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Cruise Itinerary

Date	Port	Arrive	Depart
2 Dec 2026	Budapest, Hungary	Embark	Overnight
3 Dec 2026	Budapest, Hungary
4 Dec 2026	Bratislava, Slovakia
5 Dec 2026	Vienna, Austria		Overnight
6 Dec 2026	Vienna, Austria		Overnight
7 Dec 2026	Vienna, Austria
8 Dec 2026	Melk, Austria
9 Dec 2026	Mauthausen, Austria
9 Dec 2026	Linz, Austria
10 Dec 2026	Passau, Germany	Disembark

The Danube is home to some of Europe’s most elegant capitals—and this grand holiday cruise features three of them! Wrap yourself in the merry sights, sounds, aromas, and flavors of Christmas as you cruise in luxury to Budapest, Hungary’s exquisite “Queen of the Danube” with its picturesque Castle District, impressive Parliament, and more; whimsical Bratislava, Slovakia, where amusing sculptures rise unexpectedly from the sewers and cannonballs from one of Napoleon’s visits remain lodged in the Old Town walls; and Vienna, the opulent city of monarchs and music. You’ll enjoy time at traditional Christkindlmarkts (Christmas Markets), where you can sample the local Glühwein (mulled wine), savor a sizzling sausage—hot off the grill, and stroll among the inviting wooden stalls to maybe find handcrafted gifts for loved ones back home.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
It is no coincidence that many filmmakers have chosen Budapest as a backdrop. Take EVITA (1996), for example – most of the scenes were shot not in Buenos Aires, but in Budapest. Anyone walking through the city, in the shadow of the State Opera House or across elegant Szabadsag ter (Freedom Square) in the V. district, sees and feels it immediately. Budapest impresses. It is a metropolis and a spa city. It is Paris, Florence and Vienna in one. Many buildings were copied here. In fact, the Palais Batthyany, is an exact copy of the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence. A must: the castle district. Pastel-colored houses, built by their owners to be close to the Royal Palace. Or the National Gallery. Or the Labyrinth: it also served as a prison. Its most famous inmate: Vlad Tepes from Transylvania, who went down in history and stories as Count Dracula. And another suggestion. It is best to simply drift through Budapest. Then you will always come across enchanting stores like the Madison Perfumery. It is housed in the rooms of a 19th-century pharmacy. Not only the fragrances are enchanting, but also the furniture and accessories in the back room, all of which are original.

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
Once understated and unknown, since the turn of the millennium it has become something of a pearl on the Danube alongside Vienna and Budapest. Small, quaint and quiet, it shows its splendor at the castle, but also and especially in the old town where you will find fine buildings, such as the rococo Palais Esterhazy, where the Russian composer Anton Rubinstein once lived. Yet all this grandeur is rivaled by a canal worker, of all people, who speaks for the humor of the Slovaks. They have dedicated a bronze monument to him. Cumil (Man at Work) is the name of the sculpture by artist Viktor Hulik. He mischievously looks out of a manhole cover at passers-by like a gawker. Subtle humor in the face of grand statues – this is a theme in this neat city.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA
This is the city of classical music. It’s Mozart and Strauss. It's street art on a sandy beach and fun in the countryside. It’s bohemia and bourgeoisie and the finest baroque. And of course Art Nouveau. It’s bad-tempered waiters in great coffee houses. It’s Sigmund Freud and Gustav Klimt and Adolf Loos and Friedensreich Hundertwasser and Sisi and many others. It is the Spanish Riding School, an event for horse lovers. And of course it is the city of Schmah (jokes anyone?) and scandals, on which the Viennese feast like cows on fresh grass on the alpine pasture. Last but not least: Vienna is the city on the Danube. Although it was not always so. The Viennese Danube river front is an artificial structure which was only created in the 19th century. Before that, the Danube flowed past Vienna in many arms through floodplains and uninhabited areas. Today, the Riverside can also dock right in front of the city. And then it starts. Marvel, wonder and rejoice. Vienna is a dream.

MELK, AUSTRIA
Melk’s main attraction is the abbey, where Benedictine monks still live and dedicate their work to culture and education. Another highlight close by is the Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand Museum auf Castle Artstetten.

MAUTHAUSEN, AUSTRIA
Visit Mauthausen concentration camp - a place of memory and a site of political and historical education or explore the Austrian countryside with a visit to Steyr or St. Florian.

LINZ, AUSTRIA
Austria’s third largest city and famous for its baroque styled Main Square, beautiful old town center, great shopping, the Schloss Museum and the Mariendom which can hold 20.000 worshippers.

PASSAU, GERMANY
The city sits at the confluence of three rivers and had therefore military importance. The fortress Veste Oberhaus now houses the museum and the Dom features a great organ.

A river cruise aboard the Riverside Mozart means luxury, local culture and loving life. No sense is left untouched. Dine in one of the first-class restaurants. Decompress in the spa with sauna and massage. Discover another world on an excursion. Or simply delight in an Earl Grey or a Taittinger on the Vista Deck as you sail serenely through the landscape of the Wachau Valley. It's one big treat for the senses.

Time ticks differently on the Riverside Mozart, as does the ship itself. It sets the standard for true luxury on the river. Enjoy suites instead of staterooms, the smallest alone measuring 215 square feet (20 sqm), while the Owner Suites deliver an expansive 883 square feet (82 sqm). No other river cruise ship on the Danube offers so much space combined, with a suite to crew ratio of 1:1. The service on board is exceptional, catering to standards enjoyed in luxury hotels the world over. When it comes to styling, different tastes can certainly divide opinion – but this ship is without a doubt uncompromisingly beautiful.

A river cruise touches the senses. It combines space and time to create a contemplative experience. Sitting on the upper deck in an intimate atmosphere, watching unspoiled, beautiful scenery pass by – these are moments you will never forget.

Marvel at the engineering prowess of the locks. Immerse yourself in the culture of Europe's most beautiful cities. Enjoy the culinary specialties of the regions the ship passes through. And you only have to pack your suitcase once. Yes, a river cruise in Europe with Riverside Luxury Cruises also means setting out to find yourself.