We wanted to visit Berlin for the first time and revisit Prague again after many years. The Viking Astrild is one of the smaller ships in the fleet. Our ship was not fully booked and day tours fit easily in two of Viking’s busses. We were able to meet most of our fellow travelers on the short five days on the river aboard the Astrild. The Elbe is a relatively small river with mostly farm lands an small towns along the way. One of the highlights was the Saxon Switzerland National Park with lots of birds and panoramic views of the Elbe River. We arrived in Berlin a two days early which allowed us to explore the city on our own before joining the Viking tours an heading out to join the ship. The river was quiet with morning singing of cuckoo birds calling.

Our Viking Crew were excellent as usual. We enjoyed having local performers back on board as COVID protocols allow. We felt Viking and our Astrild Crew took care to ensure our heath and safety.

Prague was busy and vibrant as we remembered, Our guide gave us a well planned bus and walking tour covering many of the iconic Prague sights including noon at the Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj and the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Prague Castle. Our last day in Prague we chose to explore on our own using the subway to easy get to areas on both sides of the Vltava River. Read more