Cut a placid path past Rapunzel’s fortresses
CRUISING on a great river is a supremely relaxing way to witness Europe’s glories glories, combining rewarding historic explorations ashore with a decidedly contemporary little adventure on board.
Today’s sleek river ships cut a placid path past Rapunzel-like towers, fairy-tale fortresses, half-timbered villages and lush vineyards, while passengers savour the ever-changing view from the panoramic lounge or their cabin’s open floor-to-ceiling window.
And they can always decamp to an alfresco table on the deck — perhaps to enjoy a light lunch and a crisp glass of wine, while the sun warms their face and a gentle breeze ruffles their hair.
The new generation of sleek river ships come with interiors akin to those found in stylish boutique hotels. Guests are cosseted and well entertained amid luxurious surroundings all the way.
On the swankier ships, you could be swimming in a heated pool before breakfast, sunbathing next to it in the afternoon, then watching a film in the evening when the pool area turns into a cinema.
Plus, you can expect to be wonderfully wined and dined, often in a choice of venues, and entertained each evening, as the spacious river ship ripples smoothly on its way.
But it’s the chance to drop in on so many historic and cultural highlights in Europe’s heartlands that makes river cruising really special.
Itineraries pack as many as four countries into a one-week cruise. And each day is enriched by guided coach and walking excursions, often included in the price.
So you’ll see more and do more than on most other holidays, yet with minimal effort and without having to worry about additional costs.
It’s little wonder that British passenger numbers grew by a healthy 8 per cent in 2015, to 150,300, according to cruise association CLIA.
Europe’s great waterways are ripe for exploration — and it’s a perfect time to step on board.
WALTZ NEXT?
OFFERING generous portions of history, lashings of Habsburg architecture and scrumptious helpings of Sachertorte, it is the gateway to five capital cities and the only river in the world with a waltz named after it.
And if you have now started humming The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss, take a bow.
Motoring lazily along the Danube, you could find yourself having breakfast in historic Bratislava, lunch in Esztergom (Northern Hungary) and dinner in Budapest, moored beside the famous Chain Bridge — all in the same day.
Key stops on a magical downstream meander between Nuremberg and Budapest include 90-year-old Melk Abbey, featuring Austria’s finest Italian baroque architecture, with its ornate gold leaf walls, 640ft Imperial Corridor and fresco ceilings.
The picturesque Wachau Valley reveals the site of Durnstein Castle, where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned after returning from the Crusades in the 12th century.
And Vienna, the city of waltzes, sparkles with such sights as the Spanish Riding School and the Hofburg Imperial Palace, once home to more than 1,000 nobles — while there might be an evening concert for cruise guests to attend at the Schonbrunn Palace.
One of the greatest pleasures of river cruising is strolling ashore after dinner, and in Budapest you have the grand streets of old Buda at your feet.
By the river bank, the Neo-Gothic Hungarian parliament building looks majestic at nightfall. Its golden silhouette reflects off the water as the rest of the city twinkles like a treasure chest.