We chose this because we wanted to visit Budapest and Prague so we also added pre and post extensions to the cruise for those cities. Budapest is full of interesting architecture and history. The public transportation is easy to navigate so we were able to experience a lot on our own in addition to the excursions that we booked through Viking. Favorite places to see were the Hungarian Parliament, Szechenyi Baths, Dohany Street Synagogue, and Matthias Church. We took Bus 16 on our own to Buda Castle District to explore and discovered Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker museum. We were lucky enough to arrive in time for the next English language tour with only one other couple so we enjoyed a semi-private tour with a guide who was delighted to be able to share stories of the Hospital’s history that he normally didn’t get to tell to larger groups. Another highlight of our time in Budapest was the Danube River Folklore Dinner cruise. We were entertained by music and costumed dancers while enjoying a Hungarian dinner of goulash, dumplings and beef with local beer and wine enhanced by the beauty of the lights of Budapest reflecting on the Danube.

Other ports on this cruise are Bratislava, Vienna, Krems, Linz, and Passau. We took Viking’s Panoramic Bratislava excursion and rode their bus to visit Bratislava Castle then took a walking tour of the town. There we enjoyed seeing a mix of medieval and baroque architecture with surprising eclectic statues randomly along the streets. A favorite of tourists is the statue of Cumil, the Man at Work, peeking out of the sewer.

In Vienna we visited Schonbrunn Palace which rivals Versailles in opulence and grandeur with spectacular gardens. The Panoramic Vienna excursion gave a nice overview of the city but also revealed that one day is not enough to fully experience Vienna. While at Krems we took the Gottweig Abbey tour which is a World Heritage Site. The left Krems after lunch and cruised the Wachau Valley while our Cruise Director pointed out the various castle ruins along the way. Read more