Touring The Danube

Ever since it was popularised in the 1920s, river cruising has been associated with elegance and luxury. It was first enjoyed by high society who chose it as their preferred method of travel for holidays. It was charming, romantic and highly fashionable.

To this day, the luxury, charm and romance remain, but it has become far more affordable and accessible, no longer restricted to just those in high society. Thankfully, river cruising still offers all of the things that established it; incredible scenery, exquisite dining, varied onboard entertainment and a range of daily excursions.

Some of the world''s greatest rivers are just a stone''s throw away. From the Rhine to the Rh?ne, Europe is riddled with waterways, but one of the most spectacular is the Danube. Because of its long length, this is a fantastic river to cruise. It traverses or acts as a border for 10 countries and passes right through the hearts of no less than four of the continent''s greatest capital cities.

To put it into perspective, the Danube is 1,771 miles long. It stretches all the way from the chocolate box villages of Germany''s Black Forest down to Romania''s Black Sea coast. Throughout history it has been an important river, providing trade and drinking water to the communities along it. But it has also acted strategically as a border, at least since Roman times when it marked the northern border of the Roman Empire.

Today, tourism is one of the river''s main trades. River cruising allows passengers to travel through Europe taking in cities such as Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade and experience both the grand and exquisite, and humble and homely.

Danube river cruises are about what is going on outside the window. On-shore excursions, of which there can be many, are diverse and interesting, varying from guided city tours with local residents to wine tasting at family-run vineyards.

It should come as little surprise that the scenery on such a long river is diverse, dramatic and breathtaking. Urban environments such as Budapest''s Old Town come to life at night and the natural beauty of the Wachau Valley in Austria is mesmerising at dawn. Being able to stay amid capital cities as well as UNESCO World Heritage Sites makes river cruising on the Danube truly unique.

By: PALMIRA HAGEN

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PALMIRA HAGEN is a freelance travel writer with a love of water based travel. They recommend Avalon cruises for European river cruises.