Riverside Mozart, 4 night Danube Highlights Westbound River Cruise ex Budapest to Passau

With its Castle District on one bank and awe-inspiring Parliament on the other, few cities wear the Danube as well as Budapest. This 5-day journey begins in the incomparable Hungarian capital, where you'll discover for yourself the intricate relationship between the city and river. From there, head west to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, whose white hilltop castle casts a formidable shadow over the quaint Old Town below. Other ports and highlights include Krems; scenic cruising through the world-famous Wachau Valley; and Mauthausen, a crossroads of two trade routes during Roman times and a toll station for ships during the Middle Ages; and Linz, whose torte was the world's first cake. Your getaway concludes in Passau, Germany's famed City of Three Rivers.

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.

KREMS, AUSTRIA
In order to understand Krems and, above all, to admire it, one must look at its history: The city was a trading center in ancient times. It’s well-known weekly markets sold cloth, wool, skins, wrought iron, copper, tin, swords, millstones, poppies, pepper, saffron, nuts as well as spices. Above all, salt was also sold from here as far as Burgenland and Bohemia. In the tobacco factory in Krems, 75,000 Virginia cigars were still being produced annually in 1920. The town is considered one of the most ornate in Austria, and one of its special places is the Kornermarkt. Parts of the tobacco factory are now used for the university and the charming Kunsthalle, featuring modern and contemporary Austrian art.

MAUTHAUSEN, AUSTRIA
It is surrounded by a beautiful landscape but its name echoes a sad memory: Mauthausen was the place where the largest concentration camp on Austrian soil was located during the Second World War. Mauthausen was first mentioned in 1208 under the term “Muthusen”.

PASSAU, GERMANY
Passau is first and foremost a university town. That is why it is young, vibrant and full of life. Then there are the three rivers, the Danube, Inn and Ilz, which flow together in the city and give it a special character. Speaking of character, Passau has quite the amount of character thanks to the prevalence of Baroque and Gothic architecture including many beautiful churches and cathedrals as well as the Veste Oberhaus, a fortress since the Middle Ages.

A river cruise aboard the Riverside Mozart means luxury, local culture and loving life. No sense is left untouched. Dine in one of the first-class restaurants. Decompress in the spa with sauna and massage. Discover another world on an excursion. Or simply delight in an Earl Grey or a Taittinger on the Vista Deck as you sail serenely through the landscape of the Wachau Valley. It's one big treat for the senses.

Time ticks differently on the Riverside Mozart, as does the ship itself. It sets the standard for true luxury on the river. Enjoy suites instead of staterooms, the smallest alone measuring 215 square feet (20 sqm), while the Owner Suites deliver an expansive 883 square feet (82 sqm). No other river cruise ship on the Danube offers so much space combined, with a suite to crew ratio of 1:1. The service on board is exceptional, catering to standards enjoyed in luxury hotels the world over. When it comes to styling, different tastes can certainly divide opinion – but this ship is without a doubt uncompromisingly beautiful.

A river cruise touches the senses. It combines space and time to create a contemplative experience. Sitting on the upper deck in an intimate atmosphere, watching unspoiled, beautiful scenery pass by – these are moments you will never forget.

Marvel at the engineering prowess of the locks. Immerse yourself in the culture of Europe's most beautiful cities. Enjoy the culinary specialties of the regions the ship passes through. And you only have to pack your suitcase once. Yes, a river cruise in Europe with Riverside Luxury Cruises also means setting out to find yourself.