River Danube - travel review

So when a chance came to take my first river cruise, I leapt at it. The MS Serenade 1 – the ship on which I would make my voyage along the River Danube – was a modern river cruiser, exclusively chartered by Titan Travel, who had recently treated her to a makeover.

Upon boarding in Passau, Germany, I was as relaxed as I can ever remember being when travelling abroad. This had been thanks in no short order to the VIP door-to-door pick-up service that Titan provided.

Two days earlier I had been collected and chauffeured to London, where I would catch my flight from Heathrow to Munich the following day – just part of the service, and an option Titan are proud to offer all of their passengers. I didn’t have to worry about car trouble, airport parking, or traffic delays that could lead to a missed flight.

The ship itself was beautiful, clearly designed with both ease and comfort in mind. The cabins were impressively spacious, all fully air-conditioned and complete with an en-suite, dressing table and fitted wardrobe.

Our week-long journey took us from Passau into Austria, where our first stop along the Danube was the town of Melk. From there we continued to the Austrian capital of Vienna, before paying a visit to the medieval town of Durnstein and the neoclassical Linz. From here we would then return to Germany, exploring Passau in full and also stopping off at Regensburg.

Our initial excursion to Melk was a delight, setting a wonderful tone for the journey to come. A captivating town, Melk is dominated by its stunning Benedictine Abbey. Our tour of the abbey was informative but relaxed, allowing each guest to fully appreciate its architecture, frescoes, and enchanting medieval library.

After exploring the town, we headed back to the ship to set sail for Vienna. During travel, the ship was smooth and steady throughout the entire cruise. Many of the guests, myself included, frequently chose to relax on deck, taking in the beauty of the Danube and the stunning Wachau Valley.

Dining on board was ideal, with a buffet breakfast offering both the traditional and the continental, a varied lunch, and an evening meal of several courses each night. Every palate on board was well catered for, with a vegetarian option offered with each menu, and dishes to delight both the adventurous and the conservative.

Vienna itself was utterly gorgeous – a proud and majestic capital in which a refined sense of both culture and taste was palpable. As had been the case in Melk, our tour guide was both informative and relaxed, helping us to appreciate the history and significance of the city she loved while allowing us to breathe it in and explore it on our own terms.

Highlight

This year, Vienna celebrates its artistic heritage with the centenary of the Modernism movement, and with this we were treated to gallery exhibitions featuring the work of some of the movement’s most beloved protagonists, including Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. All in all, the city was a joy to experience.

Yet while Vienna was stunning, for me the highlight of the cruise was yet to come. The small medieval town of Durnstein is quite simply one of the prettiest places I have ever visited. Situated on the shore of the Danube, the town is guarded by a ruined hilltop castle where Richard the Lionheart was supposedly once held for ransom.

Surrounded by vineyards, Durnstein is known for producing some of Austria’s finest wines, a number of which we were treated to at a tasting session.

With beautiful cobbled streets flanked by charming buildings, Durnstein was an enclave of delight that for me captured the peace and relaxation of the cruise all on its own. Much of the joy of the trip for me was to experience those places that may not register on the typical holiday destination radar, and with this Durnstein was a wonderful discovery.

After enjoying the delights of Linz and its wealth of beautiful Baroque architecture, our cruise took us back in to Germany, where we visited Passau before heading to our final destination of Regensburg.

Here we were treated to an excursion to Weltenburg Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that is also home to what is believed to be the world’s oldest monastic brewery. The abbey itself was stunning – a masterpiece of Baroque styling that conveyed a true love of faith. It was the perfect excursion to round off the cruise, completely embodying the sense of history, culture and fun that had flowed through the whole trip.

Prior to my journey along the Danube, I had never considered taking a river cruise, yet have now recommended the idea to almost everyone I have since spoken to. The staff on board the MS Serenade 1 were exceptional from start to finish.

My journey with Titan was one of the best ways to experience this truly stunning part of the world, and the balance of both optional and included excursions meant that any passenger, regardless of age, could enjoy it at their own pace. The team on board thoroughly deserve every plaudit and I look forward to the next time I board a Titan chartered vessel.

Travel facts:

• Titan Travel (0800 988 5873; www.titantravel.co.uk ) offers the 10-day Beautiful Danube and Prague river cruise on board MS Bellejour (sister ship to MS Serenade 1) from £1,499 with a two-night hotel stay in Prague (and from £1,399 without the Prague add-on), departing on June 21 and August 28, 2019.

• Cost includes return flights from London Heathrow, seven nights cruise on MS Bellejour and two nights in hotel, 22 meals, unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, welcome reception party and gala dinner, Captain’s gala dinner, onboard entertainment, Wi-Fi, access to the wellbeing spa, 4 excursions, Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service, plus the services of a Titan cruise director and tour manager.

• An overnight stay at The Park Inn London costs from £60 pp midweek.