viking cruises on the danube

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Danube River Cruises

Coursing through Germany, Austria, Hungary and seven other countries all the way to the Black Sea, the Danube is the soul of Central Europe. Join us along these culture-rich banks, whose scenic vineyards, ancient monasteries and elegant cities have inspired travelers for centuries.

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A Danube River cruise unveils Europe’s rich and dramatic history. Glittering cultural capitals, lush vineyards, magnificent monasteries and endless scenic splendor line the river’s banks. Here are some sample highlights you will see with Viking:

• Enchanting Passau, set where three rivers meet
• Lush vineyards of the Wachau Valley
• The baroque splendor of Melk Abbey
• Vienna’s elegant architecture
• The splendid Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig
• Scenic beauty of the picturesque Danube Bend
• Budapest’s stunning Chain Bridge and Parliament Building
• Soaring cliffs of the scenic Iron Gate
• Romania’s rural culture and rich folklore
• Belgrade’s impressive Kalemegdan Fortress

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Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

Viking River Cruises’ Romantic Danube: How To Make The Most Of Every Stop

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River cruising is a popular way to get the ease and convenience of a cruise while enjoying a more intimate experience.

Viking River Cruises is one of the most recognized names in the industry, and we had the chance to take their eight-day Romantic Danube cruise in the wintertime. The cruise stops vary from year to year and season to season, but each version has stops in Germany, Austria, and Hungary.

During our trip, we wanted to indulge in one of our favorite travel hobbies: visiting different European Christmas markets . Not only did we immerse ourselves in many memorable Christmas markets, but we also explored some charming, beautiful, and historically important towns.

Viking River Cruises’ Romantic Danube offers so many different ways to optimize your time. Our experience was absolutely magical, and we wanted to share some suggestions for how to make the most of every stop on this unforgettable itinerary.

We were guests of Viking River Cruises on their Romantic Danube itinerary. All opinions expressed are our own and are based on our experiences.

Nuremberg, Germany

The Romantic Danube itinerary varies, sometimes beginning in Hungary and other times in Germany. The stops may vary slightly as well. But wherever your specific journey takes you along this beautiful river route, you’ll find a lot to explore.

Our itinerary began in the German city of Nuremberg . Steeped in World War II history, it witnessed the rise and fall of the Third Reich. History buffs can visit the Nazi Party Rally Grounds , the Nazi Documentation Center , and other historical sites.

But as the second-largest city in Bavaria (after Munich ), Nuremberg also has lots more to offer. The Old Town features beautiful half-timbered houses along with the medieval Imperial Castle . Art lovers can visit the home of German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer , explore the Germanisches Nationalmuseum , and enjoy numerous art galleries around town.

The food is incredible in Nuremberg, so we recommend having at least one meal or hearty snack ashore. Don’t miss the city’s skinny German sausages served three to a roll or on a plate with sauerkraut or potato salad. Paired with a frosty local beer, it’s a perfect meal.

Stop by the open-air Hauptmarket in the city center for a colorful look at local produce, flowers, handmade gifts, and delicious food specialties. If you happen to be there during the holiday season , you’ll see the transformation of the Old Town into a winter wonderland where over 180 vendors make up the Christkindlesmarkt . Stalls display art, local products, handcrafted goods, and treats of the season. Glittering lights and fresh greenery enhance the festive atmosphere.

Regensburg, Germany

A well-preserved medieval city on the northern portion of the Danube River, Regensburg boasts some of the most interesting historic buildings in Bavaria.

The Altes Rathaus is a bright yellow building dating to the 1200s. The Thurn und Taxis Palace is the impressive residence of an aristocratic family that had amassed a fortune from postal operations in the early 1800s. During the holiday season, a Christmas market springs up on the castle grounds. The Porta Praetoria comprises the ruins of a gateway made of rough stone blocks dating to the 13th century. Neupfarrplatz, a Roman fortress built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, was later home to one of the first Jewish communities in Germany. The ornate German Gothic Saint Peter’s Cathedral is worth seeing, too. Walk across the Old Stone Bridge, a pedestrian walkway over the Danube, and then turn to see the colorful clock tower.

A UNESCO World Heritage site , Regensburg also has great food. The Historische Wurstkuchl , or Historic Sausage Kitchen, is 1,000 years old and the oldest sausage kitchen in Europe, maybe even in the world. If you have time, sit a while at the Weltenburger am Dom , a restaurant and brewery right next to the cathedral. Try the amazing schnitzel with a beer from Weltenburg Abbey, the oldest monastery brewery in the world.

Passau, Germany

Right on the Germany-Austria border, Passau is a picturesque city. It’s known as the City of Three Rivers, since it’s where the Danube, Ilz, and Inn Rivers come together. Something you won’t find in many other places is a wasserstand , a chart depicting high water marks from floods in the city center. It’s drawn on a wall of the old town hall as a reminder that while being at the confluence of three rivers may be beautiful, it is not without risks.

Art is important to Passau, with the city’s modern art museum and a unique glass museum containing more than 30,000 European pieces of art glass. Check out the fun Artists’ Alley, where cobblestones painted in bright colors line the streets and darling boutiques hold plenty of unique souvenirs.

Passau is home to one of the largest pipe organs in the world, with almost 18,000 pipes. It resides in the gorgeous baroque Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. If the timing is right, you could catch a concert for an unforgettable experience.

Modern pleasures in Passau include the Klostergarten, a contemporary park that is home to farmers markets and gardens. It lights up at night with dramatic lighting, water features, and choreographed fountain displays, perfect for enjoying on an evening stroll.

Melk, Austria

As the Romantic Danube cruise moves into Austria, you’ll spot the Melk Abbey standing grandly atop a hill overlooking the Danube. More than just an abbey, it’s a complex comprising seven courtyards, a beautiful church, and a library with over 90,000 volumes and rare manuscripts.

Melk is located in the Wachau Valley , where small towns and monasteries flourished during the Renaissance. The scenery is stunning. Several castles — including Schloss Schallaburg , Schloss Artstetten , and Schloss Schonbuhel — beg to be explored, and the ruins of other castles dot the landscape.

If you’re interested in local food and beverages like we are, the Wachau Valley is renowned for its apricots and wine. In addition to excellent wines made from grapes such as riesling and gruner veltliner, apricot wine, apricot dumplings, apricot cake, and some unique items made with saffron are also local specialties.

Krems is the town at the other end of the valley and is sometimes part of the Romantic Danube itinerary.

Vienna, Austria

Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are so many things to see, do, and eat that you will not want to waste a moment of your time there.

We have to put the Viennese culinary culture at the top of our list. Famous desserts like sacher torte and apple strudel, gorgeous coffeehouses, incredible farmers markets, delicious street food, and a wide range of restaurants provide many opportunities to sample local delights. Most people don’t know that Vienna is also home to its own wine regions, making the local wine a great option to try.

Music is another highlight of Viennese culture. The City of Music has many venues from which to choose. The Musikverein , Vienna State Opera , Wiener Konzerthaus , and Schonbrunn Palace offer concerts featuring everything from the classical music of Mozart and Strauss to jazz, pop, and rock. There are also cafés, bars, and nightclubs offering food, drinks, and music in a more intimate setting.

World-renowned palaces like Schonbrunn and the Hofburg as well as sacred spaces like Saint Stephen’s Cathedral and Karlskirche impress with their magnificence.

Of course, Vienna also offers gorgeous Christmas markets in stunning venues like the City Hall, Belvedere Palace, Maria Theresien Square, and Schonbrunn Palace, among others.

Animal lovers can check out the elegant Lipizzaner stallions performing at the Spanish Riding School or visit Vienna’s Tiergarten , the oldest zoo in the world.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is actually three different cities: Buda and Obuda on the west side of the Danube  River and Pest on the east side. That only adds to the intrigue of this unique destination.

The quieter Buda side has hills and a funicular, which you can ride to the top for a panoramic view of the Pest side. The City Park is a lovely place to stroll, with botanical gardens, a municipal zoo, the Budapest circus, and a museum of agriculture. There’s also a huge timer containing sand that takes a year to go from the top to the bottom. It’s started all over again every New Year.

The Great Market Hall features three floors of local produce, prepared delicacies, crafts, and souvenirs. If you like to shop, be sure to stroll along Vaci and Kiraly Streets, pedestrian roads full of touristy joints as well as fun local shops and cafés.

Budapest has several spas and thermal baths in which you can relax while also getting your history fix; many of these structures have been around since Ottoman times.

Budapest also boasts several phenomenal holiday markets, including the Advent Feast at the Basilica , considered among the best Christmas markets in Europe.

The folks at Viking River Cruises know that the spectacular Hungarian Parliament Building is a vision at night. They generally provide an opportunity to see it while you’re on the water and make a picture-perfect memory to last a lifetime.

What To Know Before You Go

Viking River Cruises offers several excursions as well as a variety of add-ons. Be sure to take time before your departure to explore what interests you and book anything extra well in advance because space is often limited. While the ship is comfy, the service delightful, and the onboard activities lots of fun, be sure to get out and explore at every stop. There is so much awaiting you on your Romantic Danube journey.

Diana Laskaris and Sue Reddel are the Co-Founders of Food Travelist . They travel the world and find the best food every destination has to offer. They've tried it all. From Michelin starred fine restaurants to tasty street food on a stick. They hope to bring the world just a bit closer together by sharing a meal and learning about different cultures and ourselves through food and drink. They are both Certified Culinary Travel Professionals and frequent authors of articles about food & travel.

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Romantic Danube

Visit Budapest’s Castle District and cross the famous Chain Bridge. Explore Göttweig Abbey, one of Austria’s most revered monastic centers, and make dumplings with Wachau Valley apricots. Visit historic Salzburg. Spend two days in Vienna, and celebrate the city’s musical heritage at a concert featuring works by Mozart and Strauss. With medieval towns, grand cities and stunning scenery, this 8-day journey on the “Blue Danube” is one you are sure to love.

Viking.TV episodes featuring Romantic Danube (23)

Destination insights (20), recommended reading (24), filmography (16).

Anne Diamond meets Gerald Wirth, the musical director and president of the world-famous Vienna Boys’ Choir

The angelic-voiced choristers of the Vienna Boys ’ Choir have been capturing the hearts of audiences since 1498. Over the centuries, illustrious composers have written masterpieces for the historic vocal ensemble , including Mozart, Bruckner, Gluck and Schubert. Gerald Wirth , president and director of the choir, was himself a member of the Vienna Boys ’ Choir as a child. During a n engaging interview with Anne Diamond, Gerald discusses his career, his passion for music and its power to help us in times of difficulty, as well as explaining how guests can meet members of the choir and enjoy a n exclusive performance in Vienna.

Delight in an enchanting evening of music with a special performance led by musical prodigy and composer Alma Deutscher

Composer, violinist , pianist and godmother of Viking Gymir , Alma Deutscher has been described by many as the second Mozart. She began playing piano at age two and the violin at age three. She completed her first piano sonata at age six, and at seven, she had composed a short opera. Alma and her family are close friends of our Chairman , Torstein Hagan , and consider him their adopted grandfather. During this special concert hosted by Alma alongside the Strauss Capelle orchestra , hear some of Alma’s own compositions, as well as her favorite pieces by legendary Austrian composers.   Throughout 2023, guests can enjoy a private concert with Alma when visiting Vienna.

Learn how to make Austria’s classic chocolate cake, Sachertorte, with food writer Luisa Weiss

Berlin-based food writer Luisa Weiss is the author of "My Berlin Kitchen , " a food memoir about growing up between Berlin and Boston, and founder of the beloved food blog, “ The Wednesday Chef. ” Watch as she demonstrates how to make Sachertorte , Austria’s most famous chocolate dessert . Using a recipe from her cookbook “Classic German Baking , ” Luisa walks us through the importance of each ingredient while also sharing some of the history behind this Viennese delicacy, which many believe was invented by 16-year-old pastry chef Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince von Metternich.

Get to know some of the remarkable women working in Viking’s nautical operations

In this special episode, meet some of the extraordinary women who are responsible for navigation, technology and safety on board our river ships. Among others, we hear from one of our captains, Amber, who tells us what she loves most about her role , and Ana, who at 18 years old is beginning her training in our technical department . We also gain insights from Patrycja , who shares how Viking is helping women succeed in nautical positions traditional ly held by men .

At home in Passau with Dorothea Lechner

Follow Viking guide Dorothea Lechner along the Italianate-style streets of Passau , a German city situated along the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers , as she shows us some of the most impressive landmarks from her hometown. Over the course of the tour, discover the hilltop Oberhaus Fortress, which was fo unded in 1219 and se rved as a stronghold for the Bishop s of Passau , as well as the University of Passau, which was founded in 1973, making it the youngest university in Bavaria. Dorothea also shares where to enjoy the city’s flavorful cuisine, along with other tips and insights from a local perspective.

Anne Diamond learns about monastic living with Göttweig Abbey’s Father Pius Nemes

Peer into the life of a Benedictine monk as Father Pius Nemes is interviewed by British journalist Anne Diamond . Residing in the community at Göttweig  Abbey , a Benedictine monastery overlooking Austria’s scenic Wachau Valley, Father Pius reflects on modern monastic living and explor es the history of the famed monastery , which dates back to 1083. During his conversation with Anne, he also answers viewers’ questions about his experience at Göttweig , which guests can explore with Privileged Access on our Romantic Danube and Danube Waltz itineraries.

Encore: Explore Vienna’s musical history with guest lecturer Angela Schneider

Enjoy an encore of “Vienna, City of Music , ” an enriching presentation shared by guest lecturer Angela Schneider, who is a violist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra . Once the glittering capital of the mighty Hapsburg dynasty , Vienna has also enjoyed a long history as Europe’s music capital. During this episode, Angela takes a closer look at four legendary Viennese composers and discusses how Vienna became a center of the arts.

Return to Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum with art educator Lara Bellenghi

Join us for another visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum , home to one of Europe’s most impressive art collections , where we are led on an informative tour by Lara Bellenghi , a member of the museum’s education department . Located in Vienna , the museum features a wide range of magnificent treasures accumulated by Austria ’s ruling Hapsburg dynasty, including famous paintings, exquisite decorative art pieces and important works of sculpture. Follow Lara as she showcases several masterworks from the collection and learn more about the museum’s history as she engages in a question and answer session.

Get a closer look at our Romantic Danube itinerary with Joost Ouendag 

Delve into the European delights you can discover on our Romantic Danube itinerary with Joost Ouendag, Vice President of Group Product Development at Viking . On this enchanting 8-day river voyage, marvel at the ornate architecture of Budapest, stroll the lanes of medieval Regensburg and s pend two days exploring the beautiful city of Vienna, home to opulent palaces and classical music . Following the presentation, Joost will answer viewers’ questions, but should you have additional inquiries, we welcome you to reach out to us at [email protected] .

Anne Diamond welcomes back Composer and Musician Alma Deutscher

Catch up with Alma Deutscher , a c omposer, violinist and pianist —and soon-to-be Viking godmother—as she returns to speak with British journalist Anne Diamond . First interviewed by Anne in May 2020 , Alma has since started university in Vienna and performed a new version of her opera, Cinderella , which opened in Salzburg . During this new interview, Alma shares her plans for 2022, which include an exclusive concert for our guests on select river voyages visiting Vienna as well as being honored as godmother to one of our new river ship s .

Explore Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum with art historian Daniel Uchtmann

Peer into one of Europe’s most impressive art collection s during a tour of the Kunsthistorisches Museum with art historian Dan i el Uchtmann , who serves as the museum’s research associate in the field of education . Located in Vienna, t he museum features a wide range of magnificent treasures accumulated by Austria’s ruling Hapsburg dynasty , including famous paintings , exquisite decorative art pieces and important works of sculpture. Deepen your understanding of the museum’s significant works while following Daniel through its richly ornate interiors.

Explore Vienna’s iconic architecture with Joost Ouendag

Discover the architectural treasures of Austria’s opulent capital Vienna with Joost Ouendag, Vice President of Group Product Development at Viking. Get a glimpse of the landmarks you can explore on our Danube River voyages—including Romantic Danube and Grand European Tour —as Joost answers viewers’ questions and shares insights into the history of Schönbrunn Palace, Hofburg Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral .

At Home in Vienna with designer Natalie Demblin

Step through the doors of a charming local shop at the heart of historic Vienna to meet celebrated accessor y designer Natalie Demb l in. Follow along as she guides us through her boutique, where beautifully made belts, key chains and bag straps are on colorful display . As an added treat f or guests who have sailed with us to Vienna, you may even recognize Natalie’s storefront from our walking tour through the city’s Old Town.

Meet the Vienna Residence Orchestra

G o behind the scenes of the V ienna Residence Orchestra and hear from its talented musicians during a special program hosted by the orchestra’s cofounder, Sylvia Moser. Performing the music of Mozart and Strauss in historic buildings and opulent palaces throughout Vienna, the orchestra allows guests to experience live classical music in an authentic setting. Explore the history of this engaging ensemble and listen to short musical pieces you can experience in person when you join us on a river voyage to Vienna.

At home on board our Viking Longships with Karine Hagen

Step on board one of our state-of-the-art Viking Longships with Karine Hagen, Executive Vice President at Viking, for an intimate look at this remarkable vessel. Follow along while she guides us through its spacious staterooms and suites and explores how the ship is specially built to navigate Europe’s waterways. Enjoy this exclusive tour and then start planning your journey along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers—and beyond.

Sunday Sessions with composer, violinist and pianist Alma Deutscher

Listen to the musical mastery of Alma Deutscher , an accomplished composer, violinist and pianist who, at the age of 12, completed her first piano concerto to critical acclaim. In this episode of Sunday Sessions , we feature some of Alma’s performances , including compositions recorded exclusively for us from her home in Vienna.

Anne Diamond interviews Professor Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer

Step into the world of Viennese dance as British journalist Anne Diamond interviews P rofessor Thomas Schäfer- Elmayer , an Austrian dance instructor and director of the Tanzschule Elmayer in Vienna. In his discussion with Anne, P rofessor Schäfer- Elmayer explores the history of the Viennese waltz and discusses the manners and etiquette that are an integral part of ballroom dancing. Tune in and watch as P rofessor Schäfer- Elmayer shares his expertise and answers viewers’ questions.

Visit Göttweig Abbey with Father Pius

Experience the baroque splendor of Göttweig Abbey as Father Pius takes us on a virtual tour of this celebrated Benedictine monastery. Overlooking Austria’s Wachau Valley, the abbey is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a rich heritage that originated with its founding in 1083. Discover the history and traditions of this famous landmark and learn how it has evolved with the times to become a modern monastery. Following the tour, enjoy a live question and answer session with Father Pius as he delves deeper into the abbey’s past, present and future.

The History of Germany with Viking Resident Historian Edward H. Judge, PhD

Follow the dynamic trajectory of German history from the Middle Ages to today with renowned historian Dr. Edward H. Judge . As an expert in European history, Dr. Judge has authored and coauthored numerous books, and in this episode, he draws on this scholarly expertise to explore the twists and turns that have characterized Germany’s past and present. During the livestream, Dr. Judge shares his insights while engaging in an enlightening question and answer session.

Viking Longships tour and live Q&A with nautical team

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the navigational and technical features of our European river ships with Sascha Gill, Vice President of Nautical Operation s for Viking . Explore the w heelhouse and the engine room on our award-winning Viking Longships and learn more about our new Viking Seine ships, which have been recently recognized for their environmental friendliness. Following Sascha’s presentation, continue to expand your knowledge of our state-of-the-art river ships during a question and answer session with Engineer Tino Karbautzk i and Captain Johan Bons.

Explore Our River Voyages with Joost Ouendag

Join Joost Ouendag, Vice President of Group Product Development at Viking, as he shares the latest information about our river itineraries and presents an overview of our award-winning fleet of river ships. Learn about the Viking Difference and our Viking Inclusive Value , and discover why we are known as the small ship experts. Should you have any questions following this livestream , we welcome you to reach out to us a t [email protected] .

Wine Wednesday (Austria) with  Markus Huber and Erich Machherndl

Join wine expert Bartholomew Broadbent as he explores Austrian viticulture with Markus Huber and Erich Machherndl, two vintners producing world-class wines. In this livestream, d iscover the history of the renowned Traisental and Wachau Valley wine regions —both adjacent to the Danube River —and learn about the philosophies that guide Markus and Erich at their respective wineries. While enjoying a virtual wine sampling with Bartholomew, Markus and Erich answer questions submitted by viewers.

At Home in Budapest with Kinga & Eszter

Discover the best of Budapest with two expert Viking guides , Eszter Pozsár and Kinga Tittel , as they each highlight a different side of the Danube River with a focus on hilly Buda and majestic Pest. As someone who naturally loves to share her knowledge of the city with guests and family , Kinga has been a tour guide in and around Budapest for more than a decade , while Eszter has been working as a local guide for 30 years and has been conducting tours for Viking since we began sailing in Hungary . From Buda to Pest, learn insightful tips on how to explore this delightful city from a local perspective as Kinga and Eszter take you on a tour while answering viewers’ questions during th is livestream.

Viking's Own Vintner

Meet Erhard Mörwald, the 5th-generation Wachau Valley vintner who produces Viking's private-label wines, and learn about the vintages you can enjoy on board.

Cafe Demel, Vienna's Famed Coffeehouse

While visiting Vienna with Viking River Cruises, enjoy a leisurely stop at one of the city's famed coffeehouses. The Demel has been creating delicious treats for over 200 years; choose from cream cakes, tea scones, apple strudels, Sacher tortes and cakes. Sip your coffee, enjoy a sweet treat, and indulge in the company of great friends and a beautiful café!

Vienna's Famed Lipizzaner Stallions

Join Karine as she goes backstage at Vienna's famous Spanish riding school and discovers a world of elegance, discipline and remarkable skill. It's the world of the Lipizzaner Stallions!

Language: Hungarian Phrases

With the help of one of our Hungarian travel guides, Eszter, we have compiled a short video of useful Hungarian phrases to use when traveling to Budapest. Be sure to brush up before visiting Hungary with Viking!

Language Lesson: German

Learn a few useful German words and phrases with Rebecca, your Viking River Cruises tutor. Prost!

Vienna Boys Choir

Young boys from all over the world come to participate in the Vienna Boys' Choir, a 500-year old tradition, through which they are provided education and a chance to tour and perform in many different countries. Join Karine as she sits in on rehearsals and speaks to some the members.

Fresh Baked Goodness

In the quaint town of Dürnstein in Austria's Wachau Valley Bäckerei Schmidl has been crafting delicious breads and pastries since 1718. You can enjoy these tasty treats throughout Europe...while aboard a Viking ship! Viking River Cruises: Bringing fresh-baked goodness to the rivers of Europe! Karine Hagen of Viking River Cruises is your host.

Wreath Making with Karine

Join Karine in Passau for a lesson on making traditional German Advent wreaths.

Glühwein (Hot Mulled Wine)

Around the Christmas season, public houses in nearly every European town offer mulled wine as a delicious antidote to the season's chill. To warm up on a stormy evening or put yourself in a celebratory mood, you can make your own glühwein at home. Or, visit Europe on one of our late-fall Rhine or Danube cruises for an unforgettable holiday season experience.

Austria's Legendary Hotel Sacher and Torte

Join Karine (and Finse) and step into the spirit of old Europe at Vienna’s iconic Hotel Sacher to learn the story behind the Sachertorte, its legendary handmade cake.

Learn The Iconic Viennese Waltz

Ask any Austrian to name the person who most exemplifies elegance and style and their reply is likely to be: Professor Thomas Schaffer-Elmayer. Meet the man who has introduced generations to the finer points of culture, including the iconic waltz. Then watch as he teaches Karine its beautiful steps in less than an hour.

Göttweig Abbey: Austria's Spiritual Treasure

Step into a world of living history, where a whisper still speaks volumes and traditions endure. Join Karine and enjoy an exclusive insider’s view of life at Göttweig, the daily life of its monks and the Abbey’s fascinating community outreach.

Explore: Budapest

Explore the beauty of Budapest, the “Pearl of the Danube,” with Karine highlighting the city’s top attractions: Fisherman’s Bastion, Great Market Hall, Heroes’ Square and more.

Cooking with Karine: Goulash

Explore Budapest’s Great Market Hall and learn how to make goulash, Hungary’s rich, hearty dish seasoned with paprika and packed with flavor.

Shopping in Budapest

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? Join Karine at her favorite shop in Budapest, Hungary: the venerable Café Gerbeaud, purveyors of fine chocolates.

Shopping in Vienna

Christmastime or anytime, Karine knows one gift that visitors to Vienna cannot return home without. You can even purchase this little cake in the very hotel where it was invented.

Gifts Along the Danube

The Danube’s banks overflow with shopping opportunities. Join Karine at her favorite spots in Passau, Vienna and Budapest as she shares perfect gift ideas for yourself or your loved ones.

Master Chef & Author Toni Mörwald

Watch the world-famous master chef and author Toni Mörwald and Karine prepare the traditional wiener schnitzel dish. In Austria, you might visit Chef Mörwald’s Michelin-starred restaurants. Bon appétit!

Cooking with Karine: Bratwurst

Taste a variety of German delicacies with Karine in Nuremberg’s medieval district, and learn some of the best side dishes to go with them, perhaps paired with a local brew.

Alma Deutscher Performs in Vienna

Once the home of Strauss and Mozart, Vienna is renowned as the music capital of Europe. Now, guests who join us in this elegant city have the chance to enjoy an exclusive performance featuring Alma Deutscher, a young musical prodigy who will conduct classic pieces from great composers—including a few, destined-to-become-classics, of her own. View sailing dates for Viking river cruises during which you may attend Alma Deutscher’s performances in Vienna by visiting  almadeutscher.com/viking-dates .

A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888-1889

By frederic morton.

A National Book Award Finalist from the bestselling Frederic Morton "Frederic Morton's A NERVOUS SPLENDOR is my favorite book about Vienna." —John Irving On January 30, 1889, at the champagne-splashed height of the Viennese Carnival, the handsome and charming Crown Prince Rudolf shot and killed his teenage mistress and then himself in a suicide pact. The two shots that rang out at Mayerling in the Vienna Woods echo still. Frederic Morton, author of the bestselling THE ROTHSCHILDS, deftly tells the haunting story of the Prince and his city, where, in the span of only ten months, "the Western dream started to go wrong." Other young men with striking intellectual and artistic talents—and all as frustrated as the Prince—moved through his Vienna. Among them were a young Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Theodor Herzl, Gustav Klimt, and the playwright Arthur Schnitzler, whose La Ronde was the great erotic drama of the fin de siecle. 

Budapest: A History of Grandeur and Catastrophe

By joe jajdu.

Budapest today is a palimpsest of its history and partially crystallized present. Its earlier history is best seen on the Castle Hill of Buda, the seat of Hungarian royal power since the beginning in the 13th Century. This peaked in the glory years of King Matthias' reign in the second half of the 15th Century, when Buda was one of the largest and wealthiest cities of Europe. The Ottoman conquest that followed a generation later was a catastrophe whose effect would last two centuries. However when the new Castle Hill of Buda arose, it became a version of Baroque central Europe, controlled by Imperial Vienna. Pest, on the opposite banks of the Danube, is a symbol of the grandeur of the late 19th Century metropolis. Elaborate, historicist buildings and monuments first inhabited by the members of the rising bourgeoisie that had achieved prosperity in the booming Budapest around the year 1900. This era still largely defines the visual appearance of the central city. Nearly half a century later Fascism, and then forty years of Communism, again produced economic dislocation and social tumult in the lives of the people. This is best shown through descriptions of the fate of individual families in Budapest. Since 1990 the metropolis and its people have gone through a frenzied transition for which there was no template: authoritarian socialist economy to volatile capitalism and democracy. The story of the key players and groups in this transition make this tumultuous process particularly vivid. Today Budapest is a city whose role in Europe is still being crystallized. However, inventive entrepreneurs and creative artists are making the city a more and more vibrant home for its citizens and a favoured destination for a rapidly increasing flow of visitors.

Budapest 1900: A Historical Portrait of a City and Its Culture

By john lukacs.

"Lukacs's book is a lyrical, sometimes dazzling, never merely nostalgic evocation of a glorious period in the city's history. . . . {His} true sympathy lies . . . not with the famous expatriates, but with the writers and intellectuals who lived and died at home: the poets Endre Ady and Mihaly Babits; the novelists Ferenc Herczeg, Sandor Hunyady, Frigyes Karinthy, Dezso Kosztolanyi, Gyula Krudy, Kalman Mikszath, and Zsigmond Moricz; the political essayist DezsoSzabo; the playwright Erno Szep; the literary historian Antal Szerb; and others. . . . {John Lukacs} sets out to explain Hungarian literature to English-speaking readers. Though I have no idea whether or not he will succeed, few interpreters of Hungarian literature have made a more touching and eloquent attempt." -- The New York Review of Books

Danube: A Sentimental Journey from the Source to the Black Sea

In this acclaimed international bestseller, Claudio Magris tracks the Danube River, setting his finger on the pulse of Central Europe, the crucible of a culture that draws on influences of East and West, Christianity and Islam. In each town he raises the ghosts that inhabit the houses and monuments, from Ovid and Marcus Aurelius to Kafka and Canetti, in a fascinating blend of anecdote and history

The Danube: A Cultural History

The Danube is the longest river in western and central Europe. Rising amidst the beautiful wooded hills of Germany's Black Forest, it touches or winds its way through ten countries and four capital cities before emptying into the Black Sea through a vast delta whose silt-filled channels spread across eastern Romania.

Germany: A New History

In one concise volume, Hagen Schulze brilliantly conveys the full sweep of German history, from the days of the Romans to the fall of the Berlin Wall. A story two thousand years in the making, it rings with battle, murmurs with intrigue, and hums with the music of everyday life. This richly various legacy, often overshadowed and distorted by the nation's recent past, offers a hopeful answer.

The Decline and Fall of the Habsburg Empire, 1815-1918

A new and revised edition of Alan Sked's groundbreaking book which examines how the Habsburg Empire survived the revolutionary turmoil of 1848. 'The Year of Revolutions', saw the whole of Europe convulsed in turmoil and revolt. Yet the Habsburg Empire survived. As state after state succumbed to the violent winds of change that were sweeping the continent. How did the Habsburg Empire survive? How was the army able hold together while the rest of the empire collapsed in civil war, and how was it able to seize the political initiative In this new edition, Alan Sked reflects on the changed understanding of the period which resulted from the first appearance of this book, and widens the discussion to look at the Habsburg Empire alongside the decline of the Russian and German Empires, arguing that it is possible to understand their decline from a broad European perspective, as opposed to the overly narrow focus of recent explanations. Alan Sked makes us look at familiar events with new eyes in this radical, vigorously written classic which is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of nineteenth-century Europe.  

Art in Vienna 1898-1918: Klimt, Kokoschka, Schiele and their contemporaries

By peter vergo.

The artistic stagnation of Vienna at the end of the 19th century was rudely shaken by the artists of the Vienna Secession. Their work shocked a conservative public, but their successive exhibitions, their magazine  Ver Sacrum , and their application to the applied arts and architecture soon brought them an enthusiastic following and wealthy patronage.  Art in Vienna, 1898–1918: Klimt, Kokoschka, Schiele and their Contemporaries , now published in its 4th edition, brilliantly traces the course of this development. Klimt, Kokoschka and Schiele were the leading figures in the fine arts; Wagner, Olbrich, Loos and Hoffmann in architecture and the applied arts. In other fields, Mahler, Freud and Schnitzler were influencing the avant‐garde. The book includes eye‐witness accounts of exhibitions, the opening of the Secession building and other events, and the result is a fascinating documentary study of the members of an artistic movement which is much admired today. Some 150 color images and 75 black and white archival illustrations make this a sumptuous and historically engrossing study of a period when Vienna was the centre of the European art world.

Baroque and Rococo (World of Art)

Baroque and Rococo art and architecture have become popular once more, after a century and a half of neglect, misunderstanding and scorn. This radical shift in taste has led to a rapid growth of detailed knowledge about the artists who created these exhilarating styles. The famous masters have been reassessed and whole areas of achievement--Italian Baroque painting, German Rococo architecture--have been brought to a new, enthusiastic public. Germain Bazin's engaging survey of this rich subject ranges over all Europe and traces the origins and effects of these two periods of art--from the Counter-Reformation to Neoclassicism, Exoticism and even Art Nouveau. 218 illus., 43 in color.

"He writes with a Gallic verve and grace which are very successfully conveyed through Mr. Jonathan Griffin's translation...His observations upon painters and painting are particularly acute." --The Connoisseu

Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague

By rick rodgers.

Transporting readers to three of the most romantic cities in the world, this beautiful book brings to life their old-world charms and architectural gems, and presents 150 impeccable recipes for recreating their legendary cakes and pastries in the home kitchen. Vienna, Budapest, and Prague have a special hold on our imaginations, conjuring up a sense of timeless elegance, of historical and cultural riches–and of tables laden with the most extraordinary desserts imaginable. Rick Rodgers explores all these treasures in Kaffeehaus, a cook’s tour enhanced with stunning full-color photographs. Rodgers visits such culinary landmarks as Café Slavia in Prague and Café Sperl in Vienna, sampling apple strudel, the Emperor’s pancakes, hot chocolate, and other classics and gathering the recipes (and secrets) of master bakers. With an attention to detail developed through years of teaching, he explains how to make the perfect accompaniments to a cup of coffee, as well as spectacular endings to elegant meals. Filled with food facts and lore (from when coffee first came to Vienna to the great Sachertorte controversy), Kaffeehaus is a treat for armchair travelers and cooks alike.

The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages

By alain erlande-brandenburg.

All over Europe, from Westminster to Rouen, the cathedrals of the Middle Ages still stand. This book explores the world of the medieval master mason. How were these structures built when only primitive machinery was available? Who initiated and designed them? Who built and paid for them?

The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral

The great Gothic cathedrals of Europe are among the most astonishing achievements of Western culture. Evoking feelings of awe and humility, they make us want to understand what inspired the people who had the audacity to build them. This engrossing book surveys an era that has fired the historical imagination for centuries. In it Robert A. Scott explores why medieval people built Gothic cathedrals, how they built them, what conception of the divine lay behind their creation, and how religious and secular leaders used cathedrals for social and political purposes. As a traveler’s companion or a rich source of knowledge for the armchair enthusiast,  The Gothic Enterprise  helps us understand how ordinary people managed such tremendous feats of physical and creative energy at a time when technology was rudimentary, famine and disease were rampant, the climate was often harsh, and communal life was unstable and incessantly violent. While most books about Gothic cathedrals focus on a particular building or on the cathedrals of a specific region,  The Gothic Enterprise  considers the  idea  of the cathedral as a humanly created space. Scott discusses why an impoverished people would commit so many social and personal resources to building something so physically stupendous and what this says about their ideas of the sacred, especially the vital role they ascribed to the divine as a protector against the dangers of everyday life. Scott’s narrative offers a wealth of fascinating details concerning daily life during medieval times. The author describes the difficulties master-builders faced in scheduling construction that wouldn’t be completed during their own lifetimes, how they managed without adequate numeric systems or paper on which to make detailed drawings, and how climate, natural disasters, wars, variations in the hours of daylight throughout the year, and the celebration of holy days affected the pace and timing of work. Scott also explains such things as the role of relics, the quarrying and transporting of stone, and the incessant conflict cathedral-building projects caused within their communities. Finally, by drawing comparisons between Gothic cathedrals and other monumental building projects, such as Stonehenge, Scott expands our understanding of the human impulses that shape our landscape.

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther

With sound historical scholarship and penetrating insight, Roland Bainton examines Luther's widespread influence. He re-creates the spiritual setting of the sixteenth century, showing Luther's place within it and influence upon it. Richly illustrated with more than 100 woodcuts and engravings from Luther's own time, Here I Stand dramatically brings to life Martin Luther, the great Reformer. A specialist in Reformation history, Roland H. Bainton was for forty-two years Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale, and he continued his writing well into his twenty years of retirement. Bainton wore his scholarship lightly and had a lively, readable style. His most popular book was Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1950), which sold more than a million copies.

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World

On All Hallow’s Eve in 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther posted a document he hoped would spark an academic debate, but that instead ignited a conflagration that would forever destroy the world he knew. Five hundred years after Luther’s now famous Ninety-five Theses appeared, Eric Metaxas, acclaimed biographer of the bestselling Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, paints a startling portrait of the wild figure whose adamantine faith cracked the edifice of Western Christendom and dragged medieval Europe into the future. Written in riveting prose and impeccably researched, Martin Luther tells the searing tale of a humble man who, by bringing ugly truths to the highest seats of power, caused the explosion whose sound is still ringing in our ears. Luther’s monumental faith and courage gave birth to the ideals of liberty, equality, and individualism that today lie at the heart of all modern life.

Mozart: A Life

Mozart’s music has enthralled listeners for centuries. In this brilliant biography, acclaimed historian Paul Johnson draws upon his expert knowledge of the era and Mozart’s own private letters to conjure Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s life and times in rich detail. Johnson charts Mozart’s life from age three through to his later years—when he penned  The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni.  Along the way, Johnson challenges some of the popular myths that cloud Mozart’s image: his allegedly tempestuous personal relationships and supposedly bitter rivalry with Salieri, as well as the notion that he was desperately impoverished when he died. The result—a bold, invigorating portrait of one of the most popular and influential composers of all time—is a welcome addition to Johnson’s extraordinary body of work and makes a perfect gift for classical music lovers and fans of biographies.  

Twilight of the Habsburgs: The Life and Times of Emperor Francis Joseph

No ruler in modern times reigned in full sovereignty for as long as Francis Joseph, emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, and Slavonia. Titular master of central Europe from 1848 until 1916, he was center stage in Europe throughout the dramatic era in which Italy and Germany emerged as united nation states. His personal decisions were vital both to the outcome of the Crimean War and to the onset of World War I, sixty years later. Far more than a biography of a great ruler, Twilight of the Habsburgs is a social, cultural, political, and military history of Europe from the end of the Napoleonic era to the assassination at Sarajevo. "Just the right balance between the story of Francis Joseph's life and the history of his times." -- The New York Times Book Review; "Excellent and absorbing . . . A compelling read." -- Evening Standard (London).

All Quiet on the Western Front

On the hundredth anniversary of the end of World War I: a hardcover edition of the classic tale of a young German soldier's harrowing experiences in the trenches, widely acclaimed as the greatest war novel of all time. When a twenty-year-old man named Paul and his classmates enlist in the German army during World War I, they are full of youthful enthusiam. But the world of duty, culture, and progress they had been taught to believe in shatters under the first brutal bombardment in the trenches. Through the ensuing years of horror, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the principle of hate that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against one another. Erich Maria Remarque's classic novel not only portrays in vivid detail the combatants' physical and mental trauma, but dramatizes as well the tragic detachment from civilian life felt by many upon returning home. Remarque's stated intention--to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war--remains as powerful and relevant as ever, a century after that conflict's end.

Berlin Alexanderplatz

The inspiration for Rainer Werner Fassbinder's epic film and that  The Guardian  named one of the "Top 100 Books of All Time,"  Berlin Alexanderplatz  is considered one of the most important works of the Weimar Republic and twentieth century literature. Franz Biberkopf, pimp and petty thief, has just finished serving a term in prison for murdering his girlfriend. He's on his own in Weimar Berlin with its lousy economy and frontier morality, but Franz is determined to turn over new leaf, get ahead, make an honest man of himself, and so on and so forth. He hawks papers, chases girls, needs and bleeds money, and gets mixed up in spite of himself in various criminal and political schemes. This is only the beginning of our modern everyman's multiplying misfortunes. Berlin, Alexanderplatz  is one of great twentieth-century novels. Taking off from the work of Dos Passos and Joyce, Doblin depicts modern life in all its shocking violence, corruption, splendor, and horror. Michael Hofmann, celebrated for his translations of Joseph Roth and Franz Kafka, has prepared a new version, the first in over 75 years, in which Doblin's sublime and scurrilous masterpiece comes alive in English as never before.

Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family

A Major Literary Event: a brilliant new translation of Thomas Mann's first great novel, one of the two for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1929. Buddenbrooks, first published in Germany in 1900, when Mann was only twenty-five, has become a classic of modem literature -- the story of four generations of a wealthy bourgeois family in northern Germany. With consummate skill, Mann draws a rounded picture of middle-class life: births and christenings; marriages, divorces, and deaths; successes and failures. These commonplace occurrences, intrinsically the same, vary slightly as they recur in each succeeding generation. Yet as the Buddenbrooks family eventually succumbs to the seductions of modernity -- seductions that are at variance with its own traditions -- its downfall becomes certain. In immensity of scope, richness of detail, and fullness of humanity, Buddenbrooks surpasses all other modem family chronicles; it has, indeed, proved a model for most of them. Judged as the greatest of Mann's novels by some critics, it is ranked as among the greatest by all. Thomas Mann was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1929.

Faust: A Tragedy

A classic of world literature, Goethe’s  Faust  is a philosophical and poetic drama full of satire, irony, humor, and tragedy. Martin Greenberg renders not only the text’s varied meters and rhymes but also its diverse tones and styles—dramatic and lyrical, reflective and farcical, pathetic and coarse, colloquial and soaring. His translation of  Faust  has been widely praised as the most faithful, readable, and elegantly written translation of Goethe’s masterpiece available in English. "Greenberg has accomplished a magnificent literary feat. He has taken a great German work, until now all but inaccessible to English readers, and made it into a sparkling English poem, full of verve and wit. Greenberg's translation lives ;  it is done in a modern idiom but with respect for the original text; I found it a joy to read.”—Irving Howe "Martin Greenberg's translation, here presented in newly revised form, has rightly been celebrated for its colloquial idiom....The translation brings Goethe's seminal text to life for twenty-first century readers." - from the Introduction by W. Daniel Wilson

Journey by Moonlight

By antal szerb.

A major classic of 1930s literature, Antal Szerb's  Journey by Moonlight (Utas és Holdvilág)  is the fantastically moving and darkly funny story of a bourgeois businessman torn between duty and desire. 'On the train, everything seemed fine. The trouble began in Venice ...' Mihály has dreamt of Italy all his life. When he finally travels there on his honeymoon with wife Erszi, he soon abandon her in order to find himself, haunted by old friends from his turbulent teenage days: beautiful, kind Tamas, brash and wicked Janos, and the sexless yet unforgettable Eva. Journeying from Venice to Ravenna, Florence and Rome, Mihály loses himself in Venetian back alleys and in the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside, driven by an irresistible desire to resurrect his lost youth among Hungary's Bright Young Things, and knowing that he must soon decide whether to return to the ambiguous promise of a placid adult life, or allow himself to be seduced into a life of scandalous adventure. Journey by Moonlight (Utas és Holdvilág)  is an undoubted masterpiece of Modernist literature, a darkly comic novel cut through by sex and death, which traces the effects of a socially and sexually claustrophobic world on the life of one man. Translated from the Hungarian by the renowned and award-winning Len Rix, Antal Szerb's  Journey by Moonlight  (first published as  Utas és Holdvilág  in Hungary in 1937) is the consummate European novel of the inter-war period.

The Last Hundred Days

By patrick mcguinness.

The socialist state is in crisis, the shops are empty, and old Bucharest vanishes daily under the onslaught of Ceaucescu's demolition gangs. The author creates an absorbing sense of time and place as the city struggles to survive this intense moment of history.Longlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.Shortlisted for the 2011 Costa First Novel Award.Longlisted for the 2012 Desmond Elliot Prize.

Written in 1914 but not published until 1925, a year after Kafka's death,  The Trial  is one of the most important novels of the twentieth century: the terrifying tale of Josef K., a respectable bank officer who is suddenly and inexplicably arrested and must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information. Whether read as an existential tale, a parable, or a prophecy of the excesses of modern bureaucracy wedded to the madness of totalitarianism, Kafka's nightmare has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers. This new edition is based upon the work of an international team of experts who have restored the text, the sequence of chapters, and their division to create a version that is as close as possible to the way the author left it. In his brilliant translation, Breon Mitchell masterfully reproduces the distinctive poetics of Kafka's prose, revealing a novel as full of energy and power as when it was first written.

They Were Counted

By miklós bánffy, patrick thursfield, kathy bánffy-jelen and patrick leigh fermor.

Painting an unrivalled portrait of the vanished world of pre-1914 Hungary, this story is told through the eyes of two young Transylvanian cousins, Count Balint Abady and Count Laszlo Gyeroffy. Shooting parties in great country houses, turbulent scenes in parliament, and the luxury of life in Budapest provide the backdrop for this gripping, prescient novel, forming a chilling indictment of upper-class frivolity and political folly, in which good manners cloak indifference and brutality. Abady becomes aware of the plight of a group of Romanian mountain peasants and champions their cause, while Gyeroffy dissipates his resources at the gaming tables, mirroring the decline of the Austro-Hungarian Empire itself. The first book in a trilogy published before World War II, it was rediscovered after the fall of Communism in Hungary and this edition contains a new foreword.

Luchino Visconti

This Academy Award–nominated film starring Helmut Berger and Romy Schneider examines the reign of Bavarian King Ludwig from 1864 until his death in 1886. Filmed in Bavaria and Italy.

Helmut Käutner

As King Ludwig II retreats into a fantasy world surrounding his passion for the arts, his cabinet seeks to have him declared mentally unfit for office. Palme d’Or nominee for Best Director and three Best Actor awards. Originally titled Glanz und Ende eines Königs. Filmed in Bavaria.

The Martian

Ridley scott.

After an intense storm during a manned mission to Mars, astronaut Mark Watney is thought to be dead and left behind by his crew. But when NASA learns that he is still alive, scientists do what they can to bring him home, while his crewmates plan a near-impossible rescue mission. Filmed in multiple locations throughout Budapest.

The Sound of Music

Robert wise.

Relive the kindness, understanding and sense of fun that Maria shares with Georg von Trapp’s seven mischievous children. Filmed in various locations throughout Austria.

Philipp Stölzl

Based on a true story, this suspenseful adventure film set in 1936 is about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps—the Eiger. As Nazi propaganda urges the nation’s Alpinists to conquer the Swiss massif, two reluctant German climbers begin their daring ascent. Filmed in Austria and Switzerland.

Forever My Love

Ernst marischka.

Set in the 19th-century Austrian imperial court, this condensed version of the original “Sissi” trilogy portrays the romance between Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sissi) and Emperor Franz Josef. Filmed in Vienna.

Wolfgang Peterson

This film depicts the drama of World War II as seen through the periscope of a German U-boat. Nominated for six Academy Awards. Filmed in Heligoland and Bodensee (Lake Constance), Bavaria.

Ibolya Fekete

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, three young Russians arrive in Budapest seeking their fortunes in this revealing portrait of life after Communism.

Woman in Gold

Simon curtis.

Maria Altmann, an octogenarian Jewish refugee, takes on the Austrian government, determined to recover artwork that she believes belongs to her family and find justice for the destruction inflicted by the Nazis. Filmed in multiple locations including Vienna.

Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story

Lamont johnson.

Based on a true story, this film tells the story of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish banker and diplomat who saved more than 100,000 Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust while living in Budapest.

Before Sunrise

Richard linklater.

When an American man and a French woman meet on a train from Budapest to Vienna, they end up sharing one evening, knowing it will probably be their only night together. Filmed in Vienna.

Heavenly Shift

Márk bodzsár.

Set in Budapest, this film offers insights into the everyday lives of a remarkable ambulance crew. Originally titled  Isteni müszak .

István Szabó

A German stage actor finds unusual success in the popularity of his performance in a Faustian play as the Nazis take power in pre-WWII Germany, and finds that his best performance is keeping up appearances for his Nazi patrons. Filmed in multiple locations including Budapest.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tomas alfredson.

During the cold war in the early 1970s when an operation in Budapest, Hungary goes terribly wrong, the head of British Intelligence, Control, resigns. It is believed that one of four senior figures in the service is a Russian agent, a mole. Espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover the Soviet agent within MI6. Filmed in multiple locations including Budapest.

The Third Man

Set in postwar Vienna, this classic film stars Orson Welles and is based on the novel by Graham Greene. Filmed in Vienna.

Jakob the Liar

Peter kassovitz.

Set in a wartime Polish ghetto, this film stars Robin Williams as a shopkeeper who spreads hope among the imprisoned community by fabricating tales about approaching Allied advances, claiming he has heard such stories on his secret radio. Filmed in Hungary and Poland.

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• Expeditions
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• Budapest to Regensburg
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Romantic Danube

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• 5 Guided Tours
• 3 Countries
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• 2024 2025 2026
• Budapest to Regensburg Regensburg to Budapest

Romantic Danube Map

Sail to charming cities & villages

Visit Budapest’s Castle District and cross the famous Chain Bridge. Explore Göttweig Abbey, one of Austria’s most revered monastic centers, and make dumplings with Wachau Valley apricots. Visit historic Salzburg. Spend two days in Vienna, and celebrate the city’s musical heritage at a concert featuring works by Mozart and Strauss. With medieval towns, grand cities and stunning scenery, this 8-day journey on the “Blue Danube” is one you are sure to love.

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All you need included, with no surprises or hidden fees

To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below.

Itinerary and shore excursions are subject to change and may vary by departure.

More features, services and excursions included

One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call

Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)

Beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner

24-hour specialty coffees, teas  & bottled water

Port taxes & fees

Ground transfers with Viking Air purchase

Visits to UNESCO Sites

Enrichment lectures & Destination Performances

Your Stateroom Includes:

River-view stateroom

Bottled water replenished daily

110/220 volt outlets

Queen-size Viking Explorer Bed (optional twin-bed configuration) with luxury linens & pillows

Private bathroom with shower, heated floor & anti-fog mirror

Premium Freyja® toiletries

Plush robes & slippers (upon request)

40" or 42" flat-screen Sony® TV with infotainment system featuring Movies On Demand, plus CNBC, CNN, FOX & more

Telephone, safe, refrigerator

Individual climate control

*All amenities on board Viking Longships; amenities vary on other ships.

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More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour. Enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities. Pre & Post Cruise Extensions vary by itinerary and are subject to change.

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Down the Danube | Viking River Cruise Highlights from Port to Port

The “Blue Danube” is Europe’s second-largest river and therefore, one of its most significant. For centuries it has connected different cultures and has provided a pathway to facilitate trade, war, and relaxation. Originating from the Black Forest in Germany, the Danube touches 10 countries, 3 of which are visited on Viking River Cruises Romantic Danube .

I was lucky enough to experience this historic waterway on board a Viking longship and can say it is the most relaxing and luxurious way to see this part of the world. My Danube Viking River Cruise trip meant 8 days of floating (and eating) my way from Bavaria to Budapest.

Bring on the bratwurst and goulash.

Of course, there is so much more to see and do on a Danube Viking River Cruise than eat. From countless castles to learning about Nazi Germany’s uprising and fall, I have captured it here in this Danube Viking River Cruise highlights post. Starting with what the experience is like onboard to each port’s excursion and highlights, it is covered here.

Table of Contents

My Danube Viking Cruise journey was aboard the luxurious Viking Njord. This cruise ship sleeps ~190 people and has a bar, sundeck, and dining hall. All rooms are bright and airy, the decor is modern and clean, and the staff is on hand 24/7 to make your journey as comfortable as possible. They also keep you entertained and busy. Throughout the trip, you will find onboard activities such as culinary demonstrations, cultural info sessions, and local live music and entertainment. This includes learning how to make strudel, how to order coffee in Vienna , opera performances, and language lessons.

All staterooms aboard the Viking Njord are outward facing. The lower-level rooms are the only ones without balconies. Middle and upper deck rooms have verandas and/or French balconies. The two explore suites at the end of the ship feature wrap-around balconies and a large living space.

• READ MORE: Viking River Cruises Rhine Review

For my Danube Viking River Cruise, I had front-row seats thanks to an amazing veranda suite. With a separate living space, bedroom, and balcony, this is where I spent the bulk of my trip. With views like this, can you blame me?

Danube Viking River Cruise Food

The food aboard the Viking Njord is another highlight, so much so that I have a post dedicated to just that . With passing through so many regions while cruising down the Danube, Viking does a great job of incorporating local dishes into each dinner service. From a Bavarian feast to Hungarian goulash, Viking covers it all in a high-end and well-prepared and presented way. Breakfast includes a buffet and à la cart items as does lunch.

My Rhine Getaway Experience and What to Expect on a Viking River Cruise

Both can be enjoyed in the main dining hall or a lighter version on the upper deck lounge. 3-course dinners are served in the dining hall where guests are encouraged to share tables. We tried to rotate each day in a way to meet and interact with different people. Making new friends on board is easy, especially with wine being included with all lunch and dinner services.

• READ MORE: Experience Viking River Cruise Through its Food

Danube Viking River Cruise Stops

Viking Cruises Romantic Danube journey makes 6 stops from Nuremberg to Budapest. Viking does an excellent job keeping you busy and sharing the very best local sites and attractions. Each stop on a Danube Viking River Cruise includes complimentary excursions as well as additional ones at a cost. Here’s a breakdown of each stop, highlighted by my favorites.

* Note: Viking runs the Romantic Danube cruise in both directions.

Day 1 – Nuremberg, Germany

2nd in Bavaria to only Munich in size, Nuremberg is a historic city with much to offer. The walled old town includes architecture dating back to the 15th century with many castles and towers to explore. Nuremberg is also home of the Nazi uprising and their ultimate defeat and conviction.

For my short time in Nuremberg, I opted to skip the included city walk of the of the town in favour of the optional WWII tour. If find European history fascinating like I do,  I can’t recommend this tour enough. It takes you deep into Nazi Germany’s uprising with visits to the Zepplin Fields where Hitler spoke at rallies. From there you have free time to wander through the massive Documentation Center before fittingly ending at Courtroom 600, home of the Nuremberg Trials .

For a full review of my experience on this Danube Viking River Cruise WWII Tour in Nuremberg check out this dedicated post .

What to See and Do in Nuremberg

Included Shore Excursion: Nuremberg Tour – Explore the medieval city within the 13th-century walls. Visit the Imperial Palace, one of Europe’s then stroll past half-timbered before visiting Market Square. There you will find its famous gingerbread and the Gothic Schöner Brunnen fountain.

Optional Excursion(s): WWII Tour

Explore on your own: The Documentation Center, the Toy Musem, and the Chuch of St.Lawrence are all worth a visit. Alternatively, getting lost within the walled city is a great way to experience Nuremberg!

Day 2 – Regensburg, Germany

Regensburg is the oldest city on the Danube and is best known for its well-kept medieval city centre. Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Regensburg’s charm is intact and is best explored on foot. The included walking tour of the old town or the included Jewish heritage walking tour provides you with a guided stroll through one of Germany’s most interesting cities.

It was a beautiful day on my visit to Regensburg so I opted to break off from the tour at the end and explore on my own. I made my way across the 12th-century stone bridge (which was largely under construction) before settling in for a stein of Bavarian beer in front of the massively gothic Regensburg Cathedral…which was also under construction. Crane towers aside, Regensburg was a beautifully relaxing stop and was perfectly capped off with a platter of sausages from the aptly named “ Historic Sausage Kitchen ” ( Historische Wurstküche in German). This iconic shack on the banks of the Danube has been serving up sauerkraut and wurst since 1135 AD! Stopping here is a Regensburg must.

• Read what other travellers have to say about these sausages on TripAdvisor

What to See and Do in Regensburg

Included Shore Excursion:  Walking tour, Jewish Heritage Tour.

Optional Excursion(s): Munich Highlights, Wittenberg Abby, Microbreweries of Bavaria

Explore on your own:  Regensburg Cathedral, its many squares, and the Historic Sausage Kitchen!

Day 3 – Passau, Germany

Passau is known as the “City of Three Rivers” as it is located where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers meet. This has kept Passau historically significant for centuries as an important trading post and today, an excellent river cruise port town.  The included walking tour of Passau is a great way to explore the many winding corridors and alleyways. Be sure to note the line markings on the buildings. With its river convergence, Passau sees its share of floods. This is well documented throughout town.

• READ MORE: Passau Highlights

Also be sure to catch the included concert at the impressively white  St. Stephen’s Cathedral , home of the largest pipe organ in Europe. At noon, you can take in a half-hour concert (or one-hour concert in the evenings) but be warned, the music is intense. Like an octopus mashing chords while a hummingbird plays some crazy runs intense. Clearly, I don’t get organ music, and I am a musician. It’s cool to hear and see nonetheless.

After the concert, I made my way to the point where you can clearly see the waters of the Danube and Inn mix. From there I enjoyed a coffee in the worn square before heading up to the massive  Veste Oberhaus  fortress. From there you are rewarded with an amazing view of the three rivers.

As you can see, Passau is gorgeous and was a personal favourite of mine on this trip down the Daube.

For a full review of my time visiting Passau with Viking River Cruises check out this dedicated post .

What to See and Do in Passau

Included Shore Excursion:  Walking Tour of Passau, Organ concert

Optional Excursion(s): Salzburg Highlights, Bavarian Beerfest

Explore on your own:  Head out to the point to see the mixing waters of the Danube and Inn rivers, get lost in the old town, and hike up to the  Veste Oberhaus  fortress. There you can take in the view as well as enjoy several museums that celebrate Passau’s historic past.

Day 4 – Krems, Austria

Although Krems is nothing to write home about, the journey through the Wachau Valley sure is. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its collection of medieval towns, terraced vineyards, and riverside castles.  A scenic sailing through the Wachau Valley is a highlight for many guests.

As you can see, what I missed in castles along the Rhine due to low water levels , I made up for in spades on this Danube Viking River Cruise.

The tour from Krems is a visit to Göttweig Abbey, a hilltop monastery constructed in 1083. As it was a rainy day and because I had visited my share of monasteries in Bavaria I opted to take in the onboard presentations on how to make apple strudel and how to order coffee in Vienna. These would come in very handy at our next stop.

What to See and Do in Krems

Included Shore Excursion: Benedictine Abbey Tour – Visit the monks that worship and work at this scenic hilltop monastery. Sample sparkling apricot wine before viewing a short film about monastic life.

Optional Excursion(s): None.

Day 5 – Vienna, Austria

Vienna is home to great cafes ,  amazing architecture, and more museums than you could possibly visit in one trip. It’s home of the Hapsburgs, Klimt, and Freud. Both Mozart and Beethoven have called Vienna home and today, it often tops the lists of best places to live in the world. On the included city excursion, it is easy to see why.

After the tour I set out on my own to explore Vienna’s coffee culture and took a stroll along the museum quarter before making my way back to the ship.

What to See and Do in Vienna

Included Shore Excursion:  Vienna City Tour.

Optional Excursion(s):  Jewls of Vienna’s Ring, and the Museum of Fine Art. Also the Schönbrunn Palace, Mozart Concert, Wachau Valley by Bicycle, and Behind the Scenes at the Lipizzaner Stallions.

Explore on your own:   Coffee shop hop or experience Vienna beyond its museums !

Day 6/7 – Budapest, Hungary

Budapest nickname is the “Pearl of the Danube,” and with good reason. As your ship pulls in you will see the iconic bridges, buildings, and castles. Sailing down the Danube and passing through Budapest is truly sensory overload. On the left you will see Pest, a cosmopolitan European city highlighted by the beautiful Hungarian Parliment building. On the right, Buda, home of the city’s castle and towering hills.

• READ MORE: Budapest Highlights on Foot

Viking Cruises does a great job of packing a lot of Budapest into a short half day tour. A coach ride takes you past Pest highlights such as Hero’s Square. Next its  off to Andrassy Avenue, and the Dohány Street Synagogue (the largest synagogue in Europe) before heading to the Buda side for a walking tour of Buda Castle and Matthias Church.

Budapest is an incredibly easy city to navigate on foot and has an excellent transit system. Those looking to explore on their own be sure to check out my post on easily accessible Budapest highlights from the Viking River Cruise port .

What to See and Do in Budapest

Included Shore Excursion:  Budapest City Tour.

Explore on your own:   Enjoy the city by foot or soak in one of its many bath houses . Learn to make goulash at cooking class or visit the Museum of Terror and Hospital in the Hill for a look at life during Communist rule.

The Romantic Daube Awaits You

As you can see, taking a Danube Viking River Cruise is an incredibly scenic and relaxing way to see some of Europes prettiest parts. From riverside castles to tasting local cuisine, Viking River Cruises does an incredible job immersing its guests in the culture of each region visited. Throw in the comfort and easy going pace of this luxury rriverboat and you have one of the best ways to experience Europe.

What say you? Thoughts on this  Danube Viking Cruise ? Let’s hear it!

For more reviews from Europe  and beyond see HERE .

Like me? Pin me!

—  Viking River Cruises on Facebook — — Viking River Cruises on Twitter  —

Although I was provided a complimentary Danube Viking River Cruise, as always the experience, opinions, and relaxation is my own.

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That looks like an amazing luxury experience! Passau looks like such a charming place to visit as well 🙂

Thanks and Passau is beautiful!

Wow your photos are amazing! And the boat looks super nice ??

I LOVED BUDAPEST. This is such an extensive guide, thanks for sharing. Also LOVED all your photos. Reminded me how colorful Hungary is!

Thanks Diana. Budapest is a favourite place of mine too.

gaah!! I’ll have to do this one day! The rooms and the food looked amazing! Also, Europe is just so beautiful!

Definitely a bucket list trip!

This would be absolutely amazing to go on. Being able to see these beautiful countries would be incredible. The sights, sounds, culture, and food would be so amazing to experience.

For sure. Viking does a really great job.

I have really wondered about river cruises before and this one looks absolutely outstanding. The facilities on the boat look incredible! I would love to go!

You should!

Comments are closed.

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Sail to charming cities & villages

Visit Budapest’s Castle District and cross the famous Chain Bridge. Explore Göttweig Abbey, one of Austria’s most revered monastic centers, and make dumplings with Wachau Valley apricots. Visit historic Salzburg. Spend two days in Vienna, and celebrate the city’s musical heritage at a concert featuring works by Mozart and Strauss. With medieval towns, grand cities and stunning scenery, this 8-day journey on the “Blue Danube” is one you are sure to love.

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How To Make The Most Of Shore Excursions: Viking Cruises Danube Waltz

Latest update: December 2023. Coming soon, Danube River Christmas Markets, inside scoop. 

In October I joined Viking  Cruises on the Danube Waltz cruise. This was my second river cruise and I was blown away by the grand cities, small towns, and the inspiring shore excursions on this Viking Danube cruise.

Traveling with Viking Cruises is special, no question; their unique cultural immersion programs, shore excursions, elegantly designed cruise ships, and food and beverage program, are recognized by travel experts the world over.  

Photo courtesy of Viking Cruises

Optional shore excursions Danube Waltz 

Viking offers classic and iconic tours with local guides at every port–some are optional, and some are included. Every excursion is listed in your cruise documents and on the Viking website .  I take all of the included shore excursions because Viking only books guides who are experts on their chosen destination.

Optional tours are designed to give you further opportunities to dive deeper into the culture. In Budapest, you could visit the iconic Széchenyi Bathhouse for a slice of local life, or learn to make Hungarian pancakes and tour the Grand Market. There is an additional charge for optional tours. 

Széchenyi Thermal Baths Budapest, Photo by grassrootsgroundswell on flickr

What Makes The Danube Waltz Shore Excursions Special? 

One of the exclusive Viking excursions offered on the Danube Waltz itinerary was a visit to Gottweig Abbey with spectacular views over the Wachau Valley. Viking guests have the opportunity to tour the 900-year-old abbey, view a short film about life at the abbey, and admire the extensive art collection.

We also enjoyed a taste of sparkling apricot wine made by the Benedictine monks who live and work at the abbey . Viking is the only cruise line with access to Gottweig Abbey . This is one example of Viking’s privileged access tours. 

Göttweig Abbey, Benedictine monastery near Krems in Lower Austria, founded in 1083, a World Heritage Site., photo courtesy of Viking Cruises.

Cultural programs 

Participating in the cultural programs offered onboard is another way to enrich your experience– and some of my most memorable moments were on the ship. At least two of our seven nights included live music performed by expert guest musicians. One night we were entertained by a classical opera singer and another night the Bratislava Men’s Choir.

Before arriving in Vienna we enjoyed a musical evening that included our Program Director (a classical violinist) playing the violin for us, as well as learning about the classical music inheritance Vienna gave the world.  We also received the 411 on Vienna’s world-renowned coffee houses. 

Even though I’m a very independent traveler , I quickly grew to appreciate the preparation and expertise provided…I could simply enjoy the immersion in the history and culture of each port.

A trip to Vienna must include a visit to Mozart!

 Make the most of Shore Excursions on the Danube

Important tip: your viking cruise documents.

Shortly after confirming your booking, you’ll receive your cruise documents in the mail. Everything you need to know about arrival, departure, currency, the cruise ship, the ports, food and beverage, tipping, baggage, and Viking’s commitment to you is within the pages of your cruise documents. Read it. It is for your convenience.

Online information 

You will find a wealth of information on the Viking River Cruises website, such as suggestions for films and mini-language lessons related to your itinerary. Everything is designed to enhance your trip. I read two historical books about Vienna from the suggested reading list. I have always found that having some historical context makes any experience more enjoyable and deepens my understanding.  The website also has extensive details about your Viking longship. 

Consider your interests and fitness level 

To make the most of the shore excursions offered, consider these two things:

Your interests and your level of fitness. For example, some tours involve steep walks or bicycling. If for some reason you are unable to walk up a steep hill or steps, don’t go on that tour. The level of difficulty is indicated in the description of the tour. If you don’t like dancing, then you shouldn’t take a waltz lesson in Vienna.

Our tour director jokingly referred to traveling with Viking as Bootcamp, but it’s somewhat true. Most tours begin early morning and leave by 8:00 am. If having free time on your own is more important to you, that’s ok, too… you’re under no obligation to take any tours.

Breakfast selections, Viking Hermod

There was fresh smoked salmon every morning, yum!

Preparation is key to a great day

You’ll want to get up early enough to have breakfast.  Most tours last one and a half or two hours unless it’s a destination like Gottweig Abbey or Cesky Krumlov, which are half-day trips. You won’t have a chance to eat again until the end of the tour. Of course, you can tuck something into your day bag if you need a snack before lunch.

Audio devices

Every room onboard the ship has a set of audio devices that you take with you on tours (one per person). They allow you to hear the tour guide even if you’re walking in the back of the group. Make sure your device(s) are charged and ready to go each morning.  I forgot mine once and yes, there was a spare, but don’t count on this.

The best practice is when you return to the ship and put it back on the charger so it’s ready for the next day unless you’re going out on another tour that requires it. 

The dock at Krems, Wachau Valley, Austria

Port talks, Viking’s 411

Before dinner each day there is a gathering in the lounge for a port talk with the Program Director . You’ll want to go to these. Aside from being informative, they’re fun. Have a drink, sit next to someone new, strike up a conversation, and make dinner plans. In addition, you’ll usually hear from the Chef about menu specialties for the evening. There is always a regional menu, as well as classical cuisine prepared with local ingredients. 

Get comfortable in the lounge where you’ll gather for daily Port Talks and evening cocktails and entertainment.

Each evening, you will find a Viking Daily newsletter in your room with information about the next port city, as well as some fun trivia about the region, food and culture, restaurant suggestions, and other tips. These are great for making note of things you want to be sure not to miss. The Viking Daily was often my evening reading material–I’m geeky that way. 

To recap: Sleep well, wake up early, eat breakfast, and have everything you need for the next day ready to go. And make sure you don’t forget your earbuds and audio device. 

Rest well in your comfortable stateroom. photo courtesy of Viking.

Tip: Always carry the contact information for the boat with you, including the phone number– and make sure your cell phone is charged (carry a spare battery if needed.)  I was once separated from the group and my bag was on the bus. But, I had my cell phone in my pocket (because I was taking photos with it) and the card with the number for the boat. I was able to call the boat and explain what happened and where I was. 

Viking Danube Waltz: Ports & Excursions

 budapest to passau .

Now that all the details are out of the way, let’s check out the ports and shore excursions on Viking’s Danube Waltz cruise. In 2017, AFAR magazine’s Travelers’ Choice Awards named Viking the “Best Danube River Cruise Operator,” for its small ships, elegant staterooms, regional Austrian and Hungarian cuisine, and expert staff. Now that I’ve done this cruise I would offer my vote as well. I enjoyed my dance along the blue Danube–and my dance card was always full.

Viking Hermod docked near the Chain Bridge in Budapest, Hungary

I joined the Danube Waltz in Budapest– it was apparent right away why it is referred to as the Paris of the East– the lights along the river and bridges are very romantic. And because Viking is given first preference in Budapest, your ship will be docked within a short walk of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge , a suspension bridge connecting the two parts of the city. It is easily one of the most beautiful bridges crossing the Danube.

The Panoramic Budapest tour takes you by bus around Pest, then up Buda Castle Hill to visit Matthias Church (named for King Matthias) and the Fisherman’s Bastion. The views are spectacular, so be sure you have your camera or phone ready for action. 

Parliament building at night, Budapest

Budapest is intriguing because it is two cities divided by the river; on the west side is Buda and on the east side, Pest. Pest is a treasure of art nouveau and 19th-century architecture with a wonderful market, great restaurants, and shopping. More recent historical monuments, like Hero’s Square, can be seen on the Pest side.  Andrassy Avenue is the main street to know in this part of the city. It’s lined with gorgeous architecture, museums and galleries, and some good shops, too. 

Buda Castle Hill, the Parliament building, the iconic Chain Bridge, and the banks of the Danube have all received UNESCO World Heritage designation. 

Bratislava 

The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava is the only capital that borders two countries, Hungary and Austria.  In its heyday, Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria, spent quite a lot of time there, as it was part of the Hungarian Empire.  

The charming historic center is an inviting place to spend a day or two.  I would say Bratislava is emerging as one of the more interesting cities along the Danube. Despite being small for a capital city (population around 450,000), there is good shopping and fun pubs, and I spotted what looked like a nice wine bar. After your Bratislava Panoramic tour, shop for something special to take home. I brought home a music box with The Kiss, a painting by Gustav Klimt, on the cover.

Bratislava, Slovakia

The included excursion in Bratislava is either a walking tour or a drive/walk. The drive will take you up the hill to Bratislava Castle, the former home of the Hungarian crown jewels. Both tours include a walk through the charming old town along the Amber Road, once a trade route linking Northern and Southern Europe. You’ll also see St. Martins’ Cathedral, which was the coronation church for ten kings, and where Maria Theresa was crowned Queen of Hungary in 1741.

Nice shops for souvenir shops on the square in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Vienna excursions

Oh, Vienna! With so much beauty and culture to offer, how can anyone make a choice when it comes to excursions? In addition to the included city tour, six optional excursions are offered, from the Imperial Vienna tour to a classical music concert. I took the included tour, then spent the day walking the streets of Vienna before returning to the ship for the optional Heurigen evening excursion. For a great time filled with music, food, and wine I highly recommend it.

exterior St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna

St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna by Charlie on flickr

The included tour, Panoramic Vienna , is a city tour that covers the highlights of the historic center, protected by UNESCO. This includes the exterior of the Hofburg Palace , a walk by the stables of the Lipizzaner Stallions, the Roman ruins that have been excavated just outside the palace, and the magnificent St Stephen’s Cathedral. A tour of the Schónbrunn Palace can be purchased as an optional excursion. 

Café Demel by a canvas of light on flickr

No matter what you do in Vienna, you’ll want to take some time for that most Viennese of traditions, coffee . Did you know that Viennese coffee culture is classified as an intangible cultural heritage and recognized by UNESCO? I managed to try three different places: Demel, Cafe Eiles, and Cafe Espresso.

What makes Demel special?

Everyone should try Demel, located in the historic center just outside of the Hofburg Palace. Demel served the royal palace and its inhabitants and is one of the oldest coffee houses in Vienna. I had hot chocolate because I knew I would have coffee later; my friends all ordered some sort of special Viennese coffee drink. Everything was served in classical style on a small silver tray with a shot of water on the side.

I quite like this tradition and wish it would make its way stateside. Demel is also known for its fantastic pastries and cakes. There’s a kitchen in the back where you can watch them making these sweet creations. 

Musicians at the Wolff Heuriger

Optional tour in Vienna

The Heurigen evening was a highlight of the trip for me . You’re probably wondering what a Heurigen is if you’ve never been to Austria. The Heurigen refers to a seasonal winery only open after harvest, when the winemaker will then sell the new wine. Heurige means from this year .  A Heurigen evening includes not only wine but lots of food too–something that is not traditional but has grown with the times and popularity with tourists.

As guests of Viking, we were treated to an evening at Heuriger Wolff, one of the oldest winemaking families in Vienna. You’ll see the sign above the entrance says 1609…that’s a long time! There was live traditional music, many toasts, and a feeling of gemutlichkeit, or good cheer, was present. One of the crew members who was along with us for the Heurigen evening said he never missed the opportunity to go. That’s a darn good recommendation. 

Fresh wine from the Wolff Heurige, Vienna

Krems and Gottweig Abbey 

Ah, Krems. I woke up and looked out my window to see church steeples piercing a heavy layer of fog.  We may have left the glamour of Vienna behind, but there was more Austrian treasure to discover. Krems and Stein, once two separate towns, are part of the Wachau Valley cultural landscape. Settlement in Krems dates back to the Neolithic era. It was once more important than Vienna for its wine and salt trade. Cobblestone streets and vineyard terraces are the hallmarks of this charming town.  Also, the tour to Gottweig Abbey departs from Krems.

Vineyards near Krems, Austria

Scenic Sailing through the Wachau Valley

 When the ship departs Krems, have your camera ready, because the rest of the day will be spent cruising the extraordinary Wachau Valley.

The Wachau Valley stretches from Krems to Melk and has been a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. It is considered the prettiest part of the Danube River. The Wachau is mainly known for picturesque castle ruins, medieval towns, and terraced vineyards.

Grapes grown in the Wachau Valley

The signature grape is Gruner Veltliner, a white wine grape that produces a wine that is acidic and aromatic, with notes of citrus and pepper. Another important grape from the Wachau is Riesling – usually dry and crisp, though there are late-harvest dessert wines too.

Above the clouds in Pöstlingberg, Linz by Penny Sadler

Linz and Cesky Krumlov excursions

The next port is Linz, and two excursions are included: a guided tour of Linz, home of the Linzer torte, and a walking tour of the storybook town of Cesky Krumlov , another Unesco World Heritage Site located in the Czech Republic. You can choose to stay in the port and tour Linz or travel to Cesky Krumlov, a full-day tour. Or, choose a day free to do whatever you like! 

Linz was heavily bombed during WWII as it was an important industrial city. However, there are still some buildings of architectural and historical significance, such as the Mozarthaus, where the composer wrote the Linz Symphony.  The Haufplatz is the main square surrounded by shops, cafes, and historic buildings. There’s a huge Christmas Market here during the holiday season. 

If you want to do something really special in Linz take the train up to Pöstlingberg where you can view Linz from 1700 feet up! As you can see from my photo it is high enough I was above the clouds. Aside from the view you can visit the Basilica of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, established as a pilgrimage church in 1716. 

The train takes only twenty minutes and I bought a ticket from the tourism office. It was 7.50 euros roundtrip. Worth it! 

The castle tower, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Cesky Krumlov Walking Tour

Transport to Cesky Krumlov is by bus, which allows one to gaze upon the pretty countryside. Our guide regaled us with history and stories of growing up in a communist country, as well as what life is like in the Czech Republic today. I learned a lot! 

Cesky Krumlov

Once in Cesky Krumlov, the tour includes the exterior of the upper and lower castle, the town hall, the pharmacy, and the monastery. The castle buildings, as well as most of the buildings in the center of the town, are covered in the most beautiful frescoes. I marveled at how well restored they are.

 After the tour, we had lunch at a traditional Czech restaurant specializing in regional food, in other words, peasant food for hard-working people. I had the most delicious cabbage soup there thanks to the recommendation of our tour guide. It was so good I’ve prepared it at home several times. 

My only regret was that there wasn’t enough time to visit the castle museums, climb the tower, float down the Vltava River, and eat lunch.  My tip for this trip: if possible, go in the offseason or spend the night . Cesky Krumlov has become very popular and is crawling with tourists, especially around the castle. Once you filter into the town, it’s less congested.  However, if that’s not an option, just go! It’s worth it.

Passau, Germany

Passau excursions

The final port on this cruise is Passau, Germany, a most charming slice of Bavaria, founded over 2000 years ago at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz, and Danube rivers. Overlooking the town and the river,  Veste Oberhaus is an old fort, built in 1219.  Aside from the stellar views in season, there is a beer garden.

 The Passau Walking Tour, the included shore excursion,  is a stroll through the city culminating in an organ concert at St. Stephen’s church. A baroque dream that will surely remind you of Rome and Bernini, St. Stephen’s is home to Europe’s largest pipe organ. It has more than 17,000 pipes. 

I loved Passau – it felt like I was in Italy with its winding cobblestone alleyways, Baroque facades, arches, and even businesses with Italian names.  If you didn’t look at the street signs you might not know where you were but then again, there was no graffiti and everything was very clean and organized.

An optional tour from Passau is the Neuschwanstein Castle tour. Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration for the Disney castle. Transportation to Neuschwanstein Castle is by helicopter. Other optional tours here include hiking the Passau hills, Bavaria by bike, and a visit to a Bavarian farm.

Alas, Passau was our port of disembarkation. Not only that, but it was time to say goodbye to Viking and new friends. If you would like to extend your stay Viking can arrange that for you. Many people extend their time to visit Prague, Munich, or return to Vienna. 

 A Viking cruise guarantees a cultural experience like no other. Now, armed with all this pre-cruise knowledge, you can make the most of every shore excursion on the Viking Danube Waltz . 

If you enjoyed this article, PIN IT! If you see an image you love, please message for copyright or usage information.

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30 comments.

Penny – My sister and I are going on the reverse Blue Danube cruise that you took. We are going in July and are looking at the optional excursions; however, a lot of the ones on the website are not available or being offered. Is there another company that has similar excursions?

Hi Steve, Are you saying that you don’t see the same excursions on the Viking Danube Waltz trip for summer time? I had a look and it all looks the same to me. There are other cruise lines sure. You can just google Danube river cruise and many options will pop up. I have not sailed with any others so I can’t honestly reocmmend them.

Correct. Some of the excursions we want to take are listed on the website but not offered for our cruise. In your experience, are these offered as we get closer to the cruise?

Your best bet is to contact Viking directly and ask them.

[…] a recent trip to Hungary, I visited Tasting Table Budapest. Prior to my visit, I had never tasted Hungarian wine but I knew […]

[…] sure to read my article, How To Make The Most Of Shore Excursion’s, Viking’s Danube Waltz for in depth information about what to expect and  as the title says, how to make the most of […]

nice blog thanks for sharing this.

Thanks Penny, very helpful – gets me psyched for my 2024 trip with friends. Will review itinerary since I know included tours have been modified since your trip.

Hi Brian, Are you going on the Danube Waltz itinerary? If so, the excursions are the same. I’m going on this trip again soon and there is no difference except that there will be Christmas markets.

What a great article! My husband and I are taking this river cruise at the end of May 2024. We decided to only do the included excursions but after reading about the Heurigen evening excursion, we’ve added that to our itinerary. Thanks for sharing your review!

You will love it! So fun!

Fantastic article – I’m sending to all my fellow travelers! One question though, the Cesky Krumlov excursion is now all day and there is a hefty cost, as it is no longer an ‘included’ excursion. Is there enough to do and see in Linz itself or do you strongly recommend going to Cesky Krumlov? Thanks!

Hi Jayne, How must does it cost to go to Cesky Krumlov now? I can’t really comment on Linz because I didn’t go there. However, I do remember the people who did go enjoyed it. If it’s not too expensive I’d probably opt for Cesky Krumlov but maybe Google Linz and see what you think.

What a wonderful and informative article. I am going to be on the Viking Danube cruise in April, 2023. Has anyone gone to Salzburg after docking in Linz? I would love to see Salzburg since we have an entire day in Linz. Has anyone taken the train to Salzburg ? I was wondering how far the train station is from where we dock.T hank you for any information anyone could share.

Hello Ann, I’m sorry I do not know the answer to that question. If you are taking a Viking Cruise I recommend you reach out to your trip planner for assistance. They can arrange everything for you. I am envious. This is a wonderful itinerary.

Appreciate the tips provided in your article, very informative

Thank you Milena. I appreciate the feedback. I’m be traveling with Viking again soon on the Douro River of Gold itinerary. Have you taken that one yet?

Hello! We have plans for this cruise Dec 2024 in reverse. Do you know how Viking makes accommodations for the hard of hearing? Like the onboard programs, headset connections to earbuds during excursions, or other ways? Thanks in advance

Renee, Great question! I do not but I will reach out immediately to follow up. Stay tuned. I know they have headsets but I don’t know if they have special headsets for hearing impaired.

Penny, I’m going on the Danube Waltz i at the end of March 2022. I really appreciated your comments and recommendations. Thanks so much for sharing. I’d like to take the Cesky Krumlov tour. Do you have time when you return to be able to explore Linz on your own?

Hi Kay, I recommend asking your Viking contact this question. I took the cruise in the fall of 2019 and there may be some changes now. At the time you could choose to go to Cesky Krumlov or to tour Linz, but not both. Again, I’d ask Viking. It’s a fabulous trip and I know you will love it.

Thanks Penny for the helpful information. We are planning to take the Viking European Cruise in 2022. Do you or friends have any more info. / or would like to share their experience of taking the helicopter ride and the tour to go visit Neuschwanstein Castle?

I did not take that tour and I’m not sure if anyone on the cruise I was on did. Sorry, I can’t be of more help about that but I’m sure you can find reviews on other sites.

Great information! Thank you so much; this will be a great help to us as we plan our excursions. We just signed up for the Danube Waltz cruise today and I’m so excited even though it’s months and months away!

You will love it! Glad to be of help.

[…] I rarely bring home anything more than photographs, but I purchased a small music box in Bratislava last year. I keep it by my bedside, so that I am reminded daily of the last European trip I took, a wonderful cruise on the Danube River. […]

When can I leave?

Now seems like it would be a good time! And, no crowds! you’ll have Vienna and Cesky Krumlov to yourself. Heavenly. But of course, it is a personal decision.

Awesome article! I’ve always wondered about these cruises and now I can’t wait to plan our very own! Thanks for the info!

I know you will love it!

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Hot Topic: Surprise Cruise Reveal Ideas

Viking Christmas River Cruise with Dazzling Markets Along the Danube

There’s a charm during the holiday season in Europe unlike any other place I’ve experienced, which I saw through the lens of a Viking Christmas River Cruise. A magical ambiance fills the region with smiling and laughing patrons, enjoying glühwein and each other’s company in historic squares and small streets in old villages.

During one such season, I was lucky enough to board a Viking ship on a river cruise that sailed along the Danube River . It stopped at charming cities of all sizes with dazzling Christmas markets.

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, which means we may earn a small commission if you click the link and proceed with a purchase,  at no cost to you . We truly only recommend hotels, products, and services we personally use. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Table of Contents

A Winter River Cruise in the Spirit of Christmas

Cruising in Europe during winter may sound like an oxymoron. But Viking proved that cruising isn’t just for laying out on the top deck with tropical destinations on an itinerary. (There are benefits to cruising in any season, and winter provides beautiful holiday sparkle wherever you go.)

There’s one thing you get in December in Europe that you can’t get any other time in any other place: European Christmas Markets. And they are amazing!

Christmas River Cruise Route along the Danube

The route we took was called the Romantic Danube, and included stops in the following places:

• Budapest, Hungary
• Vienna, Austria
• Krems, Austria
• Passau, Germany
• Regensburg, Germany
• Nuremberg, Germany

I met my friend Julie Deily, of The Little Kitchen, in Budapest to board the Viking Atla river cruise ship.

We started in Budapest, which is a gorgeous place to begin. The lights on their parliament building are particularly spectacular at night; it was great the scene from on the Danube River , aboard the Viking cruise ship.

Our River Cruise Viking Ship: Atla

The Viking Atla was our vessel for our Christmas River Cruise. Don’t forget that the sun sets significantly earlier during December in Europe than during the summer months, like July and August. About three to four hours earlier.

So by the time we got back to the ship the first day – after dropping our luggage off in the morning, touring around the city and returning for dinner – it was already dark. Our next day was really the first day I was able to see the ship in sunlight and view its beauty.

We arrived to the warmth and glow of the lights inside the ship; isn’t it romantic to see the ship this way with string lights twinkling atop reflecting in the river? It was especially nice to see limited yet tasteful holiday decorations – like wreaths with red bows and green garland – adorning the inside of the ship.

Don’t forget to pack European outlet converters for your cabin aboard the ship!

We appreciated its clean Scandinavian design, from our stateroom to the river cruise ship’s grand staircase, and common areas.

The top of the staircase looked towards a warm, cozy common area. Some board games were stashed there for guests that were great to play during the evenings.

There were more games at the top of the ship: a little golf putting green and shuffleboard.

Christmas River Cruise Start: Budapest, Hungary

The cruise begins in Budapest. You’re able to fly into the city, of course, but I extended the trip beforehand in Munich and Stuttgart, Germany. (Since I had to leave the cruise early I wanted to make the most of my time in Europe.) I flew to Budapest from Munich to start the Christmas river cruise.

Arriving to Budapest Early

I spent the two nights before I was able to board the Viking Atla at an Air BnB on the river (coincidentally, not far from where the ship was docked) and touring Budapest.

It was great to see the city’s sites and incredible markets. They were all around and very easy to walk to from the ship. My Christmas market favorites were consistently the beautifully illuminated concession stands. I loved the lights, the decorations, and the holiday colors.

The Budapest Christmas markets sold things like marzipan sweets made from almond paste, strudel cakes (from cherry to peach, apple, and strawberry), to smoked salmon slow-cooked for hours, and Hungarian goulash in bread bowls. There were also plenty of wooden toys and craft keepsakes to purchase.

Seeing the Sites in Budapest

We were able to visit several sites in Budapest including the famous Parliament building on the “Pest” side of the river the day the cruise started. And we toured the area around the famous Buda Castle on the “Buda” side of the river as well.

Before we left Hungary and sailed for Vienna we were able to go to the Great Market Hall. It’s also known as Central Market Hall , and is a huge food market in Budapest that was built in the 1890s. ( We love a good food market .)

We were lucky enough to try a local favorite, called Hungarian Langos. It is fried dough that is covered with toppings of your choosing, most traditionally sour cream and cheese, which is exactly how I had it. (I still crave it! And I haven’t had it since because I haven’t found it anywhere in the United States.)

I had some leftover local currency that I wanted to spend before we left the country. So I bought some Hungarian Paprika, a spice they’re known for. (And I ended up buying it again when we returned for a Danube River Cruise with Emerald Cruises in late October.)

Currency in Hungary is different than the currency you’ll need for Austria and Germany. Hungarian Forints are needed in Hungary, and then you’ll need Euros for the remainder of the cruise. Credit cards work almost anywhere, especially after the pandemic prompted more cash-only businesses to start accepting cards. But it’s always best to keep some cash on hand too.

I used it a ton after the trip, constantly making my favorite Hungarian mushroom soup recipe , which I specifically discovered to use the paprika. (The word, “paprika,” is Hungarian.)

Next Stop on the Danube River: Vienna, Austria

Vienna was a city I’d been looking forward to visiting for many years. Yet, I admit, we only saw a limited amount of it because it was so frigidly cold we could barely stand being outside!

We hopped between indoor and outdoor spaces hoping the wind would subside so we could enjoy the outdoor Christmas markets yet have our body temperature stay warm.

Luckily there were great options to explore indoors too. We were outside, then went inside, then outside, then back inside, repeat, repeat… Luckily the wind eventually died down.

After being outdoors for a bit to walk around Schönbrunn Palace and a nearby park, we switched to see the inside of Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral . We warmed up afterwards with hot cappuccinos and cookies at a beautiful coffee shop called Konditorei Demel .

Visting a Candy Maker in Vienna

One of my favorite stops of the entire trip was visiting a candy shop that had me in awe of its bite-size creations. It’s worth a stop at Zuckerl Werkstatt ; they still create their beautiful hard candies by hand. I felt like I was in a room at Willy Wonka’s home!

It was really neat to see a candy maker expertly work a pile of yellow tinted hot sugar over and over again, and watch it turn to solid white in front of our eyes. We learned the air helps change its color.

I even bought a candy souvenir for Dan. It was one of my first gifts for him, as it was early on in our relationship. (Later on I’d learn that sweets aren’t really his thing! Haha.)

Christmas Markets in Vienna

Exploring the Christmas markets of Vienna most near the city center, with mugs of hot glühwein, was in order when we left the candy store. We nestled around new friends we met on the cruise and talked about the day. By this time the holiday lights were starting to turn on as daytime turned to night.

It’s entertaining to see the different mug designs each European Christmas market has. They’re all different. You pay a small fee for the mug that is given back to you if you return the mug to the vendors. Or, you can collect the mugs as souvenirs.

I was pleased to venture to visit another holiday market in front of their city hall, or Rathaus , before we headed back to the ship.

I just love “maroni” on a winter day in Europe. Maroni is simply chestnuts , for us westerners…roasting on an open fire, as the holiday song goes. You can buy a bag of chestnuts for just a few euros, which is all you need.

Warm alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages flow at the markets and the sounds of holiday choirs and music fill the air.

There are food vendors selling bratwurst (a personal favorite) and pretzels, craftsmen selling wooden nativity scenes and ornaments, and tables casually scattered about the streets and sidewalks between kiosks for patrons to use to converse with friends, relax and people watch.

Vienna has so many different pockets of Christmas markets. But the two I visited were a delightful look into their culture during the holidays and left me with a reason to go back one day: to explore more of the Vienna Christmas markets and explore the city more entirely.

Viking Events Coordination in Vienna

Viking had scheduled a cooking class for us, creating traditional Viennese crepes with a berry reduction to go with it during the afternoon. It was the perfect indoor activity for us to warm up and have a sweet little Viennese snack.

Later that night, I enjoyed a performance showcasing Mozart and Strauss, arranged specifically for guests of the Viking cruise that evening. The Vienna Residence Orchestra was there, live, and their singers were of the highest caliber.

Sailing on the Danube River

One of the great things about sailing on the Danube between Hungary and Germany is you get to see fairy tale scenes like the image below, of a random castle on the side of the river.

We saw a lot of industrial scenery aboard our Emerald River Cruise in The Netherlands , which was great in its own way. But the views along the Danube River are, indeed, very romantic. As is the stargazing in the evening on the top deck. (Don’t forget to download a stargazing app for the cruise on your phone before you leave for your trip!)

We learned we were experiencing a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Wachau, when we sailed the stretch of the Danube River between Melk and Krems, Austria.

This valley is noteworthy for its medieval landscape along the river, which is historically significant for its agriculture, architecture, and settlements.

Romantic Danube River Stop at Krems, Austria

Krems, Austria is a charming European area filled with rolling hills of vineyards. Grapes for some wines served onboard Viking were from this area, perhaps not coincidentally.

The most famous attraction here was Benediktinerstift Göttweig , an abbey run by a few dozen monks situated on top of the hill. Needless to say the view from there is spectacular, especially at night. The abbey fresco, staircase and bookcases are not to miss.

We were there just before sunset so we were able to see it with some natural sun and then with sparkling lights in the town below as we exited after dark.

Charming Holiday Markets in Passau, Germany on Our Christmas River Cruise

When we woke up in Germany we had just docked in Passau. The view was one of a misty morning, with the city’s colorful buildings lining the Danube. It perfectly reflected on the water.

This was one of my favorite scenes of the trip.

I immediately left the ship to begin exploring the small, quaint European town. (I couldn’t have known at the time that a couple of years later I would photograph a groom from Passau, in his New York wedding. He was shocked I had previously been to his Bavarian town, all thanks to a Viking River Cruise.)

The city center is just steps from where the ship docks, watched over by St. Stephen’s Cathedral . The baroque building towers above the town square, where the Christmas markets are.

Inside the cathedral is an ornate and beautiful interior filled with frescoes and interesting architectural details.

After I exited St. Stephen’s, I walked around the town a bit. Passau is also known as the “City of Three Rivers,” because it’s where 3 rivers converge. It was fun to wander around to see many waterfront scenes in the city.

By the time I was back in the town center, the market vendors were opening for business. I opted for an early bratwurst sandwich for lunch before I sadly had to leave the cruise to go to the airport.

The ship continued on to Regensburg, Germany and the Christmas market river cruise ended in Nuremberg.

What to Pack if You’re Sailing with Viking During Christmas

That’s just the tip of the iceberg and the appeal of cruising with Viking for a Christmas river cruise. Late November and December are a lovely time to experience the holiday spirit through the Christmas Markets set up in Europe. It’s a joy to participate in the festivities at each port.

You’ll gain memories at each destination along your river cruise, along with the warmth and love that the holiday season brings. And that is something you can’t get on any other sailing besides a Christmas time river cruise.

Gone is the need to “look good in a bathing suit” for a winter cruise! You can eat all the yummy, delicious foods you want because you’re in sweaters and a heavy winter jacket anyway. Haha!

But don’t forget to pack gloves, a warm hat, scarf and a heavy coat. You’ll need it! We also recommend bringing quality lotion to keep your skin moisturized since the air is very dry in Europe in December, and Chapstick too.

You may also want to pack an expandable bag as well because you may buy a bunch of amazingly unique, local items at the holiday markets. And you’ll need a way to bring them back home on the plane!

Going on a river cruise? Also check out:

26 Helpful Things to Know your First Time on a River Cruise

• Quick-Reference Guide to Cruising on the Danube River (including Prices)
• River Cruise vs Ocean Cruise: What’s the Difference?

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• Expeditions
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• Budapest to Passau
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Danube Waltz

• From $2,399
• 6 Guided Tours
• 4 Countries
• Dates & Pricing
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• Budapest to Passau Passau to Budapest

Danube Waltz Map

Cruise to enchanting destinations

Soak up soothing steam at a Budapest thermal bath. Learn to waltz at a Viennese dance school. Savor Austro-Hungarian cuisine in Vienna and Budapest. Admire the Wachau Valley’s beauty. Explore lesser-known Central European cities like Bratislava and Passau. Witness daily monastic life on an exclusive visit to Göttweig Abbey. This eight-day itinerary reveals the best of these places while cruising leisurely through spectacular scenery.

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All you need included, with no surprises or hidden fees

To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below.

Itinerary and shore excursions are subject to change and may vary by departure.

More features, services and excursions included

One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call

Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)

Beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner

24-hour specialty coffees, teas  & bottled water

Port taxes & fees

Ground transfers with Viking Air purchase

Visits to UNESCO Sites

Enrichment lectures & Destination Performances

Your Stateroom Includes:

River-view stateroom

Bottled water replenished daily

110/220 volt outlets

Queen-size Viking Explorer Bed (optional twin-bed configuration) with luxury linens & pillows

Private bathroom with shower, heated floor & anti-fog mirror

Premium Freyja® toiletries

Plush robes & slippers (upon request)

40" or 42" flat-screen Sony® TV with infotainment system featuring Movies On Demand, plus CNBC, CNN, FOX & more

Telephone, safe, refrigerator

Individual climate control

*All amenities on board Viking Longships; amenities vary on other ships.

Pre & Post Cruise Extensions

More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour. Enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities. Pre & Post Cruise Extensions vary by itinerary and are subject to change.

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8 best river cruises in Europe, from the Douro to the Danube

E urope is a continent built on its rivers, with many having played a vital role in the formation and development of its most important cities. From the Thames to the Tiber, they are a ever-flowing reminder of the continent’s long and varied history.

The opportunity to sail along these rivers, among the world’s most beautiful and peaceful waterways, is a temptation that’s easily given in to. Of course, a river cruise is about more than just spending time floating on the water (although that option is available, should you wish). It’s about the towns, cities and landmarks along the way.

These trips will take you on a relaxing and slow-paced journey to vineyards and valleys, tours and excursions, returning each night to your own floating hotel. Each day offers quick stops to discover some of the continent’s most important culture at your own pace.

The Independent has rounded up eight of the best Europe river cruise packages, from epic continental crossing and to the finest Christmas markets to explore.

Capitals of Eastern Europe, Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises’ Capitals of Eastern Europe itinerary is a 16-night trip covering the main cities on the Danube. It sets sail from Vienna, the elegant and sophisticated Austrian capital, and it finishes in Constanta, Romania, before a quick final journey over land to Bucharest to end your trip with a two-night stay.

Read more on Europe travel :

• Best European holiday destinations to visit by train from London
• Escape to the Chateaux: Why you should book a trip to the Loire Valley
• Best budget European city breaks for your 2023 bucket list

On the way you’ll visit a host of towns in Hungary, Serbia and even Bulgaria, but on this trip the bigger cities are the main attraction. Vienna is followed by Bratislava – where Baroque palaces meet a typically Eastern European Old Town – and then Budapest . The Hungarian capital is a highlight: from festooned “ruin bars” and thermal baths to a spectacular neo-Gothic parliament building, the city has a wide variety of architecture, activities and things to do.

How to book

The tour lasts for 17 days, starting from £3,795pp. This price includes return flights, one excursion in each port of call and all meals. vikingrivercruises.co.uk

North Rhine & The Netherlands, TUI

Alongside the Danube, the Rhine is one of Europe’s main cruise rivers. Many operators have several Rhine packages; TUI’s offering covers a stellar range of cities for a very affordable price. It’s ships have two dining options (a bistro and a more formal restaurant) with al fresco seating, as well as a wellness and activity area on the top deck. No excursions are included, but this does give you free rein to choose whatever activities you like.

The first two days are spent in Amsterdam , where you’ll have ample time to wander its canals and green spaces, such as the Vondelpark, or visit attractions such as the Anne Frank museum, Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum.

Days three and four bring you to Rotterdam and Dusseldorf. You can enjoy the port area in Netherlands ’ second city or simply marvel at its dramatically different modern architecure, while Dusseldorf provides a variety of museums and concerts alongside a lively Old Town. On days five to seven, you’ll visit four picturesque riverside cities and towns: Bonn, Koblenz, Boppard and Oberwesel. There are waterfront bars and restaurants galore, and each has its own slice of history (think of a Beethoven museum in Bonn and a memorial to the ruler who united Germany in Koblenz).

From £1,219pp for this seven-night trip, including three meals per day (you can add coffees, alcohol and other drinks on an all-inclusive basis for an extra £20 per night) and return flights. tui.co.uk

The Douro, Riviera Travel

A trip along the northern Douro river can offer views to rival even the most idyllic of Algarve beaches. This trip starts in Porto , where bars and restaurants line the banks in the Ribeira (Riverside) district, but it is worth climbing the various hills to see other areas and sites, such as the cathedral and Dom Luis I Bridge.

After setting off along the Douro, your first two stops are Pinhao – a picturesque wine town, famous for being at the heart of the Port-producing region of the country – and Castelo Rodrigo, a 12th-century walled village located in the highlands. Day four will see you visit Salamanca, the Spanish sandstone city famous for its cathedrals and university.

The next two days are spent in Peso da Régua and Lamego – two small hillside towns – before returning to Porto on day seven. The cruises ends here but the holiday isn’t; this package also contains a three-night stay in Lisbon . After travelling to the capital by coach, you’ll visit the nearby towns of Coimbra (day eight) and Sintra (day 10), while you’ll have a day in the capital sandwiched in between; while in Lisbon, take in the city’s unique Manueline and Pombaline architecture while wandering through its grand squares, and visit Sao Jorge castle or the city’s famous Time Out Market.

This 11-day cruise is priced from £2,128pp, including all meals on board, excursions, airport transfers and coach travel where necessary.  rivieratravel.co.uk

The Rhone, Scenic Cruises

Scenic Cruises’ luxury Rhone sailing takes you through some of the best sections of southern France , starting in Lyon . The regional capital has 2,000 years of history, so it’s blessed with a Roman amphitheatre right through to a Renaissance Old Town. Your first trip will take you north along the Saone river to Macon, a famous wine region in Burgundy.

The next two towns, Vienne and Viviers, offer spectacular views of the Rhone before you arrive in Avignon for two nights. You can enjoy a private concert at the Palais des Papes – once a Papal residence – as well as a cooking class onboard, but a visit to the city itself is worth it to wander its narrow streets and charming squares, starting with the Place de l’Horloge. Your final day takes you to Arles, at the mouth of the Rhone – from here, you can travel home, stay in the city or carry on towards Marseille .

Prices start at £1,863pp for the eight-day cruise. The package includes 20 meals, the premium concert experience, cooking lessons and 19 shore activities, ranging from walking tours to wine tastings. scenic.co.uk

Holland & Belgium, Avalon Waterways

Avalon’s eight-day cruise of the Low Countries is an excellent way to experience some of the region’s best cities in a relaxing way. It starts and ends in Amsterdam , where you’ll have a number of nights to wander its scenic network of canals lined with beautiful 17th-century buildings.

When you move onto Belgium, you’ll visit Ghent , Brussels and Antwerp on consecutive days. More tranquil canals await you in Ghent, and those who enjoy being by the water can continue this in Antwerp’s waterfront area. Brussels has more than its fair share of landmarks and museums (all centred around Grand Place, main square and Unesco Heritage Site), but the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Antwerp) and St Bavo’s Cathedral (Ghent) are definitely places to visit during the other stops. Day six will take you to Rotterdam before you head back to the Dutch capital.

From £1,635pp. Meals and some activities are included; there are additional excursions in each destination that can be purchased. avalonwaterways.co.uk

Danube Delights, Emerald Cruises

This trip from Emerald Cruises takes you along the famous river to Regensburg. It starts with two nights in Budapest , with a traditional Hungarian folklore show and tour of Buda Hill on offer, along with any solo sightseeing you’d like to do. Days three and four take you to Bratislava and Vienna, where you can enjoy cycling tours and hikes.

Krems and Durnstein are the last two stops in Austria before you head to Passau, the German “City of Three Rivers”. At the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers, the city is home to an impressive cathedral and Old Town. After disembarking at Regensburg, you make your way to Munich , where a good plan is to spend time exploring the Bavarian capital before you fly home.

From £1,995pp for this eight-day cruise, which includes five guided tours, 20 meals and complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks served with lunch and dinner on board. emeraldcruises.co.uk

Christmas Markets on the Rhine, Ama Waterways

There’s something quite special about experienceing Christmas celebrations on a river cruise through Europe. On this AmaWaterways voyage, you sail the Rhine, boarding in Amsterdam and with a first stop in Cologne. The Gothic cathedral provides the backdrop for one of the country’s best Christmas markets, where you’ll find dozens of stalls selling festive items, many of it handmade. Other markets include the more elaborate Heinzels Wintermärchen in the Old Town and the Markt der Engel (a more rustic affair in the city’s Neumarkt square). For those who want to mix in a bit of sightseeing, the Museum Ludwig and Roman-Germanic Museum can give you a taste of arts and history.

Next on the itinerary you’ll visit the German towns of Heidelberg and Speyer, where more markets await, before arriving in Strasbourg, France. Here you’ll find an eclectic mix of French and German culture, a warm festive spirit and plenty of opportunities to wander the markets that are spread throughout the town. Wander further afield and you’ll find Petite France, a pretty district known for cobblestone streets and canals. Holidaymarkers return to Germany for the penultimate stop in Breisach, before disembarking in Basel (though you can always stay in Switzerland for a taste of Swiss Christmas markets).

From £2,254, including meals and some activitie; flights and airport transfer not included. amawaterways.co.uk

European Sojourn, Viking River Cruises

This ultimate itinerary bisects Europe to take passengers from Amsterdam to Bucharest, via sections of the Rhine, Main and Danube among other European rivers. Along the way, passngers will visit some of Europe’s principal cities – think Budapest, Amsterdam and Vienna – smaller (but just as beautiful) riverside settlements such as Passau and Bamberg, and lesser-known towns including Vidin and Kolocsa.

Hidden gems range from Melk, an Austrian town in the underrated Wachau Valley wine-making region, Osijek, the fourth-largest city in Croatia, and Kinderdijk, a Dutch village famous for its set of 19 windmills. With 23 days, eight countries, 20 towns and cities, and at least 10 Unesco World Heritage Sites, there’ll be plenty to see as you traverse the length of central Europe.

From £5,395pp, including flights, 19 guided tours, all meals, transfers and amenities. vikingrivercruises.co.uk

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The best cruises to book for 2024

Whether you're looking to sail near or far, these are the best cruises to consider for 2024

So many places, so little time - and the best cruises for 2024 are ideal for seeing as much of the world as you can.

They also open up spectacular views you wouldn’t get on land, such as fairytale castles dotted along the Danube or the rolling vineyards flanking the Douro Valley .

Choosing a cruise means seeking new adventures, perhaps travelling to a continent you’ve never set foot in before or trying new activities like hiking, wildlife spotting or cooking . There are other ways to expand your horizons on a cruise too, such as seeing some local entertainment or making new friends on board.

As it’s become ever-more important to us to take a stress-free holiday, we've rounded up the very best cruise packages that won’t disappoint, with everything from the best river cruises to amazing cruises for couples and excellent cruises around the UK .

It doesn't matter when you're looking to sail either, as these cruises take in all the seasons. Fancy a wintery adventure? We've got an epic Norwegian expedition cruise for that. Feel like a spring cruise to escape the summer crowds? We've got the perfect cruise around Japan at the height of cherry blossom season . Japan cruises are always popular and tend to sell out early, but we've got you covered with an excellent 2025 sailing already available — make sure to take a look before it sells out.

However or whenever you want to travel, there's a trip for you, and the best cruises in 2024 take you to the most incredible destinations. You can travel with celebrities on star-studded holidays , visit lesser-known towns and villages to get a real taste of a location and sail to amazing wildlife destinations.

These are the best cruises for 2024.

Venetian Lagoon - Best cruises

Venice is a city that's famous for its water, and a cruise around the Venetian Lagoon reveals more of this romantic and fascinating destination than a hotel city break ever could.

On a Venetian cruise, you can visit the islands of Venice's northern lagoon, including Mazzorbo, Torcello and Burano during a sailing on the luxurious SS La Venezia. Burano is known for its traditional lacemaking and its vividly colourful fisherman cottages lining the lagoon.

The opportunity to visit Burano isn’t the only reason to pick a cruise in the Venetian Lagoon. On Good Housekeeping's special cruise , you’ll sail in the company of top chef James Martin, who will give a talk and Q&A about his career, and design and cook a grand gala dinner on board the luxurious ship SS La Venezia.

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If you fancy an autumnal sailing with more of a musical theme than a foodie one, you might choose to join an eight-day cruise of the Venetian Lagoon in the company of world-famous tenor Russell Watson, who will give a special talk and Q&A, sign your complimentary CD, and give an exclusive intimate concert. You’ll have a chance to explore the highlights of the Lagoon as well, with trips to its islands of Burano, Mazzorbo and Torcello and private visits to Venice's iconic Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica.

Croatia - Best cruises

If you're looking for a sunny Mediterranean cruise you'd do well to consider Croatia and its stylish seaside towns and dozens of sun-kissed islands and islets off the glittering Dalmatian Coast.

With their astounding natural scenery, stylish coastal towns and off-the-beaten-path beaches, Croatia’s islands are wonderful to explore by small ship where you can dock in hard-to-reach corners only accessible by boat.

There mainland has no shortage of attractions either, with bustling cities to be explored too, like Dubrovnik, with its labyrinth of limestone streets and alleyways, palaces, churches, monasteries and picturesque piazzas, and Split, which has a long and varied history and excellent museums.

On Good Housekeeping's cruise you'll dock in Hvar, Dubrovnik and Split as well as one of Croatia's most beautiful beaches at Zlatni Rat - the Golden Horn - whose distinctive shape has made it an icon of Croatian tourism. You'll also visit the island of Mljet and discover the Mljet National Park with its serene saltwater lakes and verdant pine forests.

Vietnam and Cambodia - Best cruises

A cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia is a fantastic way to discover the rich cultures, fascinating histories, and delicious cuisines of these two Southeast Asian gems. The countries are connected by the mighty Mekong River, which is a destination in itself, providing a home for diverse ecosystems and fishing communities on the delta and with ancient archaeological wonders along its banks.

Good Housekeeping is offering a 17-day tour of Vietnam and Cambodia, which includes seven nights cruising the Mekong on board the Mekong Jewel - an ornately decorated luxury ship.

You'll visit Ho Chi Minh City, where skyscrapers tower over ancient temples, Phnom Penh, Cambodia's thriving capital, and Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, where you can visit excellent museums and historic sites before indulging in some delicious Vietnamese street food.

There are excursions to the sprawling temple complex of Angkor Wat, the remnants of the last capital of the Khmer Empire, Angkor Thom, and to local villages and markets on sampans - traditional wooden boats.

Northern France - Best cruises

If you want to enjoy pretty coastal towns with a touch of history, a cruise to Northern France can offer you all of this without having to spend a huge amount of time at sea.

Sail to the Normandy region and you'll discover charming harbourfront towns like Honfleur, where you can sample local delicacies like camembert and Calvados, a rich local brandy made from apples and pears. Originally occupied in the 9th century by the Vikings, Honfleur has attracted artists for many years, including a young Claude Monet.

Join Good Housekeeping on a cruise to Normandy on board the luxurious ship Borealis. On the way to Northern France, you'll make several stops in the Isles of Scilly and the Channel Islands, including Guernsey, with its elegant Georgian and Regency architecture, and St Mary's, a marine conservation zone with lovely coastal walks. FIND OUT MORE

Japan - Best cruises

As each new spring begins, millions of Japanese residents and tourists wait with anticipation for the first buds of the pink cherry blossom, known as sakura , to appear.

These blossoms are a symbol of renewal, vitality and beauty, and they make Japan's already spectacular cities and landscapes even more breathtaking than usual.

You'll have the chance to experience this phenomenon for yourself with Good Housekeeping's once-in-a-lifetime two-week cruise around Japan. The journey begins and ends in Tokyo, where you'll find soaring skyscrapers contrasting with blooming gardens and traditional noodle houses.

Along the way, you'll stop in Hiroshima, where you can learn about its devastating Second World War history, Osaka, where you can see some of the country's most ornate shrines and temples, and you'll even make a stop in Busan in South Korea to enjoy the city's subtropical landscapes. FIND OUT MORE

Norway - Best cruises

Another wonderful European cruise destination for seeing the Northern Lights is Norway. It's one of Europe's best destinations for aurora spotting, especially if you head north above the Arctic Circle, where sightings of the lights are an almost daily occurrence at certain times of year.

From the Arctic capital of Tromsø, you can sail on to the remote and mysterious Lofoten Islands and visit North Cape, Europe's most northerly point, passing ancient Viking villages and herds of reindeer on the way.

On Good Housekeeping's Northern Lights cruise of Norway , you'll enjoy all the highlights of Norway's spectacular coastline: from exploring the Unesco-listed port of Bergen, the city of Tromsø and the ancient Viking trading post of Trondheim. You'll sail through some of Norway's most jaw-dropping landscapes, cruising past more than 1,000 mountains and 100 fjords. There'll be opportunities for wildlife spotting and stargazing and you'll be sailing with an expert expedition team who'll give you the best chance of catching a unique light display.

If you'd prefer a summer sailing, Good Housekeeping has a wonderful cruise over the August bank holiday weekend. You'll sail through several of Norway's most heavenly fjords, learning about ancient Viking history and the fascinating myths and legends that surround these icy waters.

Scottish Highlands - Best cruises

Loch Ness, Loch Nevis, the Sound of Mull, Iona, Eigg, Skye, Fort Augustus, Fort William… these names conjure up images of glistening waters, wild landscapes and towering castles, majestic flora and fauna, and ancient myths and legends.

A cruise in this part of Scotland would surely be a contender for the most scenic of British getaways. You can travel through the Highlands and islands of Scotland to explore the endlessly beautiful Caledonian Canal, the magical islands of Scotland's western shore and hidden sea lochs that are only accessible on the water.

The deluxe Lord of the Glens hosts a maximum of 54 passengers and is one of the best ways to sail the Highlands. Guests stay in outward-facing en-suite cabins and enjoy superb cuisine throughout.

You can experience this ship on a exclusive sailing with weather presenter Carol Kirkwood, who'll join you on a journey through the tranquil Caledonian Canal and onwards towards the Sound of Mull, sharing stories of her Scottish family's history.

Egypt - Best cruises

If you're looking for a culture and history-filled cruise a little further afield, a river cruise through Egypt is a great option. Sailing along the Nile allows you to visit magnificent temples including Kom Ombo, Philae, Edfu and the Valley of the Kings, the ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty.

Good Housekeeping has a fabulous 12-day trip to Egypt packed full of historical and archaeological excursions. The trip begins in Cairo, where you'll take a trip to Giza to see the ancient pyramids and the Great Sphinx before heading to Luxor and boarding an opulent river ship for your seven-night cruise.

Making this cruise extra special is the company of historian Lucy Worsley. Lucy is an expert in Agatha Christie and will share her knowledge of the author's work during Q&As and talks, pointing out her connections to Egypt and the locations which inspired one of her most famous works, Death on the Nile.

Antarctica - Best cruises

Choosing the best Antarctic cruise can seem like a daunting task. It’s an investment of your time and money and likely something you may only do once and remember in exquisite detail. It’s a remote and thrilling part of the world to explore, where 12 million penguins live in the coldest, highest, and driest place on earth.

To get the best out of this bucketlist experience, you need to go with experts who will take care of everything. Hurtigruten expedition cruises have explored Antarctic waters for over 20 years, and their premium ships have been designed so guests can explore the region comfortably.

Good Housekeeping’s Antarctic cruise on MS Fridtjof Nansen has one of the lowest possible CO2 footprints of all expedition ships in Antarctica, thanks to a special hybrid engine on this future-ready vessel.

You’ll depart from Ushuaia, a city nicknamed ‘End of the World’ and head through the icy waters of the Drake Passage, home to the incredible marine life you may have only seen on screen, where the white wonderland envelopes you on an adventure like no other.

The Hebrides - Best cruises

For a slightly different kind of island holiday - one that's more about getting out and about in wild, untamed nature and spotting incredible wildlife - try a cruise around the dramatic Hebrides .

These Scottish islands offer rugged coastlines, varied flora and fauna and delicious local whisky to taste at several historic distilleries.

Each island has its own special charms. There's the outstanding wildlife haven of Arran, the Isle of Mull with its brightly painted harbourfront houses, the 'whisky island' of Islay, world-renowned for its peaty single-malts, and the uninhabited Hirta Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you're interested in exploring the Hebrides, we have an eight-day sailing that will take you to Iona, Eigg, and Skye, as well as many other picture perfect locations on the mainland.

Greece - Best cruises

The idyllic Cyclades, a collection of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, are known and loved for their pretty white-walled houses draped in pink bougainvillea, sandy beaches and bright blue waters.

But there is more to the Cyclades than just sun, sea and sea. These isles have a rich history, shaped by their many past conquerors, including the Minoans, Persians, Byzantines and Romans. You'll see remnants of these cultures in the architecture, from the Monastery of the Apocalypse Patmos to the cliff-clinging monastery of Hozoviotissas on Amorgos.

Discover a range of these intriguing buildings and monuments with Good Housekeeping on a cruise of the Cyclades . As well as the Cyclades you'll also spend time in Athens and Kusadasi, a beach resort in Turkey.

Douro River - Best cruises

Anyone wanting to explore the Douro wine region should choose a cruise along the Douro River. This scenic waterway is central to the Portuguese wine trade and is flanked by rolling hills and vineyards, with storybook villages rising from the banks.

The Alto Douro, the name of this wine-producing valley region, holds UNESCO status and is one of the oldest and most renowned wine-making regions in the world.

Good Housekeeping offers an exclusive cruise along the Douro, where you can truly soak in the beauty of this golden valley as you travel.

Whereas some cruises like their passengers to dress in their finest gowns for dinner, A-ROSA ALVA has no such rules. Instead, an eight-day cruise invites its guests to relax on a wine-themed voyage where you'll visit multiple wine estates. Depending on the time of year, you might even get the chance to take part in a traditional grape harvest, including crushing the grapes underfoot in traditional granite troughs.

Germany - Best cruises

The Rhine Valley is a captivating part of Germany, characterised by storybook castles and hilltop vineyards. A cruise on the Rhine is particularly inviting during the weeks leading up to Christmas, when the towns, villages, and cities along its banks go all out for their famous Christmas markets.

Good Housekeeping has a Christmassy cruise which will take you to the best of these markets. Starting in elegant Cologne, you'll see the incredible Gothic cathedral before boarding your beautifully appointed ship and setting sail along the Rhine.

You'll make several stops along the way, including in Mainz, Frankfurt, Koblenz, and Rüdesheim. At each stop you'll have time to browse the fairytale markets, picking up unique gifts and trying local delicacies as the heavenly scent of roast almonds, mulled wine and spiced cider fills the air.

India - Best cruises

The Ganges is India's most sacred river, meandering 2,500km through the country from its starting point high in the Himalayas. Flowing through sprawling cities, tiny villages, and spectacular nature, a cruise down the Ganges is a fantastic way to see some of India's best attractions.

On a Ganges cruise, you can visit highlights like the Rajbari temple complex in Kalna, the artisan village of Matiari, and the neoclassical Hazarduari Palace in Murshidabad.

Good Housekeeping has a once-in-a-lifetime tour of India , which includes a seven-night cruise down the Ganges. After exploring India's Golden Triangle – including an unforgettable trip to witness both sunrise and sunset over the Taj Mahal – you'll board the luxurious Ganges Voyager II, a spectacular ship adorned with hand-painted murals.

Another highlight of any trip to India is the food, and you'll be joined on board by the Michelin-starred British-Indian chef Atul Kochhar, who'll share his passion for Indian cuisine in a live cooking demonstration.

Alaska - Best cruises

With its staggering mountain ranges, lush forests, rolling tundra, dramatic glaciers and a jaw-dropping range of wildlife, ranging from bears and moose to whales, Alaska is wilderness at its best. And no location in Alaska is more inviting for nature lovers than its Inside Passage, a network of waterways that wind through the fjords and mighty forests of the USA's largest state. Cruising through this incredible body of water gives you a rare chance to glimpse humpback whales, orca, bald eagles and bears in their natural habitat, and to discover the diverse and fascinating culture and history on its banks. From intriguing Gold Rush history to the traditions of Native Alaskan communities, there's so much to learn about on an Alaska cruise. Good Housekeeping has a once-in-a-lifetime cruise of the Inside Passage as part of a Canadian and Alaskan adventure. You'll ride on a scenic train route through the Rocky Mountains to Vancouver, where you'll set sail for a week-long Alaskan cruise on board a well-equipped ship.

Danube River - Best cruises

The enchanting Danube is a wonderful river for a culture-packed European cruise. It winds through seven European countries and boasts opulent cities on its banks, as well as picturesque towns and villages and dramatic unspoilt rural scenery, including the UNESCO-protected Wachau Valley.

Good Housekeeping is offering a week-long Danube cruise , where you'll discover the highlights of three of the great capitals on its banks. You'll enjoy the culture and culinary treats of Vienna, marvel at the its magnificent buildings in Budapest, and take in the Gothic architecture and imposing castles of Bratislava.

In Vienna, you'll also have a very special event to look forward to; a trip to the famous Royal Lipizzaner Stables and Spanish Riding School with one of UK's best-loved historians, Lucy Worsley. Here, you'll get an insight into the training work of the riders with their Lipizzaner stallions as you watch them train to the sounds of classical Viennese music.

FIND OUT MORE Looking for inspiration for your next holiday? Grab a cuppa and browse our brochure packed with unique escapes.

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Cruise Line Viking IPO Fetches $1.54 Billion

Viking Holdings Ltd. priced its initial public offering near the top of a marketed range to raise $1.54 billion for the luxury cruise operator and two investors.

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(Bloomberg) — Viking Holdings Ltd. priced its initial public offering near the top of a marketed range to raise $1.54 billion for the luxury cruise operator and two investors.

Cruise Line Viking IPO Fetches $1.54 Billion Back to video

Viking is offering 11 million shares and the selling shareholders are offering about 53 million for $24 apiece, the company said in a statement, confirming an earlier report by Bloomberg News.

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Best known for its art- and history-rich river tours of Europe, Viking had marketed the shares for $21 to $25 each. It increased the number of shares offered by private equity firm TPG Inc. and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board at the time of the pricing, while the size of the potential over-allotment was also increased to 9.6 million shares.

At the IPO price, Viking will have a market value of $10.4 billion based on the outstanding shares listed in its filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Viking’s founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Torstein Hagen, will continue to control the company with his daughter Karine Hagen, exercising 87% of the company’s voting power. TPG and CPPIB will each control 4.5% of votes.

Founded in 1997, Viking operates cruises around the world and has 92 vessels, according to the filing. It has more than 10,000 employees in over 90 countries.

While the company has expanded beyond its original tours of rivers such as the Danube and the Rhine, it continues to cater to older, wealthier travelers seeking “more than just a vacation,” Torstein Hagen said in the company’s prospectus.

“We maintain a clear focus on our most relevant customer group: English-speaking travelers aged 55 years old and over, who have the time, money and desire to explore the world,” Hagen wrote. “We do not try to be all things to all people, which is why we only offer a single-language experience on board our ships; there are no casinos; and children under 18 are not allowed.”

Viking is the second-biggest consumer-oriented company to go public on a US exchange this year, after the $1.57 billion listing by Amer Sports Inc. in January. Since then, an assortment of tech, health-related and industrial businesses have held IPOs, raising more than $13 billion not including Viking, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Bermuda-based Viking is joining its publicly traded peers Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Royal Caribbean, the largest of them with a market value of about $37 billion, is the only one of the three whose shares have climbed back to where they started before the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2022, Viking reported a profit of $399 million on $3.2 billion of revenue, which rose sharply compared to the previous two years as the pandemic ebbed. Last year, the company lost $1.8 billion as revenue grew to $4.7 billion. The filings show adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciations and amortization of $1.09 billion for 2023, which included a gain of about $2 billion from the re-measurement of derivatives associated with preference shares that will convert with the IPO.

Viking’s offering is being led by Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., UBS Group AG and Wells Fargo & Co. Viking’s shares are expected to begin trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VIK.

Read More: Viking’s Growth, Profit Potential Cruise Alongside Public Rivals

—With assistance from Ryan Gould.

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