Christmas Markets on the Danube

Divided by the Danube River, the Hungarian capital of Budapest -- known as the "Pearl of the Danube"-- is a city of two distinct halves. The hilly Buda side is topped by the impressive Royal Palace, home to several museums and charming cobbled streets lined with shops and houses that date to medieval times. On the busier Pest bank, there are grand sights like the parliament building, opera house and statue-lined Heroes' Square, plus fantastic shopping streets, such as Andrassy Avenue, Budapest's grand central boulevard. Several bridges cross the river, but the best one to use is the historic Chain Bridge, which is the oldest. The great thing about Budapest, a mainstay on most Danube River cruise itineraries, is it's compact, so you can pack plenty into a short break. The majority of sights are within walking distance or easily reached on the efficient tram and underground network. Coffee shops are a big thing. At one time, there were more than 400 in Budapest, so take time out to join locals for a caffeine boost and a slice of yummy cream cake. Budapest is also the world's only capital city to boast more than 80 active thermal springs and wells; soaking in the warm, mineral-rich waters is an authentic experience. Szechenyi is the largest, with indoor and outdoor pools, and Gellert is famous for its opulent -- and mostly original -- architecture. Many river cruise operators offer trips to the baths as an excursion option. Budapest's history dates to the third century, when Celtic warriors occupied the area. Study the place a bit, and you'll find yourself wondering: Who didn't invade the city? The Romans, Magyars, Mongols, Ottoman Turks, Austrians, Germans and Soviets have all played starring roles in Budapest's longstanding municipal drama. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries -- part of the reason for its eclectic architecture, which includes everything from neo-Classical to Stalinist utilitarian. Its current skyline reflects the building programs and styles of the turn of the 20th century. As Claudio Magris wrote in his travel memoir, "Danube," "Budapest is the loveliest city on the Danube. It has a crafty way of being its own stage-set."

Divided by the Danube River, the Hungarian capital of Budapest -- known as the "Pearl of the Danube"-- is a city of two distinct halves. The hilly Buda side is topped by the impressive Royal Palace, home to several museums and charming cobbled streets lined with shops and houses that date to medieval times. On the busier Pest bank, there are grand sights like the parliament building, opera house and statue-lined Heroes' Square, plus fantastic shopping streets, such as Andrassy Avenue, Budapest's grand central boulevard. Several bridges cross the river, but the best one to use is the historic Chain Bridge, which is the oldest. The great thing about Budapest, a mainstay on most Danube River cruise itineraries, is it's compact, so you can pack plenty into a short break. The majority of sights are within walking distance or easily reached on the efficient tram and underground network. Coffee shops are a big thing. At one time, there were more than 400 in Budapest, so take time out to join locals for a caffeine boost and a slice of yummy cream cake. Budapest is also the world's only capital city to boast more than 80 active thermal springs and wells; soaking in the warm, mineral-rich waters is an authentic experience. Szechenyi is the largest, with indoor and outdoor pools, and Gellert is famous for its opulent -- and mostly original -- architecture. Many river cruise operators offer trips to the baths as an excursion option. Budapest's history dates to the third century, when Celtic warriors occupied the area. Study the place a bit, and you'll find yourself wondering: Who didn't invade the city? The Romans, Magyars, Mongols, Ottoman Turks, Austrians, Germans and Soviets have all played starring roles in Budapest's longstanding municipal drama. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries -- part of the reason for its eclectic architecture, which includes everything from neo-Classical to Stalinist utilitarian. Its current skyline reflects the building programs and styles of the turn of the 20th century. As Claudio Magris wrote in his travel memoir, "Danube," "Budapest is the loveliest city on the Danube. It has a crafty way of being its own stage-set."

Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is an up-and-coming cruise port along the Danube River. It borders both Austria and Hungary, and it's located just miles from the capital cities of Vienna, Austria, and Prague, Czech Republic.

Visitors come to Vienna with high expectations of lavish palaces, ornamental parks, cakes piled high with whipped cream and the strain of Strauss waltzes. They're rarely disappointed; this is a city that trades on its glorious past, revelling in its heyday, when Gustav Mahler was conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, Sigmund Freud was inventing psychoanalysis and the coffee houses were abuzz with the banter of middle-class intellectuals.

Yet, as much as it lives in the past, Vienna has hauled itself into the present with elegance and style. Visitors will discover a compact but diverse, multicultural city, with a thriving art and design scene, some truly fabulous shopping, superb contemporary art collections, and acres of gorgeous parks and gardens. Here, you'll find a happy devotion to the good life, whether it's sipping a cocktail at one of the hip bars on the Danube Canal or the gemutlichkeit (the Austrian term for "cosiness") of tasting wines grown on the hills around the city in a traditional pub garden in the village of Grinzing.

Because most of the big attractions are around or inside the Ringstrasse, the circular boulevard that encloses the first district, or city centre, Vienna is easy to explore. In fact, you could spend days in the first district alone, shopping on the elegant Karntnerstrasse, exploring St. Stephen's Cathedral and countless other Baroque churches, devoting time to galleries and museums and immersing yourself in the famous coffee culture.

The many river cruise lines that call on the city provide a mere snapshot of this thriving centre of European culture with little deviation from the very well-trodden tourist trail. But Vienna caters to a diverse range of interests, and the good news is that if you come back for more, or want to explore it alone, the city is a snap to navigate independently.

If you sail in at night, it will be hard to ignore the eerily lit Dürnstein Castle, (also known as Kuenringer Castle), which overlooks the small town named after it. Dürnstein, in Lower Austria, is a port often visited on Danube River cruises. From there, it's a short 10-minute drive into nearby Krems, which is a popular wine-growing region in the Wachau Valley. By car, Dürnstein is about an hour outside of Vienna. Dürnstein (meaning dry stone, because it's up so high) Castle is an undeniable draw for tourists, first mentioned in the 12th century as the location where Richard the Lionheart of England was held captive by Leopold V during the Third Crusade. It's a somewhat strenuous climb entirely uphill to the top, but most find that the views of the Danube and the town below are well worth the hike. A stretch of cobblestone street doubles as a pedestrian walkway through the quaint shops and eateries of the town (home to just more than 800 residents). If your cruise line offers an optional excursion to a vineyard in Krems, be prepared to sample some fabulous white wines, as Austria is known for its award-winning Riesling and other varietals. Krems is also known for being the primary producer of Marillenschnaps, an apricot brandy. If you're interested in touring the city but don't imbibe, there's plenty to see. Krems is about 27 times larger than Dürnstein, and it offers plenty of medieval architecture, including Steiner Tor, a gate erected in 1480.

Arriving in Passau for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking you'd landed in Italy instead of Germany. The city has a very Italian atmosphere that's led to its nickname, Venice on the Danube. And indeed, Passau was part of the Roman Empire for more than 400 years. When most of the city was destroyed by fire in 1662, it was rebuilt in Italian Baroque style, reflected in the vast cathedral, churches, squares and former homes of wealthy merchants. Today, as you stroll through the pretty streets, you'll notice a plethora of pizza and pasta restaurants rubbing shoulders with eateries that serve up hearty German fare.

While Passau has an undeniably touristy feel, it's a very attractive destination boasting a legacy of wealth built on the salt trade and, during Renaissance times, the crafting of knives and sword blades. The city occupies a unique location on the confluence of the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz in south-eastern Germany, close to the Austrian border, and so it's also known as the City of Three Rivers. But the rivers haven't always been the city's friends: Passau has repeatedly been flooded by Alpine water swept along the Inn. High watermarks on the side of the town hall bear witness to the flooding; the highest date back to 1501, 1595 and 1954, the latter marked at more than 10m (32 feet).

Packed on a thin strip of land, Passau is easy to get around -- a major plus for visitors -- thanks to its small size. Beyond the long riverside promenade walk, lined with lookalike souvenir shops and some decent eateries, lies the picture-postcard old town, with traffic-free narrow streets made for meandering and many of the main sights. The sightseeing high spot, in more ways than one, is St. Stephen's cathedral, high up in the Old Town, home to the world's largest cathedral organ. Dominating the Danube side, opposite the dock, is the Veste Oberhaus fortress, which is now a multiple-choice castle containing a museum, youth hostel and restaurant.

Typically, riverboats dock in Passau after breakfast for a morning sightseeing tour, and passengers can opt to return for lunch back onboard or stay in town and have a meal independently in one of the many restaurants. River cruisers are then allowed free time to explore on their own before sailing in the late afternoon.

The largest medieval city in Germany and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2006, Regensburg was founded in 179 A.D. by the Romans. It eventually became the second-richest city in the Holy Roman Empire, prized for its trade of "White Gold," otherwise known as salt. It was even once the capital of Germany until it was moved to Munich. Fortunately, most of the city was spared destruction during World War II. With Romanesque and Gothic structures, courtyards, squares and a stone bridge, the city of roughly 150,000 residents makes you feel as if you're stepping straight into a storybook setting.