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If you`re going to travel the rivers of Europe, do it in style! Cruise in total luxury from Amsterdam to Belgrade, with countless encounters in unforgettable ports, like the charming wine village of Rüdesheim, Würzburg to see one of Europe’s most impressive palaces, Bamberg with its middle-of-the-river Town Hall, and Austria’s regal Vienna. Highlights include the clifftop castles and eerie legend of the Lorelei in the fabled Rhine Gorge, the captivating Main-Danube Canal, the UNESCO World Heritage Wachau Valley with its terraced vineyards and orchards, and the Benedictine abbey at Melk. Discover the spirit of the Hungarian people in Budapest, then push even farther south into the Lower Danube, with stops in Mohacs, Novi Sad, and the Serbian capital of Belgrade.
Capital of the Netherlands, the magical Venice of the North is famous for its dazzling Golden Age of power and wealth during the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, it is a bustling wonderland of things to see and do. No visit is complete without a cruise along the intricate network of more than 62 miles (100 km) of canals and time with the Dutch masters at the renowned Rijksmuseum. Other highlights include the Royal Palace, Anne Frank House, lavish 17th-century canal homes, Heineken Beer Experience, and the infamous red-light district!
A historic city in the eastern Netherlands, Arnhem is known for its stunning architecture, rich cultural heritage, and scenic location along the Rhine River. Must-see sites for WWII enthusiasts include the John Frost Bridge, Eusebius Church, and the Museum Arnhem. The city is also home to the Netherlands Open Air Museum, a showcase of regional cultural history, and an assortment of wonderful hiking and biking trails through the nearby forests and hills.
The electric atmosphere of 2,000-year-old Cologne is undeniable. Its strategic location on the Rhine quickly elevated the city as a vital trade center that grew into a hub of industry by the 19th century. Even plagues and wars couldn't damper Cologne's tenacious spirit. During WWII, nearly 90% of the city center was destroyed, but a massive rebuilding effort restored much of its cultural heritage, including its famous Gothic cathedral. Highlights include the four preserved gates in the city wall, and Kölsch—the beer that’s been brewed here since the 17th century!
A highlight passage through the enchanting Rhine Valley features a tapestry of charming villages and lush hillside vineyards bearing fruit for some of Germany’s most popular wines. Here, medieval castles and fortresses (more than three dozen in total) appear around nearly every bend—sometimes, right in the middle of the river—and fantastical lore from eons past takes shape in unusual rock formations, like the mythical Lorelei with its tragic tale.
Deep in the heart of the Rhine Gorge is the romantic wine village of Rüdesheim, one of the river's most popular ports. Home to some of Germany's finest vineyards, Rüdesheim is particularly famous for its Riesling, as well as its signature coffee made with German brandy, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. Highlight attractions include the cable car up to the Niederwald Monument, which commemorates the unification of Germany in 1871, and the atmospheric Drosselgasse, lined with gorgeous Old World architecture, boutiques, and countless cozy wine taverns.
Miltenberg boasts some of Germany’s finest half-timbered architecture. Enter through Schwertfeger Gate to a lively market square framed by pink sandstone façades. Overlooking the town is Mildenburg Castle, while Hotel zum Riesen, one of Germany’s oldest inns, recalls both historic witch trials and centuries of hospitality. The town is also known for its Bavarian wines, beers, hearty game, sausage, and breads.
Bavarian Würzburg has layers of history. Magnificent Marienberg Fortress, for example, stands on a Roman fort and a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age castle. The first church where Würzburg Cathedral now stands was built as early as 788. During WWII, nearly 90% of the city was destroyed in a British air raid, but efforts later transformed the rubble into accurate restorations. Highlights include the Würzburg Residenz, one of Europe's most magnificent palaces; Marienberg Fortress; the statue-lined Old Main Bridge; and the Käppele pilgrimage site on Marienberg hill.
One of Germany's true masterpieces, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bamberg dates back to the 9th century, extending over seven church-capped hills. A lovely medieval Old Town features a grand, four-towered cathedral, founded in 1004; fishermen's huts lining the canal in the Little Venice district; and the unusual Old Town Hall, built in the middle of the river by residents in 1386 when the bishop refused to grant land for its construction! Bamberg is also famous for its signature smoked beer, brewed locally for centuries and part of the town's cultural heritage!
Nuremberg combines Old World beauty with a complex past. Surrounded by 14th-century walls, its Old Town is filled with landmarks such as the fortified Königstor gate, Nuremberg Castle, and the 12th-century Church of St. Sebald. Yet the city is equally known for its 20th-century history: once a major center of Nazi power, it later became the stage for the Nuremberg Trials, where leading war criminals were brought to justice. Today, the Beautiful Fountain still draws attention at the city’s heart, its brass rings said to bring good fortune to those who spin them.
One of the most beautiful cities in the world and Germany's best-preserved medieval city, Regensburg's unique UNESCO World Heritage is built on a legacy of aristocrats, bishops, craftsmen—and a sausage restaurant whose roots date back to 1146! Around almost every corner is evidence of the many cultures and influences that crafted this amazing city over the past 2,000 years. It's a haven of narrow alleyways, ancient fortifications, patrician houses, impressive churches, and a Stone Bridge that has spanned the Danube since the Middle Ages.
Situated along the Route of Emperors and Kings where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers meet, Passau was settled as early as the Neolithic Age. During the Renaissance, this City of Three Rivers was a major manufacturing center of swords, crafting bladed weapons stamped with the Passau wolf, which legend claimed would grant invulnerability. Today, the most famous sights lining the narrow cobblestone streets of the Old Town are the artistic Town Hall and the Baroque St. Stephen's Cathedral with its green-domed towers and one of the largest organs in the world.
Austria’s third largest city, Linz is a European Capital of Culture worth exploring. Highlights include the Feichtinger House with its Glockenspiel, Castle Museum, Lentos Art Museum, and the Neo-Gothic Mariendom with its impressive stained-glass windows and 20,000-person seating capacity. A hike up Pöstlingberg Hill delivers outstanding views over the Danube and is best followed by a coffee and piece of scrumptious Linzer Torte, invented here as the world's first cake!
No visit to the Wachau Valley is complete without visiting Austria’s prettiest abbey. Built on a rocky promontory overlooking the Danube, Melk Abbey's origins date back to 1089. Today, it is one of Europe's finest examples of Baroque architecture, where Benedictine monks still farm the land and operate what is now the oldest school in Austria. Highlights include the library of ancient manuscripts, frescoed ceiling, stunning spiral staircases, and the ornate abbey church.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Austria’s unique Wachau is one of the Danube’s most stunning riverscapes. It is a special setting that invites you to linger just a little longer to truly enjoy its picturesque villages, collection of medieval riverbank castles, and steep, terraced vineyards and apricot orchards. Savor some of Europe’s most famous wines and apricot schnapps, and lose yourself in the fairytale beauty, where nature and culture are one.
Vienna is a city that defies simple description. Over the centuries, it has been an imperial city, seat of the Holy Roman Empire, capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and capital of sovereign Austria. Today, Vienna retains the grand Baroque architecture, historic style, and Lebenskunst (art of living) that attracted famous composers like Mozart and Strauss. It's a wonderland of lavish palaces and cathedrals, world-class museums and music venues, atmospheric coffee houses, and romantic fiakers (horse-drawn carriages) clip-clopping past it all.
One of the most beautiful cities in the world, the wonders of Budapest rise up along both banks of the Danube in a truly impressive way. Along with Heroes' Square with its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, awe-inspiring Hungarian Parliament Building, and the lavish Castle District with photogenic Fishermen's Bastion, the city is home to a captivating Jewish district and the second-largest synagogue in the world, an intricate underground cave system, and some of Europe's most famous thermal baths.
The port town of Mohács holds an interesting distinction. Battles here in 1526 and 1687 marked both the beginning and the end of Ottoman rule over Hungary. The town's origin dates back much earlier than that, though, as a Roman camp on the banks of the Danube. Today, one of Mohács most colorful traditions is the annual Busójárás Carnival, a lively display of music and dancing, cowbells and clappers, wooden pitchforks and puppets, food and drink, mask-carving and bonfires, all to chase winter away.
Born on the banks of the Danube when Serbian merchants formed a colony across from Petrovaradin Fortress in 1694, Novi Sad has evolved into a haven of Serbian culture, earning it the nickname of "Serbian Athens". Home to a soaring cathedral, Bishop's Palace, theater, Jewish Synagogue, and more, Serbia's second-largest city is also a bustling university town that was named Youth Capital of Europe in 2019 and a European Capital of Culture in 2022.
Situated along the famed Orient Express, where the Danube and Sava Rivers meet is Belgrade, one of the Danube's four riverside capitals. This is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities—a place sieged, razed, and bombed by outsiders trying to control it. Today, the one-time capital of Yugoslavia is a thriving hub of government, finance, and urban renewal of many former communist-era districts. It is home to the Church of Saint Sava, one of the largest Orthodox churches; the famous Nikola Tesla Museum; Kalemegdan Fortress; and more.