Top 5 Destinations to Visit On a Danube River Cruise

Tick countless European jewels off your bucket list by setting sail on a Danube River cruise. At 2,850 kilometres long, the mighty Danube is the second-longest river in Europe. Beginning in the Black Forest of Germany, the Danube flows through 10 countries before emptying into the Black Sea. With a storied history, the Danube today is one of the most important waterways in Europe – no wonder it’s such a popular river cruise destination!

Embark on a Danube River cruise to discover some of the most breathtaking landscapes, charming villages and charming capital cities in Central and Southeastern Europe. If you want to explore ports of call that are both familiar and off-the-beaten-path, a Danube River cruise is the holiday for you. Keep reading to see our five favourite destinations to visit along the Danube River – we hope it inspires you to start planning a river journey!

Budapest, Hungary

Known as the ‘Pearl of the Danube’, almost every Danube River cruise will visit the historic city of Budapest. Divided by the Danube into two distinct districts, Buda and Pest (once two separate cities), Hungary’s classically stunning capital is a treasure trove of history, culture and architecture.

Begin your Budapest adventure in Pest, visiting stunning architectural feats, like Mattias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, the latter of which offers breathtaking vistas of the Danube River and the iconic Budapest Parliament Building. Later, head over to Buda to marvel at St Stephen’s Basilica, one of Hungary’s most important religious buildings, or learn about the nation’s communist history at the House of Terror museum.

Did you know that, despite being the capital of a landlocked nation, Budapest is home to 123 thermal baths? Visit the most iconic, the Szechenyi Thermal Baths, for an afternoon of relaxation and renewal, before heading up to Gellert Hill – one of the best sunset spots in the city.

Bucharest, Romania

While not technically on the Danube, Bucharest is a city well worth visiting, especially if you are traversing through the Danube Delta, which lies predominantly within Romania. Once known as the ‘Paris of the East’, today Bucharest is a city of contrasts – while some areas look like something straight out of 19^th-century Paris, others remain rooted in the Communist era of the late 20^th century.

No visit to Bucharest is complete without paying a visit to Parliament Palace. A testament to the megalomania of former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, Parliament Palace is both the world’s biggest parliamentary building and the world’s heaviest building. With more than a thousand rooms (most of which are eerily empty), you’ll see just a fraction of the building’s 365,000 square metres during your visit.

Learn more about Bucharest by visiting a few of the city’s 60+ museums and memorial houses. Some of our top recommendations include the National Museum of Contemporary Art and the open-air Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum.

Vienna, Austria

Vienna is a popular destination on any Danube River cruise. One of the most beautiful destinations in Central Europe, Vienna is beloved for its stunning architecture, art and history museums, ornate palaces, and classical music. Begin your visit with a Viennese coffee and chocolate pastry at one of many historic coffee houses before stepping out to explore all this elegant city has to offer.

Spend your time in Vienna ticking the city’s most iconic sights off your bucket list. See how Austrian royalty once lived on a tour through the imperial staterooms and perfectly-manicured gardens of the baroque Schonbrunn Palace before admiring the famous art collection of Belvedere Museum. And don’t miss the Gothic-style St Stephen’s Cathedral, which offers some of the best views over the city.

Complete your visit to Vienna by taking a trip to the Vienna State Opera, one of the finest concert halls in the world. Tours of the building run daily and, if you want to see a show for yourself, standing tickets to top-class performances are available for as little as €10.

Belgrade, Serbia

Strategically located at the junction of the Danube and Sava rivers, Belgrade has served as the capital of several kingdoms and nations throughout its centuries-long history. The coveted prize of 115 wars, Serbia’s capital has been ravaged and rebuilt 44 times, creating a unique urban landscape that combines the historic past with the ultra-modern future.

Begin your Belgrade experience with a visit to the city’s cultural symbol, Belgrade Fortress. Here, you can learn more about Serbia’s turbulent history and admire breathtaking views over the city. Another attraction well worth visiting is the opulent Church of St Sava, the largest Orthodox Church in the Balkan region.

No visit to Belgrade is complete without checking out the Nikola Tesla Museum, dedicated to the renowned Serbian-American engineer and inventor. Inside, you’ll find two key exhibitions: one is dedicated to Tesla’s life, while the other offers an interactive showcase of his work. If you’re interested in science and engineering, this museum is well a visit.

Bratislava, Slovakia

Another must-see city along the Danube River is Bratislava, the charming capital of Slovakia. Less than 100 kilometres downstream from Vienna, Bratislava is the only capital in the world that borders two other countries: Austria and Hungary. Visit Bratislava to uncover centuries of history and admire some of the most striking architecture in Central Europe.

Every Bratislava itinerary should begin by exploring the cobblestoned alleyways and pretty pastel houses of Bratislava Old Town. When you’ve finished soaking in the old-world charm of this historic neighbourhood, stretch out your legs and walk the 15 minutes up to Bratislava Castle for breathtaking views over the city and beyond. Here, you’ll also find the Slovak National Museum, which covers Slovakian history from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Discover a taste of Slovakia’s communist past by crossing the Most SNP bridge, at the end of which you’ll find the city’s iconic UFO building. We recommend riding the elevator up to the observation deck, which boasts a trendy restaurant and bar, perfect for a sunset drink.

Discover your perfect Danube River cruise today

There’s no better way to discover the cultural heart of Europe than on a river cruise. If you want to explore the Danube in ultimate luxury, My Cruises offer a range of perfectly packaged, exclusive Danube River journeys. The team start by hand-selecting the best Danube River cruises, then package them with inclusions like flights, pre and post-cruise discoveries, luxury upgrades, rail journeys and so much more. It’s all part of the My Cruises difference, which simply can’t be found anywhere else.

You can explore My Cruises’ collection of magical Danube River cruises here.