Regensburg: Danube River Cruises

The River Danube

The Danube, or Donau, is one of Europe's great rivers--and with since the Main-Danube Canal opened in 1992, ships have been able to navigate all the way from Amsterdam to the Black Sea. (The canal runs 171 km or 106 miles from Bamberg to Kelheim, linking the Rhine and Main rivers into the Danube to create a continuous waterway of 3,500 km or 2,200 km in length.)

Until the canal was built, Regensburg was the head of navigation on the Danube. The river also served as the northern border of the Roman Empire in the time of emperor Marcus Aurelius, and it later marked the boundary between the Free Imperial City of Regensburg and the Kingdom of Bavaria to the north.

During summer, you can lounge in beer gardens along the Danube, and anglers fish from the riverbanks year-round.

Danube river cruises

Regensburg is a popular stop for river vessels of Viking River Cruises, Uniworld, Nicko Tours, and other international cruise lines. The city lies roughly midway between Nuremberg and Passau, or two to three days' cruising distance from Vienna and Budapest. Ships moor along the riverfront by the Altstadt and within view of the 12th Century Steinerne Brücke or Stone Bridge.

Local river cruises also are popular with visitors. The Regensburg (see photo above) and other cruise ships of Regensburger Personen-Schifffahrt Klinger offer many cruise possibilities, such as:

• Strudelrundfahrt sightseeing cruises. Ships depart hourly between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with commentary in German and English.

• Walhalla excursions. Boats cruise to Ludwig I's "German Hall of Fame" monument (a replica of the Parthenon) with a 1¼-hour layover for sightseeing. Commentary is in German and English. (On some days, another option is a round trip that substitutes a harbor tour for the sightseeing visit.)

• Breakfast, brunch, dinner, dance, and Christmas-season cruises. These special cruises take place on specific dates.

Klinger's main season runs from late March through the end of October, with some services running from April through September. Mid-March weekend cruises, the Christkindlschifffahrt, and a few other sailings take place outside the main season.

For more information about local river cruises from Regensburg, including timetables and fares, visit the German-language Regensburger Personen-Schifffahrt Klinger Web site.