2025 May-Jun UK-Danube
Our trip to the UK started at the end of April. To break up the long flights, we stopped overnight in Singapore and Doha on the way – the flight times were very civilised on our westward journey. Our first flight arrived in Singapore at 20:45 so we were ready for some sleep. We had booked into the YOTELAIR at Changi Airport. The ‘cabin’ was a compact yet clever design for up to two guests – but very limited space for luggage – and very expensive for its size! However, it was convenient – right in the airport. Our next flight departed at 15:10 the following day – after a leisurely start we enjoyed lunch at Singapore Food Street in the airport – we were amused and impressed to see the robotic ‘cleaner’ taking used food trays back to a cleaning station. Our next flight arrived in Dubai at 18:30 local time and we transferred to the Holiday Inn Express for a night’s sleep. The following day it was off to Heathrow to begin the UK leg of our holiday. Having the stopovers on the journey was a much less taxing way of getting halfway around the world.
We had a lovely time catching up with Rob & Jas and their girls in London before heading off to Dorset to catch up with friends Gill & Aidan. We did a quick trip to Wales to see Keith’s family and then down to Southbourne to see Doug & Shirley. We managed a flying visit with Charlotte, Rachel and their three children before returning to London ready for our flight to Munich to join the cruise to Budapest aboard Travel Marvel ‘Capella’ berthed at Passau on the Danube River.
Our flight to Munich was met at the airport, and we were transferred by coach to the vessel. The Capella was launched in 2022 and had only 94 cabins – we were very impressed. All the meals were delicious – and they even served beer or wine with lunch and dinner. The cruise included guided walks at each stop together with various optional excursions.
That first night there was a Welcome Reception to meet the Cruise Director and fellow travellers. The next morning, we enjoyed a guided walking tour along the cobblestone lanes of the Altstadt (Old Town) taking in the historic sites. After a relaxing afternoon, there was an authentic Bavarian experience on board, sampling local beer and snacks, accompanied by traditional folk music, song and dance.
The only excursion we opted for was a trip to Salzburg, which was great but coincided with the only cold and wet day of our trip. The coach trip took us through the stunning scenery of Austria. We visited Mondsee, location of the famous Wedding Church from the film ‘The Sound of Music’. In Salzburg we were given a guided walk through the town Mozart called home, followed by some free time in town to have lunch and stroll around. Keith and I took the funicular up to Salzburg Castle, also known as Fortress Hohensalzburg – there were fantastic views of the city – it was just a shame it was a grey day.
Back in the old town on the Kapitelplatz, there is an impressive sculpture ‘Sphaera’, also known as the Golden Sphere. The sculpture is 9 meters high and depicts a male figure standing on a large golden sphere with a blank expression on his face.
That night the vessel cruised into Austria, docking in Melk where we were taken on a tour of Melk Abbey with a local guide. Since 1089, this Benedictine monastery has stood atop a rocky outcrop, offering commanding views of the Danube.
During the afternoon, the vessel continued cruising through the picturesque Wachau Valley to Dürnstein, a well-known wine region. As we cruised down the river, the on-board pastry chef gave a wonderful demonstration on how to make Apple Strudel.
Dürnstein is a town overlooked by the hilltop ruins of the castle where legendary King Richard the Lionheart was kept as a prisoner in the 12th century. The local tourist association laid on a motorised ‘tram’ to take us on a tour of the village and surrounding vineyards. The town had some quirky features, like a mirror positioned so you could take a photo of the church clock tower that would otherwise be obscured by the buildings in the narrow, cobbled streets. Also, a Maypole which had obviously been used earlier in the month. Keith and I stopped at a local tavern to try the local Grüner Veltliner wine.
Overnight we cruised to Vienna and in the morning joined a coach tour into the city centre, taking in some of the city’s most famous buildings. On arrival in the centre, we were given another walking tour, providing an insider’s view of sights such as St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Graben and Hofburg Palace. Last time we were in Vienna, we had taken the hop-on hop-off bus tour as the city sprawls far and wide, so we enjoyed this guided tour of the city centre. The optional excursion in Vienna included an evening concert featuring music from Mozart – Keith and I had done this when we had visited Vienna previously, so chose to enjoy a relaxing evening on board.
The next day we arrived at Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, and uniquely situated on the border of three countries – Slovakia, Austria and Hungary. Our walking tour through the old town brought us to St Martin’s Cathedral, the Primate’s Palace and the Main Square.
St Martin’s Cathedral is a three-nave Gothic built on the site of a previous, Romanesque church, dedicated to the Holy Saviour, from 1221. After 1291, when Bratislava was given the privileges of a town, the church was rebuilt to become part of the city walls (its tower served as a defensive bastion). The present church was consecrated in 1452. The interior of the church is large – 69.37m long, 22.85m wide and 16.02m high. Between 1563 and 1830 St. Martin’s served as the coronation church for Hungarian kings and their consorts, marked to this day by a 300kg gilded replica of the Hungarian royal crown perched on the top of the cathedral’s 85-metre-tall neo-Gothic tower. Ten kings, one queen and seven royal wives from the Habsburg Dynasty were crowned in St. Martin’s Cathedral.
The Primate’s Palace (1778-1781) was built on property originally belonging to the archbishop of Esztergom and is one of the most beautiful classicist buildings in Slovakia. The Treaty of Bratislava between France and Austria was signed in the palace’s Hall of Mirrors on 26 December 1805. The palace also contains a rare collection of English tapestries from the 17th century. They were produced at the royal tapestry works in the English town of Mortlake but were only rediscovered during a reconstruction in 1903. In the square inner courtyard of the Palace stands the exquisite fountain of St George, depicting the legendary knight slaying the dragon. According to one legend the figure of St George represents the archbishop, and his fight with the dragon symbolises the efforts of the Catholic Church to banish the Reformation from the city. Each year, on St George’s Day, the stone statue is supposed to come to life, turn around on his horse and bow to the inhabitants of the city.
We also visited the only surviving example of the original four entrances to the city, the northern Michalská Gate (Michael’s Gate). It was named after the Gothic church of St. Michal. Due to its high onion-shaped roof, the gate tower is one of the landmarks of the old town.
That evening we celebrated the river cruise with a Captain’s Farewell Dinner – despite having another couple of nights on board!
The next morning, we sailed into Budapest, one of the Danube’s most enchanting riverside cities. We berthed right in the heart of Hungary’s capital. After breakfast, we once again enjoyed a walking tour of the city, starting at Heroes’ Square and finishing at St Stephen’s Cathedral.
Heroes’ Square is a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site that stands as a symbol of Hungarian pride and history. Located at the end of Andrássy Avenue, next to City Park, this iconic square is impressive with its monumental dimensions and neoclassical architecture.
St. Stephen’s Basilica is a catholic basilica located in the centre of Budapest. At first the structure was supposed to be named after Saint Leopold, the patron of Austria, but the plan was changed and the church was named after Stephen, the first king of Hungary, whose alleged right hand is supposed to be preserved in the reliquary of the basilica. Today, St. Stephens’s Basilica represents the third largest church in Hungary.
That evening our ship did an evening circuit around the river to show the magnificent buildings of Budapest lit up for show. It is certainly a beautiful city.
The next morning, we disembarked and moved to a hotel in the city for a couple of nights – the start of our two weeks of independent travel.