Viking Rivers "Danube Waltz" 2027
August 31 - September 11
In July of 2024 Kim and I FINALLY had the opportunity to travel with our long time travel advisor Nancy Nelson and her husband Rick. Over the M-A-N-Y years we've worked with Nancy we've become more than client & specialist, and are very close friends. So to spend the time with them sailing through Europe was a big treat. We get the chance to sail again with them, and several of her pals that we enjoyed that Rhine trip on this new adventure on the Danube!
August 30-31: Travel To Budapest
Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom. Riverside beauty and a vibrant cultural scene blend together in Budapest to form one of Europe’s most rewarding cities. Hungary’s enchanting capital straddles the banks of the Danube, with traditional hillside Buda on one side and modern Pest on the other. By day, stunning art nouveau buildings, stalwart castles and grand palaces set the stage for inspiring strolls and long soaks in thermal spas. By night, the shimmering lights of the Parliament building dance across the waters of the Danube, the Chain Bridge uniting it all as a dramatic centerpiece.
September 1: Budapest
Budapest’s old town is a fascinating medieval patchwork of narrow streets and colorful houses. In the Castle District, the Matthias Church soars in Gothic glory. Adjacent, the expansive wall and seven turrets of Fisherman’s Bastion overlook the Danube, the graceful Chain Bridge and the Pest side of the river. The centerpiece of the district is the sprawling Buda Castle. Constructed in the 13th century and expanded to its current baroque splendor during the 18th century, this edifice was home to Hungary’s kings for almost 700 years.
September 2: Bratislava
The Slovakian capital of Bratislava is filled with lovingly restored baroque city palaces and leafy squares. The Little Carpathians rise steeply in the north and the enormous hrad(or castle) perches 300 feet above the Danube, lending the city a picturesque setting. Below the castle, the Old Town boasts elegant mansions, art nouveau houses and gracious pedestrian zones. Eleven Hungarian kings and eight queens were crowned in St. Martin’s Cathedral, today a concert hall that plays a central role in the city’s rich cultural offerings.
September 3: Vienna
Renowned as the “City of Waltzes,” Austria’s capital city of Vienna is Europe’s center of classical music. Strauss and Mozart composed many of their finest pieces here. Vienna’s musical history is matched by the elegant, graceful architecture that lines the Ringstrasse, the wide boulevard encircling the Inner City. Baroque, neo-Renaissance, Gothic-Romanesque and other splendidly styled structures, from the Hofburg Palace to the Vienna State Opera, take the breath away with their grand facades. Vienna has a more intimate side too: inviting footpaths lead through green parks and its famed Viennese cafés sweeten any stay with coffee and the city’s delectable Sachertorte.
September 4: Krems
A small university town at the eastern end of the Danube’s Wachau Valley, Krems is surrounded by terraced vineyards. In its heyday, during the 12th century, Krems held even more importance than Vienna for its iron, grain, salt and wine trade. As to the latter, the city has played a long and celebrated part in the popularity of the Wachau’s wine culture; the valley’s south slopes in Krems are bathed in sunlight all day and create some of the best Riesling and Veltliner wines in the world. The city’s cobblestone streets, taverns, wine bars and coffeehouses have a timeless appeal.
September 5: Linz
Originally known as Lentia in its days as a 1st-century Roman castle-settlement, Linz is today’s provincial capital of Upper Austria. The city’s famous Linzer Torte, the jam-filled cake topped with almonds, hails from here and can be found in any number of cafés. In the Old Town, narrow lanes lead to the Hauptplatz, once the largest town square in Austria. Handsome patrician houses, the 17th-century Town Hall and an impressive cathedral line the open space. The steepest mountain railway in Europe delivers visitors to Pöstlingberghill and its 18th-century pilgrimage church.
September 6: Passau
Founded by the Celts over 2,000 years ago, Passau is one of Bavaria’s oldest cities. Known as the “City of Three Rivers,” it rests at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube rivers. The city has long enjoyed its strategic position and grew to great economic and political power because of it. The legacy of its past prosperity lives on in graceful arcades, colorful houses with rococo facades and the glorious baroque St. Stephen’s Cathedral, home to one of Europe’s largest pipe organs. Passau is also where two nations meet; it is here that the German-Austrian border begins.
Post-Extension: Salsburg & Munich
September 7 - Passau & Salsburg
Disembark your ship and set out to see the most renowned sites where The Sound of Music was filmed, including the gardens at Mirabell Palace, where the Pegasus Fountain and a now-famous stairway played a role in the song “Do-Re-Mi.” You will also see Nonnberg Abbey, Hellbrunn Palace and St. Michael’s Basilica, where the von Trapp wedding was filmed. The movie is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. Continue to Salzburg and check in to your hotel. This evening, enjoy dinner at your leisure.
September 8: Salsburg
Today, get an in-depth look at one of Austria’s most stunning cities. See the place of Mozart’s birth, then continue to the Alter Markt, Salzburg’s oldest marketplace. At Domplatz, see the impressive Salzburg Cathedral and the statue of the Virgin Mary, as well as St. Peter’s Abbey and Salzburg’s famous Festival Halls, where international stars of opera, concert and theater have performed during the Salzburg Festival for nearly a century. This afternoon, continue exploring on your own. (B)
September 9: Munich
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and journey to Munich. Upon arrival, get acquainted with the city during an orientation walk as you explore the historic main town square, the Marienplatz. Observe the famous Glockenspiel in Marienplatz and climb the tower of Peterskirche for spectacular views of the city. This afternoon, enjoy a guided panoramic tour by motor coach to discover the highlights of Bavaria’s capital, the third-largest city in Germany. (B)
September 10: Munich
Today, visit one of the region’s spectacular palatial treasures built by one of Bavaria’s most celebrated monarchs, King Ludwig II. Drive into the countryside, where you will see the famed Neuschwanstein Castle. This fairy-tale fortress was built as an homage to composer Richard Wagner, and was the inspiration for the setting of Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Then travel to Oberammergau, a picturesque alpine village famous for its once-in-a-decade Passionsspiele about the life of Jesus. (B)
September 11: Munich
Check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (B)