Highlights of the Danube | The West Australian
Buda or Pest, which is best? It is hard to say. It’s like picking your favourite child — but regardless of which side of the Danube River you are on when in Budapest, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to spectacular architecture.
The two cities were separate until they were unified into one in 1873 and named Budapest, and between them they have a treasure trove of baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau buildings that will enthral any architecture-lover.
My wife and I have been in Budapest for a couple of days exploring both Buda and Pest, and we can’t pick a favourite.
Tonight, we begin a much-anticipated cruise aboard Travelmarvel’s river ship TM Vega to explore many more European gems along the famed Danube.
As an entree to the adventures ahead, Captain Ionel Ene and his crew are treating us to a sunset cruise along the river so we can enjoy the splendour of Budapest by night before we sail towards Austria’s capital Vienna tomorrow.
Camera IconThe Hungarian parliament building seen from the Daunube duiring a sunset cruise aboard Travelmarvel Vega . Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
The excitement amongst our fellow travellers is palpable as we begin the cruise to the tunes of The Blue Danube waltz.
While we dine in TM Vega’s restaurant, Buda and Pest glide past the panoramic windows on either side, showcasing architectural gems like the neo-gothic facade of the Hungarian parliament building on the Pest side, and Buda Castle on the Buda side.
They look amazing in the late evening light, and they look even better on the return journey when they are lit up against the night sky.
As we take in the spectacle from the sundeck, we agree that Budapest must be one of the most spectacular cities in Europe to start a river cruise.
TM Vega
TM Vega will be our floating hotel for the next week as we cruise the Danube River through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany.
The ship has a warm and welcoming design with a subtle and pleasant colour palette throughout.
Camera IconOur cabin on Travelmarvel Vega. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
The cabins are split over three levels and range in size from 14.2 to 24sqm. They are spacious and well-designed with all the comforts you’d expect from a modern hotel room.
Ours is a 14.2sqm cabin on level three. It’s well-appointed and feels more spacious than many ocean-cruise ship cabins I’ve stayed in.
I’m impressed with both the quality of the furnishings and the ingenious design. The designers have thought of everything to make the most of the space. The cabin has a comfortable double bed with built-in bedside cabinets and wall-mounted bedside lights. There’s a desk, a flat-screen television, four large self-close drawers, a wardrobe, two chairs and a small coffee table by a large full-width French-style balcony window that, with the push of a button, slides open the top part of the windowpane so we can enjoy both the views and the fresh air as cruise along.
We are travelling with two large suitcases and a couple of cabin bags, but they slide neatly away under the bed once we have unpacked.
The bathroom is also a generous size compared to most ocean cruise ships I’ve travelled on. A space-saving sliding door reveals a good-size room with a walk-in shower and more clever design features to store our bathroom accessories.
The dining and lounge areas on TM Vega have panoramic windows so we never miss any of the spectacular views as we cruise along.
The lounge is the hub of the ship. It has comfortable lounges and chairs where we can relax as well as a full-service bar and a “help yourself “tea and coffee area.
In front of the main lounge, at the pointy end of the ship, is the True North lounge. It has a casual indoor and outdoor area which we particularly enjoy. At the stern of the ship we can enjoy a different perspective of the river from McGeary’s Irish pub while enjoying a pint of Kilkenny or Guinness. The pub also serves as an alternative dinner venue.
The top deck has a massive two-level sun deck with plenty of space to spread out. It has a rooftop bar, a small heated spa, plus loads of comfortable sunlounges and outdoor furniture under shade sails.
The two-level deck is an excellent feature because of the many low bridges along the Danube. Many other river ships must close their sun decks when passing below low bridges, but on the new Travelmarvel ships, TM Vega, TM Polaris and TM Capella, the front part of the sun deck is lower so it can remain open when passing under these bridges.
Camera IconThe Plague Column in the Graben pedestrian mall in Vienna. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianThe journey
The following days are a real treat for history-starved Australians like us.
During the first two days we marvel at the immaculate architecture of Vienna, linger in elegant cafes, and stroll along the Graben pedestrian mall, wishing we could afford to shop at the high-end designer shops.
We tour to the Slovakian capital Bratislava, which is only a short coach ride from the banks of the Danube. The visit includes a look around the beautiful Bratislava Castle and an excellent walking tour through the Old Town.
The following day we have two stops.
The first is at the quaint 16th-century town of Durnstein in the Wachau Valley. The town is known as the Pearl of the Wachau Valley and it’s not hard to see why. I really like this place. It’s much smaller compared to any of our previous stops so there’s no coach transfers needed, we can just step of the ship and walk into town. The only dampener is the persistent rain. It has rained all night, and it shows no sign of abating.
Camera IconThe charming Austrian town of Durnstein and the Danube River seen from Drunstein Castle. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
High above town amongst the rain clouds, an old castle beckons me to visit. I trudge upwards along cobbled streets at the back of town and follow a steep path to the top. It’s a fascinating place. Below, through the clouds, I can see Durnstein and the Danube snaking its way through the Wachau Valley with vineyards by its banks. I learn from the interpretive plaques along the way that Richard the Lionheart of England was imprisoned here in 1193 by Leopold V, a Babenberg duke who ruled the area at the time, and wonder what hardships he must have endured here.
Camera IconBenedictine monastery in Melk. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
Our second stop is at Melk, which has been an important spiritual and cultural centre in Austria for more than 1000 years.
The Benedictine monastery perched on the cliffs above town was originally the home of the Babenberg family, but since 1089 it has been home to Benedictine monks. It is considered one of the finest attractions in Austria and one of Europe’s great cultural heritage sights.
Our next stop is in the city of Linz, where we choose to take an optional day trip to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. This charming and well-preserved town steals our hearts. We roam the cobbled streets admiring the mix of renaissance and baroque houses. We enjoy a pleasant lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Vltava River and watch as schoolchildren paddle past in canoes.
Camera IconCesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
Or final stop, Passau, is known as the City of Three Rivers because it is located at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers.
On the city side of the river, we can see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, with its distinctive onion-domed towers. It dominates the skyline above the Old Town and on the opposite side, perched high on the bank, the 13th-century hilltop fortress Veste Oberhaus overlooks the city and rivers below.
We waste no time in stepping ashore to explore what is yet another gem of a city. It’s a typical German city where, as the Germans would say, “alles ist in ordnung” — everything is in order. We spend a very pleasant afternoon strolling around the neat and tidy streets while enjoying the sunshine, admiring the architecture and partaking in a bit of last-minute retail therapy before returning to our floating hotel.
Sadly, all good things come to an end, and this is the end of the river cruise journey for us. We’ve had some memorable experiences at all our ports of call and our time aboard TM Vega has been equally memorable, thanks in no small part to the outstanding crew and the dynamic British entertainment duo Julie and Andy, who kept us entertained with their live music, hilarious quiz nights and games.
They were all amazing and we will miss their smiling faces, good humour and company.
Until next time.
fact file
The trip described in this story is based on Travelmarvel’s Highlights of the Danube cruise from Budapest to Munich.
Mogens Johansen was travelling on Travelmarvel’s European Gems cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam in early June as part of a long-planned European holiday.
Unfortunately, the cruise ended up with a modified itinerary because of heavy rain and flooding in southern Germany and eastern Europe.
Until that happened, Mogens experienced the equivalent of Travelmarvel’s Highlights of the Danube cruise as described in his story.
The unprecedented weather event left many river ships stranded because they were unable to fit under some of the low bridges on the Rhine-Main-Danube canal. Travelmarvel and other cruise lines like Viking, APT and Scenic were forced to transfer passengers to other ships on the other side of the low bridges.
TM Vega, which Mogens was travelling on, made it to Passau before it was unable to continue. Passengers were transferred to Vega’s identical sister ship TM Polaris in Nuremburg, but unfortunately by then, German authorities had closed traffic on the upper Rhine, leaving the passengers stranded on TM Polaris.
The result was a modified itinerary prepared on the fly by Travelmarvel, which included daily coach excursions and eventually a coach transfer to Amsterdam.
Camera IconBudapest streetscape with Saint Stephen’s Basilica. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconThe Hungarian parliament building. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconThe historic Chain Bridge in Budapest. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconBuda castle framed in the Budapest ferris wheel at sunset. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconBratislava streetscape. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconAPT Amareina and Travelmarvel Vega squeeze into a lock near Vienna. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconTravelmarvel Vega enters one of the many locks along the Danube River. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconThe organ in Saint Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest.
Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconThe impressive artwork inside Saint Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest.
Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West AustralianCamera IconA spectacular burst of late evening sun over the Budapest skyline. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
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