What is it that springs to mind when you think of the Danube?

Romantic sailing, classical music, wonderful waltzes, elaborate churches, magnificent abbeys, enormous castles, delicious strudel, traditional lederhosen - we had them all on our 7 night voyage from Hungary’s beautiful capital city of Budapest through Slovakia and the heart of Austria, ending up at the border city of Passau in Germany. The Danube River is one of the most scenic and important waterways in Europe and is an increasingly popular way to explore the heart of Europe, taking in picturesque villages, historic cities, and stunning landscapes through some of the most beautiful and culturally rich regions of Europe.

We decided to start our Viking Danube river cruise with a two night stay in Budapest, which along with an overnight on the Viking Vilhjalm, meant that we had almost four full days in Budapest, something we would thoroughly recommend if starting or ending a river cruise in this beautiful city. We choose to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel, situated right on the river in the heart of the city with views over the the river directly out to the magnificent Buda Castle.

Arriving mid-afternoon we dropped our stuff in our fourth floor room, resisting the urge to simply stay put and enjoy the magnificent view over the river, and headed out for a walk along the river, making the most of the gorgeous sunshine on this bank holiday Monday. Joining lots of local out and about along the river bank we wandered down the river checking out all the cafes and restaurants along the way. Feeling a little peckish we sought out the historic Gerbeaud Cafe for our first sample of Hungarian cake and coffee. Fuelled up we headed back along the river in the other direction towards the magnificent Parliament Building, stopping for a while at the poignant war memorial shoe sculptures along the river bank on the way. Wandering around the Parliament Building we marvelled at its beauty before grabbing an al fresco dinner while watching the sun set over the river.

After a good nights sleep we were up early to make the most of the day, deciding to use the HOHO bus to make the most of our time in Budapest and see as much of the city as we could in the time we were there. Our first stop was Varosliget Park (City park) and Heroes square, home to seven iconic statues commemorating the Magyan chieftains. From the square we wandered into the park to check out the Szechenyi thermal baths which were pretty busy given the gorgeous early May weather, then making our way to the Vajdahunyad Castle, sitting on its own little island in the park.

Back on the HOHO bus we headed back to the city centre and our next stop, the famous New York Cafe, known as ‘the most beautiful cafe in the world’. We joined the queue for a table which thankfully moved quite quickly and were seated within 15 minutes. Placing our order we were warned there was a long wait for hot drinks so we took the time to take photos of this magnificent and large cafe. And then we waited for our order for over 30 minutes! Eventually our cake and coffee arrived and boy do Hungarians have a sweet tooth, the cakes were sugar heaven and my hot chocolate was so sweet it was almost undrinkable.

Following our sugar rush we got back on the bus to head to our next stop Buda Castle on the Buda side of the river and the magnificent building viewable from our hotel room window. The bus dropped us at the bottom of the castle hill so we decided to get the funicular up to the top. The area at the top of the hill is a lovely place to wander around, with a plethora of cafes and restaurants to stop at and soak in the beautiful surroundings, visiting not just the stunning castle but also the historic Fishermans Bastion and the breathtaking Neo-Gothic St Matthias church.

Our final trip on the HOHO bus took us to the huge St Stephens Basilica, a Neo-Classical church located in the centre of the city. Taking the pedestrian street from the Basilica directly to the waterfront we passed the stunning art nouveau Four Seasons hotel and ended our day where we had started it, at the park in front of our hotel. Having walked over 8km we decided to go back to the hotel for a rest before heading out for the evening. After another delicious meal, again eating at a local Hungarian restaurant on the waterfront, we had intended to take the HOHO night river boat trip which was included in our ticket price, but the queue for it was so long that we decided we would rather just have a wander along the river to take in the buildings at night. So we headed back along the river passed our hotel all the way along to the Parliament Building which looked even more beautiful than it did during the day. 

After two action packed days in Budapest we were super excited that today we were boarding our home for the next seven nights, the Viking Vilhjalm. A ten minute taxi ride took us along the waterfront to our ship and within minutes we were on board and in our room unpacking before heading out to the marvellous Aquavit terrace for a welcome on board buffet lunch. Refuelled and settled in we decided to head out again to explore the area where the ship was docked, starting at the impressive Great MarketHall with its 3 floors of fresh produce, souvenirs, and mountains of paprika.

From the Market Hall we crossed the bridge to the area of the city known as Gellert, climbing the hill to reach the Liberty or Freedom statue mounted on the top of the hill. Although the castle and statue were closed due to restoration the views over the river to the Pest side of the city made the climb worthwhile. Making our way down the other side of the hill, passing the statue of Saint Gellert, an Italian missionary who came to a rather grisly end on this the spot where, according to legend, the pagan Magyars, resisting the new faith, hurled the bishop to his death in a spiked barrel in 1046. Reaching the bottom of the hill at the Victoria Bridge, we headed back over the river for our daily visit to a local cafe for coffee and cake, this time making our way to the Parisi Passage located in the Hyatt hotel, the Parisi Udvar. And what a treat it was, the very refined cafe was a wonderfully relaxed experience with incredible service and the most delicious cakes - we highly recommend the Rocher cake.

Back on the ship it was time for the welcome talk in the main lounge of the Vilhjalm, followed by our first dinner in the main dining room. We loved the floor to ceiling windows and light and airy feeling of the dining room but were surprised to see that the tables all seated a minimum of six, with no tables for two or even four. However, we were soon joined by two other couples and enjoyed enjoyed a delicious meal with a couple of glasses of local wine before heading back up to the lounge to enjoy a quiet drink before bed. Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks are served at mealtimes, with the excellent waiting team making sure your glass is always full. There are two fully stocked self-service drinks stations just outside of the lounge with a variety of teas, coffees, still and sparkling water and day round snacks (make sure to try the mouthwatering double chocolate cookies). We also had the Silver drinks package which cost 350 Euros for us both for the week and meant we could order drinks from the bar at any time, including some high end spirits, cocktails and champagne.

With most other guests going off on the included city tour this morning, we decided that since we had already been to most of the places visited on the tour, that we would instead tick another thing off of our Budapest must do list by spending a morning at a thermal spa. With Gellert Spa a short walk from where we were docked we indulged in a lovely cooked breakfast before heading over the bridge to spend a couple of hours at the spa enjoying the indoor and outdoor pools, the thermal spas and cold plunge pool as well as taking some time to relax on the indoor and outdoor loungers.

Back to the ship for an al fresco lunch on the Aquavit terrace making the most of the gorgeous weather, that afternoon we headed out on an optional excursion to a local liquor factory and a chocolate and marzipan factory. At every port there is always an included Viking excursion (usually a walking or panoramic tour of the town or city) but there are also a number of extra cost excursions. This one was 89 Euros and with only ten guests on the trip it was a delightful small group intimate experience. We met our guide Katalin and boarded a luxurious minibus to take us the ten minute ride out to the Unicom factory. Here we were met by Donica who gave us a tour around the museum, explaining the history of the liquor and the Zwack family who invented the liquor and still own the factory. At the end of the tour we went down to the cellar for a Unicum tasting and though it wasn’t to my taste, the tour was really interesting and highlighted the chequered past of Hungary and some of the troubles it has endured over the years. After four large shots of liquor it was time to head to the Szamos chocolate factory to soak up some of the alcohol with samples of chocolate and marzipan.

That evening was the Viking welcome cocktail party, a chance to meet the senior officers and hear about the optional tours on offer during our voyage. After the talk we grabbed a table in the Aquavit terrace for dinner this evening and were rewarded with a beautiful view of the sunset over Buda Castle in the background. After dinner we headed up to the sundeck for the sail out of Budapest to take in the amazing views of Budapest from the river at night. Sailing passed the castle, St Matthias church and the Parliament building this has to be one of the most romantic sail aways ever.

Waking up to the sun rising over the Danube River we had a morning of scenic sailing, navigating the first of 11 locks we would go through on our journey. Arriving in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia,  just after lunch we headed ashore for our included walking tour to Bratislava's Old Town, a charming mix of Gothic, Baroque, and Art Nouveau architecture, with narrow streets, picturesque squares, and plenty of cafes and restaurants. Leaving the walking tour we headed up to the city's most iconic landmark, the medieval castle overlooking the city, offering stunning views of the Danube and the surrounding countryside. To complete our immersion in Slovakian culture, that evening a local group of singers and dancers boarded the ship to entertain us for an hour before we left Bratislava to head towards Vienna.

The next day we woke up in Vienna, the capital of Austria and a city that needs no introduction. Vienna is a cultural and architectural masterpiece, home to some of the world's most famous museums, palaces, and concert halls. We opted for the walking tour using the local metro to get into the centre of the city, about 4km away. We got off of the metro at the Opera House and spent the next hour wandering through the city passing the opulent Hofburg Palace, former residence of the Hapsburg; the Lipizzaner Spanish riding school stables; the poignant Judenplatz Holocaust memorial in the Jewish quarter; the infamous art nouveau Anker clock; finishing up at the impressive Gothic St Stephen’s Cathedral. Leaving the tour here we decided to stay in the city for a little while longer do like a local and spend Saturday afternoon cafe hopping, drinking coffee and eating strudel and Sachertorte torte in some of Vienna’s iconic coffee houses.

No day in Vienna would be complete without an evening in a concert hall and Viking had arranged an exclusive optional excursion to the Wiener Konzerthaus to see the incredible young conductor and composer Alma Deutscher. Alma kept the audience mesmerised for just over an hour with performances of some of Mozart and Strauss classics as well as some of her own compositions. Returning to the ship, Chef was waiting in the Aquqavit terrace with a warming bowl of local Ghoulash soup. 

Sailing overnight to Krems we woke up in this pretty little town with blue skies and sun shining through our suite windows. Our included excursion today was to Goettweig Abbey, a Benedictine monastery perched on top of the hillside, a ten minute drive over to the other side of the river. Founded in 1083 most of the abbey was burnt to the ground in 1718 resulting in a grand rebuild including a magnificent staircase with an incredible fresco ceiling and a library containing over 150,000 books and manuscripts. A guided tour around the house and gardens with their breathtaking views over the surrounding valley, was followed by a visit to the terrace restaurant and shop to sample three of the Abbey’s wines.  

After lunch we set sail for our Sunday afternoon scenic sailing through the Wachau valley with the pretty village of Durnstein soon after we left followed by numerous castles and churches along the banks of the terraced valley hills, smattered with vineyards. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and almost everyone was up on the sun deck with our fabulous cruise director, Sabine, pointing out the sights along the way. In the middle of the afternoon Chef held an apple strudel demonstration in the lounge then scenic sailing resumed with everyone back up on the sun deck, many guests staying until the sun started to set. That evening the ship went full Austrian with the tables set with red and white checked table cloths matched by the crews shirts. Dinner this evening was a little different with an optional buffet and delicious charcuterie and cheese boards for starters and traditional Emperor’s pancakes for dessert. After dinner most of the guests headed up to the lounge to take part in the music trivia evening, a great evening with lots of singing and dancing as well as some competitive banter.

Our penultimate stop at Linz, the third-largest city in Austria and a centre of culture, technology and innovation, started with a walking tour with the wonderful Lolo, originally from Wales, who was waiting ashore for us appropriately dressed in leiderhosen shorts. With the city centre a short stroll from the river we started in the main square making our way around the surrounding streets and historic churches. Leaving Lolo we jumped on a tram for the 25 minute journey up Postlingberg hill, home to the pilgrimage church, a Linz landmark and the perfect place to view the city. Back in the main square in time for lunch we couldn’t resist a visit to Glockenspiel cafe for a piece of Linzertorte and a local beer before heading back to the riverside for a leisurely afternoon stroll through the waterside park in the spring sunshine.  Later that evening we had the Captain’s farewell cocktail party and more local entertainers who reneged us with some opera and songs from the iconic Sound of Music.

The sail into Passau as the sun was rising on a glorious morning in south Germany was absolutely beautiful. We had decided to skip the walking tour and make our own way around the town heading straight to the St. Stephens cathedral, renowned for having the biggest pipe organ in Europe. Unfortunately there was renovations going on inside the church so we couldn’t see too much but we could see how grand the ceiling and decorations are. Leaving the cathedral we headed up to the pilgrimage church at the top of the Mariahilf, the other side of the River Inn. At the top was the lovely church and views over the Passau city peninsula and though the church was very quaint the best thing about this church was the lovely covered steps from the church down to the town - 321 steps in total. Having walked up the steep streets to get there we headed down these steps and back over the bridge to walk along the riverbank to the very end of the peninsula where it was clear to see the difference in the colour of the water in the Danube to the Inn rivers.

Then we headed over the bridge on the other side of the peninsula to climb up to the Veste Oberhaus, a castle on the top of the hill between the Danube and the Ilz rivers. Making our way to the highest point of the tower we had wonderful views of the city, cathedral and surrounding region. We stopped at the gorgeous cafe at the top there to have refreshments and make the most of the views before heading back down to the ship for a delicious fish and chip lunch. After over 8km and lots of walking in the morning we decided to simply walk into the city centre in the afternoon, which was conveniently situated within a 5 minute walk of where the ship was docked.

As we ate our dinner that evening the ship relocated a little way back down the river Danube to an easier location for disembarkation the next day. Waking up the next morning to a blood orange sunrise, by the time we left the ship the rain had set in, the first rain we had seen all week - as if the Danube was saying a sad farewell to us after a lovely week sailing downstream in what had been a beautiful late Spring week.

Thank you to Viking River Cruises who hosted us on this seven night Danube river cruise from Budapest to Passau including our flights, transfers, shore excursions and drinks package, not including our two night hotel stay at the Intercontinental Budapest. Viking cruises had no editorial control over any of our content, either before, during our after our voyage and all views are our own.

If you enjoyed this blog please read our Uniworld Bordeaux river cruise or take a look at our AmaWaterways Rhone river cruise

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