This cruise was referred to me by my sister who had gone on a Danube Viking Cruise years ago. I enjoyed the cruise very much as it focused on cuisine and culture. Budapest has old world charm with gorgeous architecture. The city straddles both sides of the Danube. The iconic Chain Bridge made its appearance as we dined on the Hermod on the first night. Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, was a wonderful surprise with cobblestone streets. We learned that the country fortified its economy by successfully mass producing cars for European consumers. Vienna, capital of Austria, was lovely with music in the air. The Schonbrunn Palace reminded me of Versailles, the seat of French political power and culture. We went to a concert of Strauss and Mozart music which was wonderful. Krems was the next stop where we visited the Abbey on a mountaintop. We tasted wine produced by the Abbey which was quite good. Linz brought us to Cesky Krumlov, a medieval village that goes almost 1000 years. We saw a Roman viaduct that reminded me of the one found in Nimes, France. Our last stop on the Danube was Passau, Germany. It’s a small city that has three rivers including the Danube converge which raise the risk of flooding. The buildings are quaint and charming. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is gorgeous. The organ did not disappoint!