2 Best things to see & do in Vienna

Europe’s second longest river, the Danube flows from a tiny spring in Germany’s Black Forest through the wooded hills of Bavaria, across Austria’s Wachau Valley, and, beyond Vienna, onto the edge of the Hungarian steppes. It clips the southern spur of the Carpathian mountain range, forcing its way through the rock to create the dramatic Iron Gates Gorge on the border between Serbia and Romania. Eventually, it broadens out, forking into three arms that make up its vast, marshy delta. A cruise, then, takes in seven countries and a wide variety of cultures and cuisines.

Along the way, you’ll taste wines in the Wachau, explore the galleries of Vienna, take a day trip to Salzburg, clamber up to the ruins of Durnstein Castle and check out the edgy nightlife of Budapest, as well as sailing through the city at sunset, the various bridges festooned with lights.

There are plenty of opportunities for hiking, kayaking and cycling, making this a great option for fitness alongside the obvious cultural charms of the region.

Vienna’s 150-year-old Opera House, the Staatsope, is rightly regarded as one of the world’s greatest. But what makes this romantic city the place to see opera is the long tradition of classical musical that’s in Vienna’s soul; Mozart, Straus and Beethoven all lived here, and many of the world’s greatest compositions were written here.