LUXURY DANUBE RIVER CRUISES 2012 & 2013

Explore Old Europe on a Danube River cruise, passing by medieval towns and verdant vineyards as you travel through countries such as Germany, Austria and Hungary.

You'll likely begin your Danube River cruise holiday by spending a couple of days exploring the vibrant Hungarian capital, Budapest, which is split in two, literally as Buda and Pest, by the wide Danube. Aside from a romantic stroll along the river, you'll also want to make time to discover the National Opera House, Parliament Building and Chain Bridge. Then take one last look, with the magnificent hillside view from Fishermen's Bastion and Matthias Church, before setting sail through the charming Danube Bend.

The next day you'll arrive in Vienna, home to some spectacular architecture, such as the Opera House dotted along the Ringstrasse, as well as the imposing St Stephan's Cathedral. And, if you fancy indulging in a musical concert in the evening, there is no better place than the home of Mozart.

Explore Old Europe on a Danube River cruise, passing by medieval towns and verdant vineyards as you travel through countries such as Germany, Austria and Hungary. The spectacular landscape of the Wachau Valley guides you into Melk, an ornate town that displays a number of elaborate frescoes at the Benedictine abbey, and then on to

Passau, on the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube. It's also home to Europe's largest church organ, the 17,000-pipe behemoth inside St Stephan's Cathedral, where you could be treated to a special recital. More church spires beckon in Regensburg, one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities, which features a large concentration of 13th and 14^th century churches.

Not long after, you'll turn off the Danube on your Danube cruise onto the Main-Danube canal, which runs for 106 miles between Kelheim on the Danube and Bamberg on the Main and allows river travel from the North Sea to the Black Sea. Your final destination, Nuremberg, awaits, where you can tour the imperial castles and the Palace of Justice which hosted the Nuremberg Trials. If you're not ready to head home from your Danube River cruise holiday just yet, you could always take a short extension in Prague, in the Czech Republic, to discover one more castle and explore one more old town.

AMAWaterways, APT River Cruises, Viking River Cruises & Sea Cloud River Cruises all operate luxury Danube River cruises. Detour have revived the much-loved MS Mozart, offering 7-day Danube river cruises

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