On Cruising the River Danube: Part 3 of 4

 Please excuse the interruption, but a beach walk will return next week. 

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Because we cruised 75-80% of the Danube, parts 3 and 4 of this series features the lower Danube -downriver from Budapest  through Hungary to Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. This portion of the river is less travelled by river cruisers.

 

Budapest, Hungary

As I mentioned in the previous post, Budapest was our halfway point. We hiked the top of a hill on the Buda side for an awesome view of the city. Visited the nearby Cave Church. The view of Budapest at night is spectacular, and a must-do for visitors.

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Pecs, Hungary

Located about a 40 minute bus ride from our dock in Mochas, Pecs (PAY-ch) is Hungary’s fifth largest city. It’s early Christian necropolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the location of interesting archeological excavations.

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Belgrade, Serbia

I recall Belgrade as the capital of Yugoslavia. Although not dominated by the Soviet Union, Marshall Tito had a different view of Communism – so Yugoslavia remained an arm-length from the USSR. Belgrade pleasantly surprised me.

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Donji Milanovac, Serbia

This small town served as a base for the 20-minute bus ride to an archeological site (Lepenski Vir) dating back to 6000 BCE. That’s old! Thought is that the culture worshipped the mountain. Before docking in the town, the ship passed the museum. The actual site is now well below the water level.

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Iron Gates Gorge

The Iron Gates is a spectacular natural beauty separating Romania and Serbia. From the time we entered the region at 7 AM, there’s no better view than from the ship’s top deck. For me, this region served as one of my top highlights of the trip.

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Previous Posts

• Part 1 (Prague to Linz)
• Part 2 (Melk to Budapest)

On Cruising the River Danube: Part 2 of 4

Both the previous post and this one focus on the Upper Danube River. This happens to be the section that most river cruises take (between German and Budapest) in one direction or the other. This post features from Melk to Budapest.

 

Melk, Austria

Melk Abbey majestically sits above the city of 5,000+. Founded in the 11th Century, this UNESCO World Heritage site is magnificent inside and out. Here are two Google Images searches: Exterior; Interior: plus a 4-minute video from Rick Steves.

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Wachau Valley

Protected by UNESCO, The Wachau Valley very scenic. A great day to sit on the top deck and watch the world go by.

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Durnstein, Austria

Durnstein is a small town located in the wine-growing region of the Wachau Valley. The medieval sector (with its narrow streets) is full of shops and free of automobiles. I hiked to the Durnstein Castle ruins sitting high above the town that offers wonderful views of the area.

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Vienna, Austria

Vienna – the center of the Hapsburg Empire for 500 years – and the city where classical music is the real king. The city was busy – very busy. Maybe too busy, so the city didn’t grab me as it should. However, that evening we attended a private concert by a chamber orchestra composed of  12 fabulous musicians who sounded like a large orchestra. The evening was unquestionably extra special.

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Bratislava, Slovakia

Whereas Vienna disappointed me, Bratislava captured my heart. I love old-city-sectors in Europe, and Bratislava is my kind of place.

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Budapest, Hungary

Budapest, a vibrant, opulent city, is where 102 passengers disembarked and 104 replaced them as 36 of us had reached our half-way point. Because we spent two-full days there last year as part of our Rick Steves tour, we wanted to do different things. We our visited an exhibit of a Hungarian artist (Miska Roth), toured the Hungarian Opera House (great but under renovation), and enjoyed some Hungarian cake. For more information about this wonderful city, here are links to four past posts: Budapest, Liberty Square, The Bronzed Shoes, and Tidbits.

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Past Post in the Series

Part 1 (Prague to Linz)

On Cruising the River Danube: Part 1 of 4

Our first river cruise was a good one, so thought I’d share a bit of it with you. My first thought was 2 posts: the Upper and Lower Danube – but those posts would be too long with too many pics in each post. (That’s a self-imposed standard.)  So, I’ve decided to spread this trip over 4 posts, but in order of occurrence. This post features Prague to Linz.

 

Prague, Czech Republic

Although not located on the Danube, Prague is a common beginning (or end) point for Upper Danube cruises. We first visited Prague last year at the start of our Rick Steves tour. Because we loved it this city by the River Vltava , we didn’t mind returning. For more details and images of Prague, here’s a past post.

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Terezin, Czech Republic

Until last year’s trip, I had never heard of Terezin until our guide mentioned it. After reading about it in Madeleine Albright’s Prague Winter, and then watching a documentary on it, I couldn’t pass a tour opportunity to visit. Terezin served as a town and a military installation. The Nazis took it over and turned it into a “model city” for interned Jews. It is an interesting, yet horrific, story. I’ve very glad I visited.

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Regensburg, Germany

A bit more than a two-hour bus ride from Prague (and before boarding the Avalon Passion), we spent the afternoon in Regensburg. Because it wasn’t bombed in WW2, it’s medieval city is still intact – and vibrant!

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Passau, Germany

Our first cruise stop was Passau. This city of three rivers is where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers meet. Interesting how the Inn’s murky water affects the Danube from this point and beyond. (From here down, it’s not blue.) Someone saved a young Adolph Hitler from drowning in the Inn.  After an Old Town tour, we hiked up to the castle for a scenic view.

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Linz, Austria

Linz is one of the larger cities in Austria. Although not one of my favorite stops, my dad was part of the army that liberated Linz in WW2. From Linz, some passengers went to Salzburg. Because my wife is a mega Sound of Music fan, she wanted more than a couple of hours.

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On Returning from Blog Break Summer 2019

 

Greetings! For whatever reason, this song popped into my mind while preparing this post – so hey – why not use it!

Image from 123vectors.com

Hoping everyone is in good health and spirits as we continue on the trek toward fall. Then again, those in the southern hemisphere are moving toward spring! I missed everyone – then again, I continue to embrace Blog breaks are good as an important mantra. Time to hit the Play button.

I’ll be back in the blog saddle for about 5 weeks because something expected popped into my life that requires a 2-3 week hiatus. Thankfully, not a serious concern.

To celebrate a return, let’s jump into a Weekend Concert featuring songs by the King of Pop. Michael Jackson takes the stage this Saturday (7 September) at 1:00 AM (Eastern US). We’ll go back-to-back weekends with a 14 September concert. (Act TBA).

Contrary to Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, something has been on my mind for most of 2019. As I mentioned several months ago, I’ve been contemplating stepping away from my little corner of the world. Without any fanfare, 28 August marked my 11th anniversary, so I’ve been blogging for some time. Although I still have the energy to host and post, my interest in rebuilding readership and reciprocating is waning – and the latter is very important to me.

During the recent blog break, I drafted my closing “retrospect” series. Because writing the closing felt right, the time may be right – but not right now! I foresee early 2020, but time will tell. Meanwhile, I will carry on by cleaning out the closet by finishing posts that I never finished.

We planned the recent break more than a year ago. Last year we took a fabulous Rick Steves tour to Central Europe that included Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia. So a perfect sequel would be our first-ever river cruise on the Danube that included Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. A great trip into the part of Europe visit the least – and only Prague and Budapest were duplicates from last year.

 

Travel posts as I’ve done in the past will not happen. Remember – I’m phasing out! Besides, I posted very little about our spring cruise from San Diego to Miami through the Panama Canal. However, I may do a summary post or something about river cruising – but no promises. However, feel free to ask questions.

Meanwhile, back to my regular routine. Golf league will continue well into September. I’m already back to working at the course. Ballroom dance continues. September means be beginning of handbell choir and ushering the new season of plays. Fall means football season, something I enjoy watching, but it doesn’t consume me. I’ve returned to a casual fantasy football league, which should be fun. There’s plenty to keep me busy!

I’ve used this song on multiple occasions after returning from a blog break. For me, it still fits. Have a good week!

On the River

My sister-in-law was in town last weekend, and Friday was a beautiful day – so we took BB Riverboats‘ 2-hour sightseeing cruise on the Ohio River. Because my wife and I also had a similar trip in the summer, thought I would combine the images into a cruise on the Ohio River for everyone.

Because many other blogs are doing fall walks, let’s take a river cruise.  So, sit back and enjoy the sights … and if you like, join Guapo for a beer on the top deck.

Here, the Ohio River separates Ohio and Kentucky. Interestingly, Kentucky owns the river. Given this is a metropolitan area, numerous (I think 7) bridges exist.


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Not as prominent as the gold domes we saw in Russia, Cincinnatians are proud of the Roebling Suspension Bridge – the bridge serving as Mr. Roebling’s prototype for the famed Brooklyn Bridge.

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Ready for the Halloween season – It’s the USS Nightmare serving as the haunted boat on the Kentucky side!

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I grew up in a small town along the Ohio River, and river barges are a common sight – but this is a small one.

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After reversing course in order to return to the dock, I like this view of Mt. Adams with a peek of downtown.

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Downtown Cincinnati with the Serpentine Wall and one of the string of parks along the waterfront. This wall is the best seat for the Labor Day fireworks extravaganza known as Riverfest. Hey Guapo, 30 minutes of fireworks shot from the river choreographed to music … the waterfall from a bridge is my favorite.

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On this particular summer night, we returned to the dock to find our beloved Cincinnati Reds playing.

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Hope you enjoyed the cruise.