The Danube River

About the Danube
UNESCO Heritage Sites
Ports of call on the Danube River

Ports-of-Call on the Danube River

Here you can find a list of some of the more common river cruise ports along the Danube River as it flows through Europe.  These may be the most common, but there may be others that can be found on select river cruises.  Your River Cruise Artist can provide you with the full itinerary and all ports for any river cruise that you may be interested in, on any river cruise operator. Explore the Danube River further and learn more about it’s ports-of-call.

Belgrade

Serbia

Belgrade is the capital of Serbia and the country’s largest city with a population of 1.7 million people. It lies at the confluence of two major European rivers, the Sava and Danube. The city has a long history dating back to the 4th century BC, when the area was settled by Celtic tribes. Later on, it became the Roman city of Singidunum, and relics of that era can still be seen in the city, particularly at Kalemegdan Fortress. During the Middle Ages the town changed hands between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Serbian Despumate until 1521, when it was captured by the Ottoman Empire. The city then changed hands multiple times again but between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg Empire. Serbia, including Belgrade, gained independence in 1828.

Bratislava

Slovakia

Bratislava has a very popular medieval inner city with narrow winding streets leading to a hill-top castle next to the Danube river. There are many historic churches and buildings to visit. The old town is centered on two squares, Hlavne namestie (main square) and Hviezdoslavovo namestie, named for a famous Slovak poet. Generally, Bratislava is a walking city. The center is relatively compact and you can easily walk from one side to another in a few minutes. The city center is a pedestrian area, however, be aware of cyclists and occasional cars. Also evident is a rather different architectural character with communist-era buildings found in modern parts of the city. An example of this Soviet influence is the Petrzalka housing estate, the biggest Communist-era concrete block housing complex in Central Europe, which stretches on endlessly across the Danube.

Bucharest

Romania

Bucharest is the capital city of Romania, a booming city with many large infrastructure projects changing the old face of the Soviet-era city. Known in the past as “The Little Paris,” Bucharest has changed a lot in recent years, today becoming a very intriguing mix of old and new. You can find a 300-year-old church, a steel-and-glass office building and Communist-era apartment blocks next to one another. Bucharest offers some excellent attractions, and has, in recent years, cultivated a sophisticated, trendy, and modern sensibility that many have come to expect from a European capital. Bucharest has benefited greatly from a Romanian economic boom with entry into the European Union.

Budapest

Hungary

Budapest is the economic, historic, and cultural capital of Hungary, with approximately 2 million inhabitants and approximately 2.7 million visitors per year. Hungarians are proud of what their beautiful capital has to offer and of its contributions to European culture. They also take pride in their unique language which is very different from all other European languages. Although Buda was long the capital of Hungary – or that of the Osman-occupied territory – for the better part of a millennium, the combined Budapest has become a grand cosmopolitan city during the country’s fast industrialization in the late nineteenth century. Enjoy the numerous a wide variety of parks, monuments, churches, museums, galleries and shops the city has to offer.

Český Krumlov

Czech Republic

Český Krumlov is a beautiful town of less than 15,000 residents located in Southern Bohemia in the Czech Republic. Similar to Prague, the town is situated on the Vltava River and is full of Baroque buildings housing cafes, shops and bars, and features a spectacular castle which is the second largest in the Czech Republic. Enjoy the popular old-town square with an appearance that is little changed since the 18th century and the buildings have been well maintained and restored. In 1992 Český Krumlov was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. The town is very popular among tourists, who outnumber the local population in the summer, with many traveling the short distance from Danube River cruises.

Dürnstein / Krems

Austria

Dürnstein is a small town popular with Danube River cruises in the Krems-Land district of the state of Lower Austria. It is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the Wachau region and also a well-known wine growing area. Located just northwest of Vienna, Dürnstein features a rich history that will unveil itself as you stroll the narrow, winding, cobblestone streets of the Old Town. Nearby Melk is best known as the site of a massive baroque Benedictine monastery named Melk Abbey.

Melk

Austria

Melk is a small riverside town with less than 6,000 residents located on south bank of the Danube River in the Wachau Valley of Lower Austria. Melk marks the western point of the Wachau Valley only 53 miles west of Vienna and lies 25 miles upstream from Krems. Walking the small historic town center of mainly 16th and 17th century buildings is easy. The town’s highlight is the famous and imposing 18th century Benedictine Abbey on top of a bluff forms a northern Baroque backdrop for the older town center and is accessed on its eastern side.

Novi Sad

Serbia

Situated on the Danube River between Budapest and Belgrade, Novi Sad is a treasured regional and cultural centre. Novi Sad has a population of about 400,000 through the wider urban area. The city center is actually quite small and most of the popular sights, shops, bars and hotels are all within easy walking distance. There are plenty of street maps, especially in the centre, so you can find your way easily. Don’t miss the Petrovardin Fortress, the Old Town Hall, the Church of St. George and the Dvorac Dundjerski castle.

Osijek

Croatia

Osijek is the largest city and the economic and the cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia. Due to its important location near the junction of the Drava and Danube rivers, this large and prosperous town – the fourth largest city in Croatia with a current population of around 100,000 – bore much of the brunt of the regional conflict in the 1990s. Many fine buildings have been restored to their former glory, however don’t be surprised to see some scars still remaining as some buildings still have bullet holes or shrapnel markings in them. Don’t miss the Tvrda Fortress with it’s Church of St. Michael, and the Pejacevic Manor, an 18th-century neoclassical building located on the edge of the Upper Town at the entrance to the Retfala district.

Passau

Germany

Passau has a population of around 50,000 people 10,000 of which are students. The city lies at the confluence of the Inn and Ilz Rivers, where they meet the Danube – hence its nickname the “City of Three Rivers” or Dreiflüssestadt. Passau was first settled by the Celts who were living in southern Bavaria since ages before the Romans came and founded a fortress capitalizing on the strategic position of the city. Today Passau is known for its historic buildings and its university. Most tourists to Passau are enjoying popular Danube River cruises. Because Passau is not far from the Czech Republic and Austria, you will meet also a lot of Austrians and Czechs going here for shopping or work.

Pécs & Mohacs

Hungary

Founded as Sopianae 2000 years ago by the Romans and known as Fünfkirchen by the Germans, today’s Pécs is a pleasant, small university town in Hungary that has largely escaped the ravages of both communist-era architecture and modern-day mass tourism. In 2000, the Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2010. Nearby Mohacs lies on the Danube River and features numerous parks, churches and monuments worthy of a visit.

Regensburg

Germany

The Bavarian city of Regensburg, Germany, is one of the country’s oldest towns, founded by the Romans in 179 A.D. Today Regensburg is a prosperous city of about 140,000 residents, three universities and many historical landmarks dating as far back as the Middle. Since July 2006 the old city of Regensburg has been a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city center is reasonably compact and with mostly pedestrian-only narrow streets to easily explore on foot. The main attraction of Regensburg is its excellently preserved medieval city center with the cathedral and the stone bridge being the highlights.

Salzburg

Austria

Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, is a small city in central Austria, near the German (Bavarian) border with a population of about 150,000 residents. Admittedly, it is difficult not to spontaneously burst into song when you’re walking along the Salzach River or climbing up to the Hohensalzburg fortress which looms over the city made famous by the famed film The Sound of Music. But there is a lot more to this historic city than the music of Julie Andrews. See Salzburg with a short bus trip from your Danube River Cruise, with excursions to view the fortress, the historic churches, or to shop the famous cobblestone streets.

Veliko Tarnovo

Bulgaria

A town with very rich history, Veliko Tarnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and has long traditions in the culture of Bulgaria. The city is rich in museums and historical sites, combined with a vivacious nightlife favored by the local students of one of the largest universities in Bulgaria. Veliko Tarnovo is a popular stop on the lower Danube River cruises featuring the Tsarevets Castle, the Renaissance architecture of the Old Town, and the museums to explore the history of the region.

Vidin

Bulgaria

Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин) is a small city in the northwest of Bulgaria, on the banks of Danube River, which forms the border between Bulgaria and Romania. Vidin continues to work toward economic recovery after decades of Soviet rule, but what Vidin lacks in bustling economy, it makes up with a friendly population eager to showcase the history of this city to the Danube River cruiser. Vidin is one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria, with a rich history beginning in the 1st century when it was taken by the Romans temporarily becoming Bononia. The Ottomans ruled Vidin from 1396 until 1878, when Vidin was liberated from the Turks. There are many landmarks that exhibit the glorious past of Vidin including Baba Vida castle, the Vidin Synagogue, St. Petka church, the Osman Pazvantoglue mosque and library, the Krastata Kazarma and the St. Dimitar church.

Vienna

Austria

Vienna, or Wien in German, is the capital of the Republic of Austria and by far its largest city with a population of more than 1.7 million. Vienna is Austria’s cultural, economic, and political center. As the former home of the Habsburg court and its various empires, the city still has the trappings of the imperial capital it once was. The historic city center or Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the most popular Danube River cruise ports, Vienna offers many don’t miss attractions like the Schonbrunn Palace, Hofburg Imperial Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, museum’s, and gardens. Don’t forget to enjoy the famous Lipizzaner Stallions or to take in a famed musical performance by the Vienna Philharmonic or the Vienna Boys Choir.

Your Danube River Cruise Awaits!

Are you ready to start planning your Danube River Cruise Vacation Your Way? A River Cruise Artist at River Cruise Your Way is ready to be your vacation concierge. Contact us today at 1-800-259-7612 or use the form below and let us know when it is most convenient to call you, we will confirm via e-mail, and then reach out at the agreed upon time and date.