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River Cloud on the Danube

© By Rita Cook

If you have some extra time this summer and want to take a cruise you won't forget, the River Cloud on the Danube River is a good choice. Visiting Eastern Europe has never been easier or more elegant than on this five-star cruiser. Cruising since 1996, the River Cloud also offers cruises on the Rhine, Main and Moselle Rivers.

On my recent trip down the Danube we visited Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. And with each distinctly different country comes a distinctly different landscape. Mountains with castles gave way to vineyards and flat land as the passengers were offered daily excursions along the river.

The Danube River is the second longest in Europe, running through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Rumania and Ukraine. On my trip I was only going from Nuremberg, Germany to Budapest Hungary, still 563.3 miles with a height difference from Germany to Hungary of about 550 feet.

About the Ship

Forty-nine cabins aboard the River Cloud hold up to 98 passengers and 33 crewmembers. Dinner is served every evening at 7:30 followed by cocktails in the piano bar. Every afternoon after excursions passengers are welcomed back on the ship for tea time and relaxation until dinner.

My Trip Down the Danube

I department from Nuremberg, Germany after a few days of sightseeing in the city. I spent one morning at the courthouse where the Nuremberg trials were held and then climbed the hill to the Imperial Castle. The City Wall in Nuremberg was built in the 14th and 15th century and the churches in Nuremberg date back to the 1200s.

The second day of the cruise was a stop in Regensburg, Germany. We toured the castle belonging to the Thurn and Taxis and stood in awe of the structures in the town that have been standing for 2000 years. Even World War II didn't destroy the structures and the old bridge, built on 16 arches in 1146, is still standing.

We made another stop in Germany at the home of the largest pipe organ in the world with more than 17,000 pipes. Passau, Germany has many old Baroque churches and patrician houses, and a walk up the narrow alley's and stone steps will take you back in time.

In Melk, Austria it was again a religious stop, this time to see the Melk Abbey. Heinrich I founded this monastery during his lifetime (994 - 1018) and gave it to the Benedictines. The library in the abbey is known for containing rare books and handwritten manuscripts.

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