| Cruise Line |
Riverside Cruises |
| Ship |
Riverside Mozart |
| Destination |
EU Rivers |
| Nights |
7 |
| Departure Date |
30 May 2024 |
| Description |
Three majestic Habsburg capitals are delighted to present their architectural beauty and centuries of history to you on this cruise.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
It is no coincidence that many filmmakers have chosen Budapest as a backdrop. Take EVITA (1996), for example – most of the scenes were shot not in Buenos Aires, but in Budapest. Anyone walking through the city, in the shadow of the State Opera House or across elegant Szabadsag ter (Freedom Square) in the V. district, sees and feels it immediately. Budapest impresses. It is a metropolis and a spa city. It is Paris, Florence and Vienna in one. Many buildings were copied here. In fact, the Palais Batthyany, is an exact copy of the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence. A must: the castle district. Pastel-colored houses, built by their owners to be close to the Royal Palace. Or the National Gallery. Or the Labyrinth: it also served as a prison. Its most famous inmate: Vlad Tepes from Transylvania, who went down in history and stories as Count Dracula. And another suggestion. It is best to simply drift through Budapest. Then you will always come across enchanting stores like the Madison Perfumery. It is housed in the rooms of a 19th-century pharmacy. Not only the fragrances are enchanting, but also the furniture and accessories in the back room, all of which are original.
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
Once understated and unknown, since the turn of the millennium it has become something of a pearl on the Danube alongside Vienna and Budapest. Small, quaint and quiet, it shows its splendor at the castle, but also and especially in the old town where you will find fine buildings, such as the rococo Palais Esterhazy, where the Russian composer Anton Rubinstein once lived. Yet all this grandeur is rivaled by a canal worker, of all people, who speaks for the humor of the Slovaks. They have dedicated a bronze monument to him. Cumil (Man at Work) is the name of the sculpture by artist Viktor Hulik. He mischievously looks out of a manhole cover at passers-by like a gawker. Subtle humor in the face of grand statues – this is a theme in this neat city.
DURNSTEIN, AUSTRIA
Durnstein is a village with narrow streets and the canons’ monastery, whose blue church tower stretches out majestically into the Heavens. High above the village is the castle, or rather what remains of the castle. It is there that you can trace an exciting story: King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned here – and would possibly have died there if a singer had not saved him.
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
This is the city of classical music. It’s Mozart and Strauss. It's street art on a sandy beach and fun in the countryside. It’s bohemia and bourgeoisie and the finest baroque. And of course Art Nouveau. It’s bad-tempered waiters in great coffee houses. It’s Sigmund Freud and Gustav Klimt and Adolf Loos and Friedensreich Hundertwasser and Sisi and many others. It is the Spanish Riding School, an event for horse lovers. And of course it is the city of Schmah (jokes anyone?) and scandals, on which the Viennese feast like cows on fresh grass on the alpine pasture. Last but not least: Vienna is the city on the Danube. Although it was not always so. The Viennese Danube river front is an artificial structure which was only created in the 19th century. Before that, the Danube flowed past Vienna in many arms through floodplains and uninhabited areas. Today, the Riverside can also dock right in front of the city. And then it starts. Marvel, wonder and rejoice. Vienna is a dream.
MELK, AUSTRIA
Does anyone still remember Adson of Melk? Right, that’s the main character in the novel. The name of the rose. The story begins in Melk Abbey and ends in its breathtaking library, in whose 12 rooms more than 100,000 volumes stand in fine order, virtually piling up. (Here, the word “piling up” still has an entirely positive meaning!) Melk Abbey is one of the most magnificent examples of marble, gilded wood, stucco and finely mastered frescoes. Built in 1746 by order of the Benedictine monks, the monastery is perched on a rock nearly 200 feet / 60 meters above the ground. When you stand on the Altane (the great terrace of the monastery) the view of the Danube and the town of Melk almost brings tears to your eyes with emotion. What a view!
YBBS, AUSTRIA
Small alleys and pretty squares, a thousand-year-old town wall and the Gothic Passauer Hof – Ybbs is a Danube town of postcard quality. Extremely beautiful and lovingly renovated. Strolling through the old town is a true pleasure and it is all too likely that you will pass the house at Herrengasse 23. As a 6-year-old, none other than, yes, the child prodigy Mozart stayed here. Today, the building houses a city museum. Ybbs is located in the Nibelungengau, perfect for hiking and cycling.
LINZ, AUSTRIA
Linz? Often, the only things that come to mind are “Linzer Torte” and Mozart’s Linz Symphony. The city is truly underestimated, with its baroque main square and magnificent old town. Do you love a good market? Then Linz is your town, boasting eleven farmers markets and two Christmas Markets. One, the “Urfahraner Market” takes place in both the Spring and Fall. Shopping anyone?
ENGELHARTSZELL, AUSTRIA
Trappists are an order of the Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the “Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance”. Anyone who holds such a title must achieve extraordinary things. Something the monks do well: they brew excellent beer. Their only monastery in Austria (with a stylish Rococo church) is in Engelhartszell. And not only that: Another must-see is the late antique Burgus Oberranna. Here’s to a beer!
PASSAU, GERMANY
Passau is first and foremost a university town. That is why it is young, vibrant and full of life. Then there are the three rivers, the Danube, Inn and Ilz, which flow together in the city and give it a special character. Speaking of character, Passau has quite the amount of character thanks to the prevalence of Baroque and Gothic architecture including many beautiful churches and cathedrals as well as the Veste Oberhaus, a fortress since the Middle Ages.
|
|
| Itinerary |
Cruise Itinerary
| Day | Date | Activity | Arrive | Depart |
|---|
| 1 |
30/05 |
Budapest, Hungary |
|
|
| 2 |
31/05 |
Bratislava, Slovakia |
|
|
| 3 |
01/06 |
Tulln, Austria |
|
|
| 3 |
01/06 |
Vienna, Austria |
|
Overnight |
| 4 |
02/06 |
Vienna, Austria |
|
|
| 5 |
03/06 |
Melk, Austria |
|
|
| 5 |
03/06 |
Ybbs, Austria |
|
|
| 6 |
04/06 |
Linz, Austria |
|
Overnight |
| 7 |
05/06 |
Linz, Austria |
|
|
| 7 |
05/06 |
Passau, Germany |
|
Overnight |
| 8 |
06/06 |
Passau, Germany |
|
|
|
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.
|
