The Europe Best Seen By River Cruise
Most people choose plane or train to get to and around Europe, figuring they'll most easily hit the capitals and cultural sites all within a few hours' reach of each other. They're not wrong, but taking the fast way also means you skip what’s not conveniently along the way. Worried you're missing out? The solution is a river cruise, where ships take a week to travel the distance some trains zip through in only a few hours. This leisurely pace brings more of Europe’s scattered landmarks, wineries, and dramatic castles within range and, in some cases, tourism from river ships helps keep important historic sites on the map. Whether you feel you've already “done Europe” and need something new, or just enjoy seeing what your friend’s haven’t, these European regions are best visited by river ship. Read on to find out why.
GettyMiddle Rhine, Germany
Germany’s Rhine River has long been the home of the “Lorelei” folktale, and tourists still point their cameras to the rocky cliff from where the siren supposedly sings sailors into distraction, but that’s merely a five-minute photo op among the epic scenery of the greater Middle Rhine, which flows between Bingen and Bonn. Taking a boat around the river’s bends brings castles at every turn—notably Pfalzgrafenstein, located in the middle of the water. You'll see all of them, as well as the “Deutsches Eck,” a monument in Koblenz at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers, on U by Uniworld's “Rolling on the Rhine” itinerary, which begins in Amsterdam and sails to Frankfurt. A stop at the small town of Rüdesheim even allows guests to hike or ride a cable-car up a hillside blanketed with wine grapes to visit the “Niederwalddenkmal,” an 1880s-built monument to German unification.
Charissa FayMain Danube Canal, Bavaria
The 106-mile canal with 16 locks, completed in 1992 after more than two centuries of planning and work, helps make ship traffic possible between the North Sea and Black Sea. The segment between Nuremburg and Regensburg, in Bavaria, is bucolic scenery broken by the sight of a massive wedge of granite jutting out from a grassy hill on the side of the canal. This is the European Continental Divide Monument, an artwork by Hanns Jörg Voth and marker for a world record spot: It’s the highest point of navigable water in the world, capable of being reached by a ship from the sea. From this point, rivers in Europe either drain to the North Sea, Black Sea, or Mediterranean Sea. Viking River Cruises regularly traverses the canal on its eight-day “Romantic Danube” cruise, linking Nuremburg and Budapest.
GettyThe Tisza, Hungary
This river, which runs through central Hungary, may not be a household name like the Danube is, but it’s the key to tasting your way through the country’s vineyards, known for producing the nectar-like sweet wine Tokaj. CroisiEurope combines both the Tisza and Danube in one Hungary-centric itinerary that traverses this landscape, bordered by the Carpathian mountains and Europe’s largest steppe, but it begins in Tokaj, the city for which the wine was named. Get ready to taste with abandon: Chances are, you’ll be the only ship in town ... until the rest of the world catches on.
GettyThe Maritime Seine, France
Sure, you can rent a car in Paris and drive to the beaches of Normandy on a day trip ... or you can let a river ship figure out the logistics and take you as part of a sailing on the Seine River. Uniworld’s eight-day sailing from Paris navigates the twists of the Seine heading northward, with excursions to the beaches of Normandy, Monet’s home at Giverny, the ridiculously picturesque harbor at Honfleur, and the medieval center of Rouen (home to the restaurant where Julia Child fell in love with French cuisine).
GettyRuhr Valley, Germany
The region formerly known as Germany’s capital of coal mining is now a capital of culture. Ever since the EU Commission named the valley's city of Essen as the European Capital of Culture in 2010 it has become a destination for Instagrammers and travelers intent on “#urbex,” or urban exploration. Although the region encompasses the towns of Dortmund, Duisberg, Essen, and Oberhausen, the region’s signature site is the Zeche Zollverein, a complex of towering, historic industrial structures that was once Europe’s largest coal mine, and now is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, museum, and events center. Avalon Waterways’ eight-day voyage northbound on the Rhine from Frankfurt brings passengers to Duisberg and into Essen for a tour of the Zeche Zollverein, as well as to visit the “Bramme für das Ruhrgebiet,” a massive metal monolith artwork installed by artist Richard Serra atop a man-made mountain.
Courtesy Ama WaterwaysThe Balkan Danube
Although many river cruises mark Budapest as their southernmost terminus, the mighty Danube River keeps on flowing through several more countries on its way to the Black Sea. Ama Waterways’ seven-day “Gems of Southeast Europe” itinerary follows the river’s course through Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Sip Croatian wine on deck one evening, spend the next night watching the moon rise over Belgrade with rakia, a local fruit brandy, and then, the next day, celebrate your first hours in Bulgaria with a hike to the medieval Belogradchik fortress. There's no doubt that taking a river cruise through the Balkans is the smoothest way of sampling these countries in one swoop.
Courtesy Crystal River CruisesWachau Valley, Austria
When you think of cruising, maybe Austria isn’t the first place that comes to mind. And yet it should be, as the Wachau Valley is scenic cruising par excellence. Medieval castles, vineyard-terraced hills, cobblestone-path towns, and the baroque masterpiece of Melk Abbey line the Danube through this region. Crystal River Cruises guides passengers on e-bike excursions through this UNESCO World Heritage region (with stops at a winery or two) during their seven-day round-trip cruises from Vienna.
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