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Danube River Cruise Highlights
Highlights from our September 2021 Danube river cruise aboard AmaWaterways! Read about the destinations and experiences that filled our week.
We’ve recently returned home from our week on the Danube river with AmaWaterways. Our sailing started with a warm welcome from the incredible staff in Vilshofen, Germany where we were greeted with an AmaWaterways exclusive Oktoberfest. From there we set sail aboard the AmaMagna and experienced the tastes and sights of Europe before concluding our sailing in Budapest. Discover our sailing below and remember that Time to Travel Tours is here to help you return to the river!
Arrival: Vilshofen, Germany
Explored the beautiful town of Vilshofen, Germany before boarding the ultra-luxurious AmaMagna. Greeted with a welcome gift in our room and an incredible prime rib dinner. In the evening, we were treated to an AmaWaterways exclusive Bavarian Oktoberfest celebration complete with music, beer and pretzels.
Days 2 + 3: Passau, Germany and Austria
All excursions are included on an AmaWaterways sailing! We took full advantage of the bike tour options during our explorations around Germany and Austria. In Passau, Germany we rode to Wernstein on a guided bike tour. The next day we biked along the city’s famed “Cultural Mile” and the Danube. The afternoon was spepnt visiting the charming Czech mountain town of Český Krumlov and the Greinburg Castle, the oldest residential castle in Austria. Finished our day with a delicious meal at the Chef’s Table. Visit our dining blog post for more food highlights.
Days 4 + 5: Austria
Days spent discovering the towns of Austria: Melk, Spitz and Vienna. We visited the 900-year-old Melk Abbey situated high atop the granite cliffs of the Danube. We continued our exploring by bike with a cycle through Spitz to Emmersorf and back to Spitz. Our biking efforts were rewarded with an exclusive wine event in the evening where we enjoyed some of the region’s famous wines. Day 5 was spent exploring the city of Vienna. The visit included a guided tour of the Imperial apartments, the carriage museum and the equally impressive gardens.
Day 6: Bratislava, Slovakia
Host to the crowning ceremonies of 11 Hungarian kings and queens between 1536 and 1830, Bratislava certainly has earned the title “Coronation City of Kings,” as we discovered on our tour. We opted to experience Bratislava with “Tastes of Slovakia” tour. Local favorite foods and beer filled our day!
Days 7 + 8: Budapest, Hungary
Started our morning in Budapest sailing through the scenic Danube Bend where we saw some of Hungary’s oldest settlements, including Esztergom, Visegrád and Szentendre. Budapest offers an unmatched combination of culture and tradition.
Enchanting Rhine River Cruise
From Basel to Amsterdam. You have a front-row seat on a luxury journey that takes you along the Rhine with its 40 castles strung like pearls on its river banks and charming villages.
From Basel to Amsterdam. Grand cities blend in perfect harmony with their historic past and their progressive future. You have a front-row seat on a luxury journey that takes you along the Rhine and through its designated-UNESCO World Heritage Site with its 40 castles strung like pearls on its river banks and charming villages. Countries: France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland.
As we prepare for the June 2020 sailing down the Enchanting Rhine, we invite you to explore some of the amazing sights, tastes and experiences that await you in the first two ports of Germany and France.
FIRST PORT // BREISACH. We dock in Breisach, situated on the German side of the Rhine and directly facing the Alsatian region in France. Some of you may be going to France to visit the Alsatian Village of Riquewihr, while others will tour Freiburg & Breisach or maybe a bike tour through the vineyards of Breisach. (tours spotlighted below)
SECOND PORT // STRASBOURG. Capital of the German speaking French region of Alsace. Strasbourg is one of Europe's most attractive cities. Once controlled by Germany you will tour a section of town designed with precise order and structure. The history covered in the tour is fascinating with the region changing hands 4 times in 75 years between France and Germany.
BREISACH
Rising above vineyards and the Rhine, Breisach is where the Black Forest spills into Alsace. From the cobbled streets lined with pastel-painted houses you'd never guess that 85% of the town was flattened in WWII, so successful has been the reconstruction. Vauban's star-shaped French fortress-town of Neuf-Brisach (New Breisach), which made the Unesco World Heritage list in 2008, sits 4km west of Breisah.
FREIBURG
One of Germany's prettiest old quarters, with its characteristic bächle - the narrow channels of water that run alongside the pavements. Add to that a wealth of culture and history, lots of cafés and cosy bars, delicious regional food and scenic surroundings. Experience it for yourself with a stroll through the old quarter. The square is the largest in the city centre, and hosts a market every day except Sunday.
RIQUEWIHR, FRANCE
The jewel in the crown - famous for the Riesling and other great Alsace wines produced here - and looks today exactly as it did in the 16th Century. Riquewihr is a wonderful and romantic little medieval city hidden between the Vosges mountains and some of the most famous vineyards in Alsace.
STRASBOURG
The capital city of Alsace, offers flavors of both France and Germany because of its borderline location. Enjoy a panoramic tour past the stunning Parc de l’Orangerie, the European Parliament and the Place de la République. For the active adventurer, you can take a guided bike ride through this captivating city and Parc de l’Orangerie.