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Riverside Mozart, Danube Capitals at Christmastime River Cruise ex Budapest to Vienna
Cruise Riverside Mozart, Danube Capitals at Christmastime River Cruise ex Budapest to Vienna
Cruise Line Riverside Cruises
Ship Riverside Mozart
Destination EU Rivers
Brief Description 4 night River Cruise sailing from Budapest to Vienna onboard Riverside Mozart
Type of Cruise River
Departure Date 02 Dec 2026
Cruise Description 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.
Sailing Dates
02 Dec 2025
16 Dec 2025
02 Dec 2026
16 Dec 2026
Pricing
Please enquire for pricing
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 Disembark
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

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