Danube River Cruise

Europe's second-longest river, with cruises through Regensburg, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest all the way to the Danube Delta.

The Danube rises in Germany's Black Forest and flows east through ten countries, finally emptying into the Black Sea in Romania, with a total length of about 2,850 km. For tourists, the most common cruise is on the middle section: Nuremberg/Passau to Budapest, about 7–8 days one way. Highlights: Regensburg's Stone Bridge and Old Town (World Heritage); Passau, the city of three rivers; Austria's Melk Abbey and the Wachau valley (World Heritage; apricots and Grüner Veltliner white wine); Vienna; Bratislava Castle; the Hungarian 'Danube Bend' towns of Szentendre, Visegrád and Esztergom; and Budapest's Parliament and Chain Bridge, most beautiful on a night cruise. Farther downstream are Belgrade, the Iron Gates gorge between Serbia and Romania, and the Danube Delta wetland bird reserve (World Heritage). What to do: join a river cruise (most itineraries include Budapest, Vienna and the Wachau); independent travelers can take the Vienna–Bratislava catamaran (about 75 minutes), the train between Vienna and Budapest, and the Wachau boat between Krems and Melk. The lower-river Iron Gates and Delta suit travelers seeking something off the beaten path and need an extra 3–5 days.

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