Danube Cruise and Prague

December 2012

Our Christmas Danube River cruise on the Viking Idun began in Budapest and ended in Prague.  Christmas markets, wintery weather, return visits to familiar towns and cities, and visits to places which were behind the Iron Curtain when we lived in Germany.

We had three days in Budapest exploring the Christmas markets, walking around the old town of Buda, eating variations of Hungarian goulash, and simply enjoying the enchantment of this ancient European city.  Our next stop was Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.  We arrived a day after an ice storm, so we were not able to spend as much time wandering around as we would have liked.  Christmas Day found us in Vienna.  The city center was nearly deserted as we toured the famous sites and streets but the cafes were open for Sacher Torte!  We continued cruising along the Danube in Austria and visited the scenic villages of Dürnstein and Melk.  Next was Salzburg; we spent a day getting reacquainted with the charming city center and castles overlooking the valley.  Our final stop along the Danube was Passau, Germany.  After a wonderful day enjoying Passau and its beauty, we said goodbye to many shipmates and boarded a bus with others for a cross-country ride to Prague. After a four-hour ride through snow-covered mountains, we arrived at our hotel and began four days in Prague. Classical music concerts in spectacular concert halls and churches, local foods and wines, and walks through Old Town.  A highlight was a reunion with cousins on the Polish side of Jim’s family, descendants of his great-aunt, with whom we had stayed in Prague in 1973.