River Cruise? On the Classic Danube Route

In St Gallen the last guests are picked up and the coaches set off eastwards. Just in time for dinner, everyone is ready to board the beautiful Amadeus Star in Passau. 82 cabins, a panorama bar, a restaurant, a wine bar, a 135 m sun deck, a spa and a fitness room: it all comes with the ship. And so around 125 passengers, 45 crew members, 2 male drivers and 2 female drivers set off on the classic journey along the Danube, from Passau to Budapest and back to Passau.

The sun slowly sets, the first five-course dinner is served and the Amadeus Star leisurely covers the first stage to Melk. The impressive Melk Abbey, the largest monastery complex of Austrian Baroque and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, awaits us the next morning. After a tour of the cultural ensemble and a breathtaking view of the Danube valley, the EUROBUS coaches take us back to the ship, where we enjoy the afternoon on board. The Amadeus Star glides through the romantic Wachau, likewise a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an internationally renowned wine-growing region. It is probably one of the most impressive stretches of the Danube, which we are able to take in this afternoon!

We arrive in Vienna just in time for the concert by the Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra in the imposing gallery of the palace's main building, another highlight of the trip and a unique welcome to the Austrian capital. We see the city the next morning on the city tour with our coaches, accompanied by local guides who take us to the Hofburg, St Stephen's Cathedral and other sights and show us the loveliest corners of Vienna. In the afternoon there is time to explore the city on your own, before the ship leaves the city for Budapest during dinner.

We arrive at midday and moor in the middle of the city, right in front of the market hall. But before the sightseeing begins, our drivers take us to the Hungarian Puszta, one of Europe's most beautiful steppe regions. Dinner is, as always, on board. Today, too, the ship's kitchen conjures up a delicious local multi-course menu; this is how the chef lets us travel through the different countries and cultures culinarily as well.

We spend the next morning exploring Budapest, enjoying the wonderful view from the Castle District in Buda and taking in the lively bustle of Pest. Fortified by an individual lunch on the ship, we continue in the afternoon. By coach we leave Hungary's capital for Szentendre, a picturesque Baroque village north-west of the capital. Another stop is Visegrád, where a breathtaking view of the Danube Bend, complete with our ship gliding along, awaits us! But before we go back on board, there is time for Esztergom, seat of the head of the Hungarian Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Esztergom, and the imposing basilica, rebuilt in the neoclassical style. During dinner we continue upstream towards Bratislava.

We are able to explore the lively, young Slovak capital in brilliant sunshine. We enjoy the free time with a coffee on the main square, a visit to the castle or a shopping tour in the nearby shopping centre. In high spirits we glide on along the Danube in the afternoon, enjoy the sun deck and let the many impressions of the past days sink in. And then it is already time for the gala dinner, as the crew conjures up an unforgettable evening with an exclusive multi-course meal and music.

We make one last stop in Linz, Austria's third-largest city. Above all, the tasting of the famous Linzer torte must not be missed! Under a starry sky the Amadeus Star covers the last stretch of the Danube upstream back to Passau, where we arrive after eight intense, incredibly eventful and yet very relaxed and luxurious days.

It is a completely new way of travelling that I discovered last week. Above all, the comfortable progress without wasted time and no tiresome suitcase packing were pure pleasure for me. The stretches we covered during the day could be enjoyed on deck or spent as we pleased with eating, sport or reading. We were able to discover a multitude of landscapes, countries, cities and cultures in this short time without any stress. All of this accompanied by the luxury of a floating 5-star hotel with an incredibly dedicated and warm crew.
  

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