratislava Castle, built on a site which has seen occupation going back further than the Bronze Age.
Whether your time on the Danube takes you to Budapest, Vienna, or any of the other major destinations the river runs through, excitement and a great adventure are sure to follow!
