Wondrous Waterways: Unforgettable River Cruise Vacations

WITH THEIR COMBINATION OF SMALL SHIPS, SCENIC WATERWAYS AND STORIED DESTINATIONS, RIVER CRUISES LAUNCH UNFORGETTABLE VACATIONS.

March 27, 2020 | 4 min read

Castle ruins, wineries and apricot orchards await in the charming town of Dürnstein (population 900) in Austria’s scenic Wachau Valley. The “New Castle” pictured here was built in 1622 and now operates as Hotel Schloss Dürnstein.
Photo courtesy of Viking Cruises

Bicycling excursions are popular with active travelers on Danube cruises, such as these AmaWaterways guests riding in Vienna.
Photo courtesy of AmaWaterways

Melk Abbey, a Baroque jewel in Austria, is noted for its brilliantly colored frescoes, such as this one on the ceiling of the Benedictine abbey’s Marble Hall.

Located along the Rhône in southeastern France, the city of Vienne is rich with Roman and medieval buildings.
Photo courtesy of AmaWaterways

Many cruises start or end in Lyon, a city at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers. Considered France’s most significant cultural and culinary center after Paris, the city of 500,000 retains a historic old town with cobblestone streets and hidden medieval passageways.
Photo courtesy of Viking Cruises

Wine-tasting and winery tours are star attractions in France’s Provence region.
Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

Ranking second among the world’s largest art museums, just behind the Louvre, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg has a collection of more than three million items. Works are displayed in six historic buildings, including the Winter Palace. The official residence of Russia tsars from 1732 to 1917, the Winter Palace features an interior as exquisite as some of the art exhibited.

Just 17 miles from St. Petersburg is Catherine Palace, a top attraction for visitors. The massive rococo palace that served as the summer residence of Russian tsars in the 18th and 19th centuries measures a sprawling 2,247 feet long.

Located 160 miles north of Moscow, Yaroslavl is the most ancient town on the Volga River. The gold-domed 16th-century cathedral pictured here is part of the former Holy Transfiguration Monastery.

The ancient Pyramids of Giza sit just on the edge of Cairo. Most visitors to Egypt pair several days in the capital city with a cruise on the Nile.
Photo courtesy of Viking Cruises

Visitors to Egypt should include a ride on a felucca in their itinerary. Most tourists board these traditional wooden sailboats in Aswan.
Photo courtesy of Egypt Tourist Authority

A Bedouin merchant peddles hand-woven wool rugs at a market on the shores of the Nile River.
Courtesy of Egypt Tourist Authority

Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher greet riverboat passengers in Hannibal, Missouri. These official ambassadors can answer questions about the town and Mark Twain, and they happily pose for pictures.
Courtesy of Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum

Regarded as the crown jewel of historic properties in Natchez, Mississippi, the octagonal antebellum Longwood is considered a must-see for visitors. The mansion also known as Nut’s Folly is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Courtesy of Visit Natchez

Marcellous Lovelace’s I Am A Man mural on South Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, was inspired by the signs carried by African Americans, including striking sanitation workers, in a demonstration led by Martin Luther King in late March 1968.
Photo by Craig Thompson

The Nile, regarded by ancient Egyptians as the manifestation of the god Hapi and the goddess Ma’at. The Volga, the longest river in Europe and considered the national river of Russia. And the Mississippi, once the western boundary of the young U.S. and then, with the Louisiana Purchase, a gateway to the West. Rivers are entwined with the history, the industry, the culture and the myths of the lands they nourish, and a cruise on an iconic waterway reveals a country and its people as few other ways of travel can. In the following pages, we introduce you to five of the world’s greatest rivers.

DANUBE
From its origins in Germany’s Black Forest, the Danube River flows southeast for 1,780 miles through Central and Eastern Europe, passing through or touching 10 countries and four national capitals—Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Budapest, Hungary; and Belgrade, Serbia—before emptying into the Black Sea.

Many of the most popular cruises on the Danube River shuttle between Budapest and various cities in Germany. Highlights en route include the lush terraced vineyards and small towns of the Wachau Valley, the Baroque beauty of Melk Abbey with its gilded bookcases and colorful restored frescoes, the opulent residential apartments and staterooms of Schönbrunn Palace and its sprawling outdoor fountains and gardens, and the museums and music halls of Vienna.

RHÔNE
A major trade route since the time of ancient Greece and Rome, the Rhône River rises in the Swiss Alps from the Rhône Glacier, passes through Lake Geneva and runs through southeastern France, eventually reaching the Mediterranean Sea. The typical Rhône cruise extends for eight days and moves between Lyon and Avignon or Arles in southern France; some cruise lines extend the trip by adding the Saône and Seine Rivers.

The Rhône region delights with its amalgam of Roman ruins, Renaissance and Gothic architecture, Provencal landscapes and exquisite French cuisine and wines. Grape varieties such as grenache, syrah, mourvèdre, grenache blanc, clairette and bourboulenc are used to produce a variety of Côtes du Rhône reds, whites and rosés. Excursions to the vineyards and wineries of the world-famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape region are especially popular.

VOLGA
The Volga River flows more than 2,000 miles through some of Russia’s most heavily populated areas, through forests and steppes and past 11 major cities, as it makes its way to the Caspian Sea. Used symbolically in Russian culture and literature, the river is frequently referred to as Mother Volga.

Although the Volga does not pass through St. Petersburg or Moscow, both of these exciting cities are featured on most Russia cruises, which sail not only the Volga but also Moscow Canal, multiple lakes and the River Neva. Bucket-list sights include the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Hermitage Museum and Catherine Palace as well as surprising gems such as the 22-dome Preobranzhenskaya (Transfiguration) Church, built in 1714 without a single nail; the UNESCO World Heritage-designated medieval city center of Yaroslavl; and the birch-lined shores and wild lands surrounding massive Lake Onega.

NILE
The longest river in Africa, the Nile flows northward for 4,130 miles from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea. The river was critical to the development of ancient Egyptian civilization, and even today 95 percent of Egyptians live within a few miles of its banks. While bustling Cairo and the Great Pyramids of Giza might top the list of must-sees in Egypt, no visit would be complete without a Nile cruise.

Many package tours combine the capital city with a cruise between Aswan and Luxor; some also include a visit to the two magnificent temples at Abu Simbel, built by King Ramses II. Standout attractions on a Nile cruise include The Temple of Hatshepsut, a mortuary temple for a rare female pharaoh; the Valley of the Kings, used for royal burials for nearly 500 years; the unusual double Temple of Kom Ombo; and the Temples of Hathor, Luxor and Karnak.

MISSISSIPPI
From its source in northern Minnesota’s Lake Itasca, the Mighty Mississippi flows south for 2,350 miles to the Gulf of Mexico, nearly slicing through the continental U.S. Long essential to the nation’s commerce and development, Ol’ Man River has figured prominently in our nation’s consciousness.

Most cruises on the Mississippi last about a week and sail either the upper or the lower portion of the river, though a few longer trips take in its full length. Ports in the river’s upper reaches introduce guests to the magnificent three-state view from Grandad Bluff in La Crosse, Wisconsin; the museums, music and Midwestern hospitality of the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois; and, a perennial favorite, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, Missouri. The Lower Mississippi, generally considered Memphis, Tennessee, to New Orleans, Louisiana, features a cornucopia of Southern culture and heritage, from significant Civil War locales such as Vicksburg, Mississippi, to music meccas such as Memphis to Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital.