The Blue Danube Discovery with Amasonata

 

In November 2014, I had the pleasure of being invited by AmaWaterways on a cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg. I was allowed to bring one guest ... and of course my husband accepted the invitation!

The Danube is Europe's second longest river and one of the most popular rivers to cruise. River cruising on the Danube with AmaWaterways is an excellent way to explore some of Europe's finest destinations.

Countries visited: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany - with a post cruise tour to the Czech Republic.

Day 1 - Budapest, Hungary

Note: Highlights of what to see in Budapest are in my previous blog. 

The Parliament

Illumination Cruise 

 

Day 2 - Bratislava, Slovakia

 

Places to See: The Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace, Michael's Gate, Primatial Palace, Opera House

 

Optional Tours: Bratislava Communist Tour to see the Slovak National Theatre, New Bridge, Liberty Square, Radio Building and Istropolis

 

Culinary Delights: Giraffe Bar Old Downtown

 

Highlights: I toured the major sights of the city including the Old Town Hall and the stunning Rococo-style Mirbach Palace while my husband opted to join the Communism Tour. After the tour, my fellow agents and I went shopping and bought some souvenirs in town. While walking around the small streets, we ran across a nice restaurant called Giraffe Bar/Coffee/Restaurant - a must visit coffee shop while in Bratislava. They serve coffee with water in a shot glass. We thought it was vodka!

The Clock Tower

Bratislava Old Town

Day   3 - Vienna, Austria

Places to See: Vienna Opera House, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Heroe's Square, Hofburg Palace, Parliament City Hall, Hotel Sacher,  Ringstrasse Boulevard 

Optional Tours: Schonbrunn Palace & Gardens, Mozart & Strauss Concert 

Culinary Delights: Schnitzel at Chatanooga, Apple Strudel at Aida Cafe, Schaumrolle at Demel

 

Highlights: Vienna City Tour - Vienna is beautiful!  We began our day with a walking tour to see the best of the city. In the afternoon we had time to ourselves so we met up with our friend who lives locally. We took the subway to see the famous Schönbrunn Palace, former summer residence of the imperial family. It was fun to explore the Palace and walk the grounds. You can't leave Vienna without sampling the local food. My favorite is the Schnitzel with the pastries coming in a close second. Apple Strudel with a café latte was my go to dessert!  Since it was almost Christmas, we had a chance to see the Vienna Christmas market. I tried the famous grilled sandwich with melted cheese. Ignore the smell of cheese but savour the taste. It was one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had!


 

 The Schönbrunn Palace

   
Downtown Vienna

Apple Strudel at Aida Café

The famous Schnitzel with potatoes


Coffee and Schaumrolle at Demel

 

Day 4  - Durnstein to Melk

 

Places to See: Baroque Stiftskirche, Lionheart's castle
                                  

Optional Tours: Apricots & Sweets

 

Culinary Delights: Apricot Products at Weiser's Sweets Shop

 

Highlights: Situated in the heart of the magnificent Wachau Valley, on the banks of the Danube, the charming town of Durnstein offers a unique combination of breathtaking scenery and traditional architecture. My husband and I walked through the medieval cobblestoned streets of this quaint village without ever getting lost due to its small size. There are several shops to buy souvenirs from and you can even sample local jams and apricot liqueurs. After touring Durnstein, there is an optional Guided Bike tour from Durnstein to Melk - approximately 26 miles. If you aren't up for a bike ride you can stay on the ship and enjoy the leisurely cruise from the deck. Well, I chose to relax and stayed onboard while my husband rode with a small group along the banks of the Danube through vineyards and neighborhoods. For the first time in the history of an AmaWaterways bike tour, our bikers arrived in Melk before the not-so-speedy Amasonata! Had I joined them, it would not have been this way! For the remainder of the evening I stayed onboard to rest so I opted out of the Benedictine Abbey tour in Melk.

 

Durnstein Old Town

 Cycling from Durnstein to Melk through the Wachhau Valley

 

 

Day 5 - Linz, Austria - Passau, Germany

Places to See: Mozart's Birthplace, Mirabell Gardens, Residenz Square with Fountain, St. Peter's Cemetery

 

 Optional Tours: A - Salzburg Excursion  B - Passau Walking Tour C- Guided Bike Ride Along the Inn River

 

Culinary Delights: Sausage with Sauerkraut at Café Mozart.

Highlights: Bucket list item ... check! Salzburg is the famous setting for the "Sound of Music" and the birthplace of Mozart. Finally, I was able to see the Mirabell Gardens, where Maria and the von Trapp children sang "Do Re Me". This movie means a lot to me because my Mom named me "Edelweiss" because she loved the movie so much. After visiting Mirabell Gardens we walked to the place where Mozart was born. The Mozart family moved to this home in 1773. Today it is a famous museum. The visit would not be complete without tasting the local food.  We really enjoyed Cafe Mozart in the heart of Salzburg. For the ladies, there are plenty of shops nearby and they are open on Sundays!

     
                

 Mirabell Gardens

 

Mozart's birthplace

 Austrian sausage and sauerkraut

 

Day 6 - Regensburg, Germany

Places to See: Old City Hall, Stone Bridge, Regensburg Cathedral, Audi Factory

 

Culinary Delights: Sausage with sauerkraut in Wurstkuchl

 

Optional Tours: Audi Discovery Tour, Regensburg Guided Bike Tour to Walhalla

 

Highlights: I opted for the walking tour of the Old Town Hall and enjoyed the company of my fellow passengers. Not to miss on this trip is visiting the oldest restaurant in the world, the Regensburg Sausage Kitchen located next to the stone bridge.  The sausage with sauerkraut is to die for!

Note: You must have exact change of 2 Euros when you pay.

For car enthususiasts, you have to sign up for the Audi Tour. My husband visited the Audi factory and had a blast. This tour fills quickly so sign up online before you cruise. My husband tried bringing back a new red TT but was denied by yours truly.

 

 

 

 

Regensburg Cathedral

 

 The Audi Factory (Note: You aren't allowed to take any photos while in the factory. You will be asked to leave your personal items in a locker prior to entering.  Be sure to bring some coins with you for the locker - you will get your coin back when you leave.)

 

Day 7 - Nuremberg, Germany

Places to See: Nuremberg Trials Courthouse, Colosseum, Nazi Parade Grounds, Coutroom 600

 

Culinary Delights: Coffee at Provenza Caffe-Ristorante, Gingerbread at Lebkuchen Schmidt

 

Optional Tour: World War II Museum

 

Highlights:  Nuremberg is famous for gingerbread, the largest Christmas market in Europe and most important - the Nuremberg trials. We visited the Zeppelin Field and saw Hitler's Party Rally Grounds and the Collosseum. Afterwards, we toured the Justice Palace where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946 in the now infamous Courtroom 600. We watched a captivating video that included shots of the trials. It helped us to better undertand this moment in history. Our tour guide was a history professor and he had a flare that made history much more exciting from what I remember studying in school.  Not a single person on the tour left without a tear in their eye. A very emotional tour it was. After the morning tour, we strolled around town on our own and found some places to taste gingerbread. The Christmas market was not yet open. Unfortunately, we missed it by one week.

 Hitler's Party Rally Grounds and the Colloseum

 

 Nuremberg old town

 

 

Our last evening with AmaWaterways included a party with the crew and a champagne toast with our Captain. It was quite an event! The next morning we disembarked and boarded a bus that would take us to some unbelievable places in the Czech Republic.  I will talk about this amazing country and optional post tour in my next blog!

 

 

The Captain of the AmaSonata