When choosing where to go on vacation, we all have our own priorities. For some people relaxation and nightlife are the main focus. On the beach through the day and in the clubs and bars at night.
Then there are those of us who feel that we can relax and party anywhere. Why fly across the world to sit with a drink when we can do that about a mile from our living room (this is very true in Southie.)
For many of us who are itching to travel, what we’re really looking for is something different. We want to look around us and see things we don’t see every day.
What is a vacation if you go into the nearest city and see identical fast-food restaurants and bars designed for people who live where we live? For that reason alone, a vacation along the Danube is considered one of Europe’s most rewarding.
Vienna: Steeped In History, But A Timeless City
The Danube flows through ten different countries, with tributaries in another nine. But to take a trip to the Danube without visiting Vienna would be a shame. Its history takes in time as a major political center for Europe. In the arts, it has had huge significance musically and visually.
Its architecture bears witness to this rich past.The local cuisine is unique and world renowned, allowing you to try something different, healthy and delicious. In the present, meanwhile, surveys have deemed it to be among the world’s most livable cities.
Bratislava: Location, Location, Location
Due to its fortuitous position, Bratislava is unique among world cities in that it borders two independent countries. To the east it borders Austria, and aforementioned Vienna.
To the South it borders Hungary. This location makes it a perfect staging point on any vacation, but the city itself is well worth spending a little longer in.
Rich in castles and palaces, a nod to its aristocratic history, the capital of Slovakia is a wonder for the historian. No Danube river cruise would be truly complete without a stop here.
Belgrade: A Difficult History, A Prosperous Future
Due to its location and the recent history of Eastern Europe, Belgrade has seen enough turmoil to last most cities an eternity. Resistant to the Nazis during World War II, it found itself repeatedly invaded and bombed by the Luftwaffe. Once it fell to the Axis Powers, it was then bombed by the Allies.
In the last few decades it has also been involved in strife between Serbia and neighboring Croatia as well as Bosnia. Despite all of this, it has come through as a city that can prosper, and a prime destination for tourists including many from Bosnia and Croatia.
An affordable destination for all comers, Belgrade’s best days are very much ahead. Its history, though, has bestowed some wonderful sights to see.
Above and beyond these jewels, the Danube also flows through unmissable destinations such as Linz and Budapest. A cruise along this river can take you through four capital cities, each with their own stories to tell.
With castles, valleys and a strong nod towards the artistic, the romance of the Danube is not lost on any visitor.
