DESTINATIONS — CRUISE
Waltz happening Jane Archer takes an in-depth look at the Danube
world with a waltz named after it. And if you have now started humming The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss, take a bow. There are a few other things for
I
agents to know about the Danube if they plan to increase river cruise sales, not least that it is the easy way for clients to visit many of the countries that were once trapped behind the Iron Curtain, and which, 25 years since it collapsed, are still unknown to most people. In the space of just a couple of
weeks, passengers can travel from Germany to the Black Sea, sailing through or between Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, passing beautiful valleys and narrow gorges, visiting pretty towns, villages and capital cities. No wonder the river is the second-most popular waterway with UK customers, attracting
t’s the gateway to five capital cities and the only river in the
24,400 British passengers in 2014, according to Clia UK & Ireland.
l A TALE OF FIVE CITIES The capital cities of Vienna and Budapest are the headline attractions along the Danube, famed for their outstanding sights, centuries-old history and culture. Indeed, there is so much to see and do in Vienna that a few companies start itineraries with a couple of nights in the city, so clients have time to see the sights before setting off on their cruise. First-time visitors to the Austrian
capital should take in the Hofburg Palace, from where the Habsburgs ruled the Austro-Hungarian empire, tour the Schönbrunn Palace, the royal family’s summer residence, and join an evening excursion to a concert. Those more familiar with the
city can ride the Prater Ferris wheel, made famous in the film The Third Man (it’s within walking distance
of where most river cruise vessels dock) or visit the famed Lipizzaner white horses. But be aware that tickets for the actual performances need to be booked well in advance. Clients feeling adventurous can borrow a bike – several river cruise lines carry them – and cycle the city’s grand boulevards. The centre of Vienna is a short
metro ride from the dock, but in Budapest, clients need only step off their boat to be in the city, which is bisected by the river. Highlights include the Fisherman’s Bastion lookout point in hilly Buda, and Heroes’ Square, the Jewish synagogue, St Stephen’s Basilica and the opera house in Pest. As well as walking and cycling tours, clients can go sightseeing by Segway or on an amphibious bus that drives around the streets then plunges into the river. There are also plenty of spas in which to relax. Most itineraries also include a half-day call in Bratislava, the
capital of Slovakia. The historic old centre is small and easy to explore alone – it is just across the road from the river – but river cruise lines offer walking tours and communist- themed excursions to the Soviet war memorial outside town. Clients sailing beyond Budapest to the Black Sea visit Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and Bucharest, the capital of Romania, where tours visit the palace built by communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The second-largest building in the world after the Pentagon in Washington, it was only two-thirds finished when Ceausescu and his wife were executed in December 1989, so they never moved in.
l ALONG THE RIVER Other highlights include Passau, in Germany, where walking tours visit St Stephen’s Cathedral and potter through the cobbled streets. Moving into Austria, in Melk there are tours to the ornate
26 March 2015 —
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